A terrible submarine statistic...
whalen
Posted 2020-05-06 3:20 PM (#97641)


Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 606

Location: Citrus County FL		Subject: A terrible submarine statistic...

MV Wilhelm Gustloff was a German armed military transport ship which was sunk on 30 January 1945 by Soviet submarine S-13 in the Baltic Sea while evacuating German civilian refugees from East Prussia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Estonia and military personnel from Gotenhafen (Gdynia) as the Red Army advanced. By one estimate, 9,400 people died, which makes it the largest loss of life in a single ship sinking in history.

rover177
Posted 2020-05-07 1:27 PM (#97650 - in reply to #97641)
Master and Commander

Posts: 1576

Location: Wollongong, NSW		Subject: RE: A terrible submarine statistic...

The Gustloff had made previous trips carrying soldiers; it was a legitimate target.  S-13 was inshore of the ship; the CO had had difficulties with his bosses.
Marinesko was about to lose his job - too radical for the High Command but this sinking turned him into a hero.  My wife previously lived in Marinesko Street in St Petersburg, Stalin era street of apartment blocks.