Wilhelm gustloff, german ocean liner that was sunk by a soviet submarine on january 30, 1945. The wilhelm gustloff was 684ft long nearly a full 200ft shorter than the titanic, she weighed 26,000grt gross registered tons, a little more than half of the titanic and she carried 417 crew and 1,460 passengers, making for a total complement of 1,877. Gustloff had originally joined the nsdap in 1929, and put much effort into the distribution of the the protocols of the elders of zion, a document purporting to reveal the existence of a worldwide jewish conspiracy. The crimson ocean, the gustloff, the last voyage of the gustloff, the ship of no return, ship of no return. Wilhelm gustloff was named after the assasinated leader of the swiss nazi party. The vessels christened name was the nazi way of immortalising one of their party members, a commander of the national socialist party in switzerland. Sinking of mv wilhelm gustloff the deadliest maritime. The vessel was originally designed to be the best cruise ship, offering both luxury and a distinct lack of societal class distinction. Wilhelm gustloff in print and film encyclopedia titanica. Just off the coast of poland, deep beneath the icy waters of the baltic, lie the torn remains of a german ocean liner. Until 1940 the gustloff remained docked in the gulf of danzig where it served the eastern war front. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app.
The sinking of the wilhelm gustloff the greatest maritime. Wilhelm gustloff, german ocean liner that was sunk by a soviet submarine on january. Her first patients were 650 polish soldiers from the invasion of poland. The mv wilhelm gustloff was a german kdf flagship, during 19371945, constructed by the blohm and voss shipyards. Check out survive the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff.
Wilhelm gustloff in the bay of danzig on january 30, 1945 is by many accounts. This time however, it is not a gleaming white flagship of the kdf cruise program. A dive commentary by sea hunter mike fletcher duration. Media in category wilhelm gustloff ship, 1938 the following 27 files are in this category, out of 27 total. Bundesarchiv b 145 bildp094443, stettin, wilhelm gustloff als lazarettschiff. Wilhelm gustloff wreck diving in pomorskie, poland. Introducing a topic about wartime maritime disaster, invariably leads one to broach the topic of the illfated wilhelm gustloff, termed as the deadliest maritime disaster in the maritime history a construction that was envisioned as the ultimate cruise vessel, turned into a hospital ship before finally being transformed into a navy personnel carrier, mv wilhelm gustloff was a german ship. Feb 26, 2007 i just noticed that a new movie about the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff is coming out march 10th 2008. Feb 02, 2015 remember the wilhelm gustloff, 1945 click to enlargein the night of january 30th, 1945 while evacuating refugees from eastern germany, the gustloff, which was designed to carry a max. Jan 20, 2009 this month marks the 64th anniversary of a littlenoted but greatest maritime disaster in history. Beginning in october 1938 the decision to rationalize the concerns industrial activity resulted in the formation of a consortium of sorts where. Gustloff werke weimars rifle production was unique among the german rifle makers in several ways, and in many ways it would be the model for the others to follow by the wars end. Movie on wilhelm gustloff encyclopedia titanica message. Mv wilhelm gustloff was a german armed military transport ship which was sunk on 30.
Over 9000 people died in the baltic sea on january 30, 1945, in an attempt to evade the red army. This film would not have been made were it not for the simple fact that the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff in january 1945 remains the greatest single maritime disaster. It was made for television in 2008 and broadcast in this region some months ago. The mv gustloff was the first ship built specifically for the german labour fronts kraft durch freude strength through joy program, which subsidized leisure activities for german workers. On 30th january 1945 the biggest ship desaster of history happened in the baltic sea.
The ship is named after the former head of the swiss nazi party who was assassinated by david frankfurter on feb. Over 100,000 french translations of english words and phrases. By comparison, the titanic could take over three thousand passengers and crew. Renamed lazarettschiff d and painted in hospital colors, she was prepped with 500 beds. He remained its leader from 1932 until he was assassinated in 1936. The ship is named after the former head of the swiss nazi party who was assassinated in. When she was sunk on january 30th, 1945, 9,343 men, women, and children slid under the waves of the icy baltic sea when the soviet submarine s fired three torpedoes into her port side sinking her in just over an hour. Mv wilhelm gustloff was a german armed military transport ship which was sunk on 30 january 1945 by soviet submarine s in the baltic sea while evacuating german civilian refugees from east prussia, lithuania, latvia, poland and estonia and military personnel from gotenhafen as the red army advanced. Despite being a very successful submariner, he was facing. Similar to the britishfrench evacuation at dunkirk in 1940, a variety of suitable vessels were needed. The colossal ship measured 25,000 tons in weight and almost 700 feet in length with a carrying capacity of 2,000 people. Joseph vilsmaier twopart tv movie focuses on the tragic events surrounding the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff, a german passenger ship, at the end of world war ii. Nov 06, 2002 as for information on the wilhelm gustloff the history channel just did a documentary on it but i forgot the name. The heroic deed of marinesko and the tragedy of the german gustloff alexander marinesko is one of the most controversial figures of the great patriotic war, who is still a subject of much controversy and is in the limelight of heated debates.
