Gold run : the rescue of Norway's gold bullion from the Nazis, April 1940

Gold Run is the true story of arguably one of the greatest gold snatches in history. It is a tale of immense bravery, endurance and great leadership of loyal Norwegians, plus a little good fortune and help from the British against intrigue and overwhelming odds. The German invasion of Norway on the night of April 8th/9th 1940 almost took Norway completely unawares; had it not been for the defiance of one small coastal battery, the Norwegian Royal Family, Government, and nearly 50 tons of gold bullion would have had no chance to escape. In desperate haste the Royal Family fled Oslo by rail, dodging bombs and strafing, eventually reaching the port of Molde which was subsequently devastated by fire bombing. The gold with extraordinary ingenuity was moved by road, rail and fishing boat, hotly pursued by the Germans. Its weight and the need for total secrecy created unique transportation problems. After several instances of near disaster, the Norwegians managed to get the gold to the coast where the Royal Navy came to the rescue. Such was the difficulty of extricating the bullion, it was not possible to load it in one cargo, and it was taken off in three Royal Navy Cruisers, HMS Enterprise, Galatea and Glasgow, from different locations. The ships were attacked in port, then constantly harassed and bombed by the Luftwaffe as they made their way back to the UK. The loss of the bullion was a blow to the Germans. They had gained a country, but lost a King, a government and huge amount of bullion that would have financed their war machine. That loss is directly attributed to a visionary bank chief, a Colonel, a hastily assembled body of Norwegians and the ships and men of the Royal Navy, ever resourceful, brave and loyal to their respective countries. This is their story. Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1 The Sinking of the Blücher April 8–9th 2 The Flight & Fight Begins April 9th 3 The Bank and the Bullion 4 Flight to Lillehammer April 9–10th 5 Allied Help Arrives 6 Move the Bullion 7 Åndalsnes 8 HMS Galatea 9 The Road to Molde April 24th–29th 10 Molde – Capital of Norway 11 A Daring Rescue April 29th 12 D/S Driva April 30th 13 The Road From Molde 14 Welcome Arrivals 15 HMS Enterprise 16 The ‘Sealed Cargo’ Arrives in the UK 17 Pimpernel Gold 18 Atlantic Sailings 19 The Issue of Gold Appendix: Per Prag’s Diary Map Routes of the Gold Transport Notes Bibliography Index The WWII story of Norwegian resistance in the face of Nazi invasion: a daring escape for the Norwegian royal family and fifty tons of gold bullion. Gold Run recounts the thrilling story of the loyal Norwegians who rescued the Norwegian royal family, government, and nearly fifty tons of gold bullion from invading Nazis during World War II. One of the greatest gold snatches in history, it is a tale of loyal citizens who achieved an incredible feat against overwhelming odds through bravery, endurance, and leadership—plus a little good fortune and help from the British Royal Navy. The German invasion on the night of April 9, 1940, took Norway almost completely unawares. But one small coastal battery took swift action to protect the country's leadership. In desperate haste, the royal family fled Oslo by rail, dodging bombs and strafing. With extraordinary ingenuity, the gold was moved by road, rail, and fishing boat, hotly pursued by the Germans. After several instances of near disaster, the Norwegians managed to get the gold to the coast, where the Royal Navy came to the rescue. It was taken off in three Royal Navy Cruisers, HMS Enterprise, Galatea, and Glasgow. The ships were attacked in port, then constantly harassed and bombed by the Luftwaffe as they made their way back to the United Kingdom. The Germans had gained a country, but lost a king, a government, and a huge amount of bullion that would have financed their war machine.