The Corfu Channel incident consists of three separate events involving Royal Navy ships in the Channel of Corfu which took place in 1946, and it is considered an early episode of the Cold War. During the first incident, Royal Navy ships came under fire from Albanian fortifications. The second incident involved Royal Navy ships striking mines; and the third occurred when the Royal Navy conducted mine-clearing operations in the Corfu Channel, but in Albanian territorial waters, and Albania complained about them to the United Nations.

This series of incidents led to the Corfu Channel case, where the United Kingdom brought a case against the People's Republic of Albania to the International Court of Justice. The Court rendered a decision under which Albania was to pay £844,000 to the United Kingdom. This is equivalent to £37.7 million in 2015 terms. Because of the incidents, Britain in 1946 broke off talks with Albania aimed at establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. Diplomatic relations were only restored in 1991.

The incidents started proper on 15 May 1946 when seven Royal Navy ships, including HMS Orion and HMS Superb, crossed the Corfu Channel following a prior inspection and clearing of the strait. While crossing, they came under fire from Albanian artillery in coastal fortifications. The shells missed and the British warships could not return fire. Although the ships suffered no material damage and no human casualties occurred, Britain issued a formal demand for "an immediate and public apology from the Albanian Government". Such apology was not forthcoming, however, and the Albanian Government claimed that the British ships had trespassed into Albanian territorial waters. Albania issued a warning that prior notice should be given for all vessels passing through the Corfu Channel. The British government declared that it would not give prior notice and threatened that if British warships were fired on again, they would return fire.

The second incident was more serious. On 22 October 1946, a Royal Navy flotilla composed of the cruisers HMS Mauritius and HMS Leander, with accompanying destroyers, was ordered northward through the Corfu Channel with express orders to test the Albanian reaction to their right of innocent passage. The crews were instructed to respond if attacked.

They were passing close to the Albanian coast in what they considered to be a mine-free zone with Mauritius leading and HMS Saumarez following closely. Leander was about one and two-thirds of a nautical mile or three kilometres away accompanied by HMS Volage. Near the bay of Saranda, just prior to 3 p.m., the destroyer Saumarez struck a mine and was heavily damaged. The destroyer Volage was ordered to tow Saumarez south to a Corfu harbour.

At approximately 4:16 p.m., while towing, Volage also struck a mine and sustained heavy damage. The ship's bow was completely blown off and adverse weather conditions in the straits made the towing effort exceedingly difficult with all ships sailing stern-first, but after twelve hours of effort all ships managed to reach the Corfu harbour. Forty-four men died and forty-two were injured in the incident.

Between thirty-two and forty-three of the dead are estimated to have belonged to the crew of Saumarez. Saumarez was damaged beyond repair while the damage to Volage was repairable. The Albanian coastal batteries did not fire during this incident and an Albanian Navy ship approached the scene flying the Albanian flag and a white flag. The mines were allegedly laid by Yugoslavian Navy minelayers Mljet and Meljine on Albanian request, around 20 October 1946.

The British Minister of Pensions at the time of the incident awarded full military pensions to the disabled and to the widows of the dead.