"Manchester Merchant", completed in May 1940, quickly became involved in "Operation "Fish"", transporting Britain's gold reserves to Canada, making two voyages with bullion valued in total at £4.5 million. In late 1942 she was deployed on Operation "Torch" as a supply ship to North Africa. On 25 February 1943, she was torpedoed by "U 628" while part of an outbound Atlantic convoy; 36 of the crew of 65 including gunners were lost, but Captain Struss again survived, and received the OBE. "Manchester Division" (1918) bound for Table Bay was directed to assist the Blue Star Line's "Dunedin Star" which had beached on Namibia's rugged coast. The "Division" stood by in heavy swell for three days, rescuing 40 passengers and crew, before taking them to Cape Town. "Manchester Citizen" (1925) was also sunk by a U-boat, whilst on passage to Lagos on 9 July 1943 after surviving several supply runs for the Eighth Army. The last vessel to be "lost", albeit deliberately, was "Manchester Spinner" (1918), which had taken military supplies to India in 1942. On 7 June 1944, shortly after D-Day, manned by a volunteer crew, she led a line of Mulberry Harbour blockships and was sunk off Juno Beach Normandy to act as a breakwater, whilst troop reinforcements and stores were landed on the beaches. Her superstructure was then armed with anti-aircraft guns.