Operation Details

Fish

'Fish' was a British pair of undertakings ('Fish I' and 'Fish II') to transfer bullion reserves from the UK to Canada in the battleships Resolution and Revenge (7/16 October 1939 and 30 May/7 June 1940).

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In order to fulfil an urgent need, the sister-ships Resolution and Revenge were tasked to carry to Canada gold bullion which was needed by the Anglo-French Purchasing Board in New York, to pay for arms bought from the USA. Some 148 boxes of gold bars, worth a total of £2 million, were loaded into each of the battleships at Portland, whence they departed on 7 October to reach Halifax, Nova Scotia, nine days later in 'Fish I'.

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After several convoy escort duties, Revenge was again used to transport gold bullion, this time to a value of £10 million, departing Plymouth on 28 January 1940. On 7 February the battleship collided with a small British tanker while a convoy was forming off Halifax but, though damaged, continued as an escort before returning to Halifax on 18 February for repair.

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On 30 May 1940 Revenge took part in 'Fish II' to remove all of the UK’s remaining gold reserves to Canada, lest they be lost in a German invasion, departing the Clyde river with £40 million of bullion in 2,229 cases and reaching Halifax on 7 June.

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