On the night of September 8, in the important western British city of Liverpool, a heavily guarded military dock was the site of a significant departure. A destroyer lay anchored, its crew busily loading heavy crates onto the vessel.
A middle-aged man in a suit conversed with a captain, his face grave with urgency.
"Captain John, this cargo must be safely delivered to Canada. It concerns the very future of the British Empire!" the man said sternly.
"Yes, sir. I will do everything in my power," Captain John responded, nodding with determination. He was the commanding officer of the destroyer Lancaster, a formidable ship among the British Royal Navy's destroyers. With a displacement exceeding a thousand tons and a top speed of thirty-five knots, it was a ship of considerable capability.
"We have arranged for supplies in Iceland. Once you arrive there, you can refuel and replenish your water supplies. From there, you must continue directly to Canada. Your safe arrival will be the greatest victory. God will watch over you," the middle-aged man added.
"Sir, my luck has always been on my side. I believe this mission will be no different," Captain John said with a confident smile.
Before long, all cargo had been loaded onto the ship.
"Sir, the time has come for us to depart," Captain John said.
The man nodded solemnly.
Captain John swiftly boarded the ship, and the Lancaster's engines roared to life. The destroyer slowly pulled away from the dock and, after turning, made its way into the Irish Sea. They needed to enter the Atlantic before dawn, and from there, make their way westward toward Canada at full speed.
Of course, if they encountered any German warships along the way, they would need to change course and flee. While the Lancaster was a fast and capable ship, equipped with 114mm guns, it was still just a destroyer, not a match for Germany's main battle fleets. In the event of a confrontation, their only chance would be to escape. Thankfully, with a top speed of thirty-five knots, there was a slight possibility of outrunning any pursuing German cruisers or battleships.
On board the Lancaster was a precious cargo—one hundred tons of gold, worth more than fifteen million pounds, based on the pre-devaluation value of the pound. This gold would be vital to the British Empire's plans for a resurgence in Canada. Of course, this was but a small fraction of Britain's vast wealth. More gold, along with other treasures, awaited transport to Canada through various covert channels.
As soon as the Lancaster left port, a telegram was sent from a Liverpool slum. The message, detailing the exact departure time and route of the Lancaster, was clear and precise.
Germany's intelligence services spared no expense in ensuring they intercepted Britain's wealth bound for Canada. Many spies, who had been undercover for years, were activated to gather information. With the current state of the war making Britain's position increasingly dire, many British officials, desperate and hopeless, had begun to cooperate with Germany. This gave the German intelligence apparatus the information they needed.
The German navy wasted no time in responding. The battlecruiser Blücher, accompanied by two light cruisers and six destroyers, formed a hunting fleet. Their orders were clear: if they could force the Lancaster to surrender, that would be ideal. If not, they were to sink it. Better to see the gold lost to the sea than to let the British safely transport it to Canada. And even if the gold sank, the Germans could later organize salvage operations in hopes of recovering it.
By dawn on September 9, the Lancaster had entered the vast expanse of the Atlantic. Captain John, who had been anxiously awaiting this moment, finally allowed himself to relax, his concerns momentarily eased.
In the vastness of the Atlantic, once they were out of reach of German reconnaissance, it would be nearly impossible for the Germans to find them. Without satellite surveillance, searching the ocean for a ship was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Captain, what exactly are we transporting? Why all the secrecy?" one of the officers asked curiously.
"Be silent! Do not ask questions that do not concern you. This is an imperial secret!" Captain John barked.
The officer immediately fell quiet, though his curiosity remained piqued.
Apart from Captain John, no one else on board knew the true nature of their cargo. This was, of course, for security reasons. The value of one hundred tons of gold was staggering. It was enough to build several of the latest battleships. Captain John understood just how critical this mission was.
At 7 AM, the Lancaster continued its journey. After a sleepless night, Captain John was exhausted. He gave the quartermaster a few instructions before retreating to his cabin to rest.
Minutes later, a seaplane appeared in the northern sky. Upon spotting the aircraft, the crew of the Lancaster immediately went on high alert.
The quartermaster ordered the ship to change course and sent someone to wake Captain John.
The captain, who had just fallen asleep, was roused, his irritation palpable. However, he knew there was no time for anger.
"Damn it! What is a German seaplane doing here? Have we been compromised?" Captain John swore angrily.
They were conducting a highly secretive mission, and such exposure seemed impossible. Yet, the appearance of the German seaplane was a worrying sign.
"Captain, what should we do?" the quartermaster asked.
Captain John furrowed his brow, then replied, "Continue the course. Stay vigilant. If any German warships are spotted, change course immediately."
The seaplane alone posed little threat, but Captain John knew the German fleet would likely be close behind.
His fears were soon confirmed. After receiving the seaplane's report, the German fleet—led by destroyers—had already begun to close in on the Lancaster. The destroyers had pushed their speed to the maximum, eager to intercept their target.