Nazi gold

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This account, first published in 1984 and updated for this edition, details the fate of the 'Nazi gold' and other valuables that vanished during the final days of the Third Reich. The dispersal began with a raid on Berlin on February 3, 1945, when nearly a thousand bombers struck, causing significant damage to the Reichsbank. Following this, around 100 tons of gold reserves were moved to a deep mine in Merkers, 200 miles southwest of Berlin. On April 4, Patton's Third Army captured this site, seizing gold and currency valued at approximately $315 million in 1945, along with 400 tons of paintings and the ancient Egyptian statuette of Queen Nefertiti. The authors estimate that around $433 million, equivalent to nearly $4 billion today, remains missing or stolen. This total includes $3.6 billion in gold currency bonds seized by Red Army Intelligence and seven tons of gold from the German Foreign Office found in the Bank of England. The narrative introduces a colorful cast of characters involved in the gold's fate but often gets sidetracked by tracing individual bars or discussing the lifestyle of occupation troops in Germany. While vivid investigative reporting is present, it occasionally gets lost amid less relevant details. (16 pages b&w photos); 384 pg.