1942 Philippines’ Gold Transported by USS Trout, What is there to Know?

Описание: In January of 1942, the Philippines fate was soon to go to Japan. As a last effort, the USS Trout, a United States Submarine, was ordered to transport 3500 delayed-fused high altitude anti-aircraft shells to Corregidor. In the meantime Commissioner Sayre of the Philippine's Government sent hard assets including gold to the Rock at Corregidor. This was broken down as follows: one-and-a-third million grams of gold and nearly sixteen and one-half million silver pesos. A rough summation was nearly $3,000,000 in American currency, $28,000,000 in Philippine currency, and 10,800 pounds of gold.


After two nights and a day of grueling work, the crew of the USS Trout was finally granted a day of rest. However, their respite was brief. That evening, they were tasked with a rendezvous with a small patrol craft, which delivered the remaining securities and diplomatic mail.

With the final transfer complete, the Trout submerged and set course for the East China Sea just fifty minutes after surfacing. Her ballast was extraordinary: gold and silver with an estimated value of nearly $10 million, likely making it the most valuable cargo ever carried by a warship. This precious cargo served a vital purpose, representing a significant portion of the Philippines' national treasure.

Lieutenant Commander Fenno, Commanding Officer of the USS Trout, found himself in charge of a vast treasure of Philippine gold and silver. Loaded under the cloak of night, the sheer volume of precious cargo made it impossible for him to personally verify every bar and container. Acknowledging this, he added a crucial caveat to the receipt he signed: "received without verification of numbers of bars or contents of the container." His orders, from Philippine President Manuel Quezon himself, were clear: transport this treasure to the Secretary of the Treasury in Washington D.C., or secure it in a safe location until further instructions regarding its disposal were received. This mysterious mission, shrouded in secrecy and wartime urgency, placed Commander Fenno at the heart of a historical enigma.

This video shows the USS Trout pulling into Pearl Harbor and offloading the Philippine hard assets. A few days later, a single gold bar was located on the submarine and it took a few days for it to be signed for.

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