WWII's Operation Fish

In 1940, with Nazi Germany sweeping across Europe and invasion seemingly possible, Britain faced an extraordinary question: What happens to the country's wealth if Hitler reaches London?

The answer was Operation Fish.

In one of the largest movements of wealth in history, Britain secretly shipped enormous quantities of gold and securities across the submarine-infested Atlantic to Canada for safekeeping. Royal Navy warships and civilian vessels carried fortunes worth billions of dollars today—sometimes with crews having little idea what was hidden beneath their feet.

The stakes were enormous. A single German U-boat could have sent a significant portion of Britain's financial reserves to the bottom of the Atlantic.

Yet the operation succeeded. Britain's treasure reached Canada, where it was quietly stored and managed for the duration of the war.

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