"Though the war rages on, the British have already set foot on our homeland. Our army was just defeated in the southeast by the Germans, losing over a million men. It is becoming increasingly clear that defeating the Germans and holding our ground will be an exceedingly difficult task. To ensure that the Empire might one day rise again, we must transport this gold to Canada as a foundation for our resurgence. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, something went wrong, and the news has leaked," Captain John said grimly.
"Captain, what should we do now? If we refuse the Germans' demands, they really will kill us!" a young sailor asked, unable to keep his anxiety in check. It was evident that no one wanted to die.
"Captain, we are surrounded by German warships; escape is impossible. We are faced with only two choices: one is to be sunk, along with the gold, and sink into the sea. The other is to surrender the gold to the Germans in exchange for our lives," the navigational officer stated.
Captain John nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Indeed, those were the only two options left. However, choosing between them posed a dilemma for the captain. If it were up to him, he would rather go down with the ship. This way, they could preserve the honor of the Royal Navy. But looking into the eyes of his sailors, he could clearly see their desire for survival.
"For the good of the British Empire and the honor of the Royal Navy, we must fight to the end and never surrender to the Germans!" Captain John declared.
"Captain, if we do that, the Germans will kill us all! They are devils, and they will do as they say!" one sailor almost cried out.
"Perhaps we should open the sea valves and sink the ship. That way, the gold won't fall into German hands," an officer suggested.
"No, the Germans have made it very clear—if we don't hand over the gold, they will kill us all," a tall sailor rejected the idea, shaking his head.
Captain John's face darkened. From the conversation, he could understand their intentions. Clearly, everyone wanted to survive. If he stubbornly ordered the ship to sink, they might even bind him up and kill him on the spot. The interests of the Empire and the Royal Navy's honor seemed so fragile and insignificant when faced with the threat of death.
"Captain, we all have families. We don't want to die here. Let's surrender to the Germans," one sailor pleaded.
The others looked at Captain John with similar desperate eyes, their silent plea apparent.
"Very well, we'll do as you suggest," Captain John sighed helplessly.
"Yes, Captain!" The sailors all breathed a slight sigh of relief, their faces filled with the expression of those who had narrowly escaped death.
The "Lancaster" destroyer immediately responded to the German fleet's communication, slowing its speed until it came to a complete stop, as per their orders.
The German Navy's Marines, who had been prepared in advance, boarded the "Lancaster" on small boats. The British sailors, offering little resistance, allowed the Germans to easily take control of the ship.
Soon after, vast quantities of gold began to be transferred onto the "Blücher" battlecruiser.
As each chest was opened, revealing gleaming gold, those who witnessed it could scarcely breathe, their hearts racing at the sight of the precious metal.
"Excellent, the British are cooperating. Bring the destroyer back to Germany. The 'Blücher' will return home, while the other ships continue with their missions," ordered Vice Admiral Lübeck.
One hundred tons of gold, worth over three hundred million marks, was no small fortune for Germany. If it were used to build aircraft carriers, it would be enough to construct several.
The news of the "Lancaster" destroyer being captured by the Germans sent shockwaves through the British government. One hundred tons of gold had been seized by the enemy. Churchill was particularly distressed. Despite his orders to the Gold Transport Committee to maintain strict secrecy, this was the outcome.
Yet, even though the "Lancaster" had failed, Churchill still instructed the Gold Transport Committee to continue attempting to ship the remaining wealth to Canada. If it stayed in Britain, once the British army was defeated, all of it would fall into German hands. It was better to risk some losses and ship what they could to Canada. After all, once Britain's homeland was lost, they would rely on those funds to stage a resurgence. Without them, the few million people and tax revenues in Canada would not be enough to execute their plans.
In addition to using destroyers to transport the gold, the British Gold Transport Committee also employed submarines. Compared to destroyers, submarines were far more secretive and difficult to detect. However, once the German intelligence agencies learned of the British routes and methods, they intercepted them multiple times.
One British submarine, just entering the Atlantic, encountered a German destroyer. Forced to dive to avoid detection, the British submarine was relentlessly attacked with depth charges. Eventually, the submarine had to surface due to damage. The gold it carried, over a hundred tons, was seized by the Germans. Had the submarine remained submerged, it would have sunk to the ocean floor. The surviving sailors, naturally, prioritized saving their lives.
Of course, there were those who chose to die rather than surrender. In the battles between German warships and the British destroyers and submarines, there were always those who fought to the bitter end, refusing to surrender even as they were sunk.
The operations of the British Gold Transport Committee lasted for a full month. During this time, twenty destroyers and thirty submarines were used to transport the wealth. Some of the gold was intercepted by the Germans, some was sunk into the cold depths of the Atlantic, becoming treasure hidden beneath the sea. The remainder, however, was successfully delivered to Canada. The total value of this treasure amounted to over a billion marks. This is why, even after Britain's homeland fell, the government was able to persist in Canada and continue fighting. It was also why they had built a formidable army, constantly giving Germany trouble. These funds played a crucial role in their ability to survive and resist.