As adolf hitler watches wilhelm gustloffs widow, hedwig gustloff, breaks a bottle of champagne on the bow christening the ship at the launch ceremony. Starting in 1939, the ship was used as housing for uboat crewman undergoing training. You go on board onto the wilhelm gustloff, with 10,000 others. I just noticed that a new movie about the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff is coming out march 10th 2008. Movie on wilhelm gustloff encyclopedia titanica message board.
View a list of all the short films sorted by popularity. Set in the dying days of world war ii, the greatest catastrophe in naval history left over 9000 dead six times more than in the titanic disaster. Januar 1945 hilfe fur legion condor laube gustloff als,schwimmende kaserne sonnendeck oberes promenaden deck unteres promenadendeck. A memorial for the victims of the wilhelm gustloff sinking. On the bitter, cold day of january 30, 1945, the german transport wilhelm gustloff left port from east prussia with 10,582 crew and evacuees on a ship that was designed to carry 1865 people. On february 4, 1936, a croatianjewish student named david frankfurter, heeding the worldwide call for jewish holy war against the german people, knocked on the door of gustloff. Remember the wilhelm gustloff, 1945 click to enlargein the night of january 30th, 1945 while evacuating refugees from eastern germany, the gustloff, which was designed to carry a max. Soviet submarine s torpedoed the wilhelm gustloff carrying more than 12 000 people mostly refugees. Learn more about the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff in this article. By one estimate, 9,400 people died, which makes it the largest loss of life in a single ship. On 30 january 1945, captain hellmuth kehding was in charge of the ship. Youre a german refugee trying to escape the red army.
On the second day of her voyage, the 58yearold captain carl lubbe died on the. Start reading death in the baltic on your kindle in under a minute. Sinking of mv wilhelm gustloff the deadliest maritime disaster. An estimated 9,000 passengers were killed in the sinking, making it the greatest maritime disaster in history. Feb 18, 2016 the sinking of wilhelm gustloff has been considered as the biggest maritime catastrophe of all time even surpassing the combined calamities of titanic which sank taking more than 1,500 people with it after hitting an iceberg and lusitania which sank with 1,119 people after getting hit by a german torpedo. The title already gives away the time when this is set, namely during world war ii, even if the word. It was the 12th anniversary of hitlers accession to power, which was an ordained holiday in germany accompanied by radio speeches and the like. The wilhelm gustloff is my favourite ship of all times. Video clip from last voyage of the gustloff, a documentary combining historic footage with recreated scenes from a threehour, madeforgermantelevision film in 2008 directed by joseph vilsmaier entitled ship of no return. Gustloff werke weimar rifles the military rifle journal. Jan 23, 2016 heinz schon, a german archivist and gustloff survivor who carried out extensive research into the sinking during the 1980s and 1990s, concluded that wilhelm gustloff was carrying a crew of 173 naval armed forces auxiliaries, 918 officers, ncos, and men of the 2 unterseebootlehrdivision, 373 female naval auxiliary helpers, 162 wounded. The ship was named for the leader of the swiss nazi party, who had been assassinated on february 4, 1936, and it was. It is a navalgrey ship of hope for anxious throngs of refugees who are lucky enough to make it as far as the docks.
Its one of the millions of unique, usergenerated 3d experiences created on roblox. The wilhelm gustloff was a wwii german cruise liner. Pronunciation of wilhelm gustloff with 1 audio pronunciation, 1 meaning, 2 translations and more for wilhelm gustloff. The wilhelm gustloff holds the infamous record for the worst loss of life in maritime history. The ms wilhelm gustloff in german memory culture ohiolink etd. There are different opinions about him ranging from praise to accusations of a war crime. Survive the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff roblox. It sank after being hit by three torpedoes fired by the soviet submarine s on 30 january 1945 with the loss of life thought to be over 9,000 the greatest loss of life in a maritime disaster in history. World war ii saw the wilhelm gustloff becoming a hospital ship for the german wehrmacht.
The last voyage of the wilhelm gustloff is a twopart german mini series. Wilhelm gustloff january 30, 1895 february 4, 1936 was the german leader of the nsdap party in switzerland. To escape russia, the german civilians tried to evacuate in all directions but kept getting caught. Dec 27, 2014 gustloff werke weimars rifle production was unique among the german rifle makers in several ways, and in many ways it would be the model for the others to follow by the wars end. This month marks the 64th anniversary of a littlenoted but greatest maritime disaster in history. The wilhelm gustloff before the war, the wilhelm gustloff was the flagship of the power through joy workers recreational programs fleet of passenger liners. With kai wiesinger, valerie niehaus, heiner lauterbach, dana vavrova. When she was sunk on january 30th, 1945, 9,343 men, women, and children slid under the waves of the icy baltic sea when the soviet submarine s fired three torpedoes into her port side sinking her in. Sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly having communicated french military secrets to the german embassy in paris. German film loosely based on the sinking, by a soviet. Wilhelm gustloff passenger ship 19371945, wreck, wreck database. The gustloff once again finds itself in the role as flagship in gotenhafen. Wilhelm gustloff 30 january 1895 4 february 1936 was the founder of the swiss nsdapao the nazi party organisation for german citizens abroad at davos. In its initial days, the ship was used as a luxury cruise liner for the german workers of hitlers third reich, and, until the outbreak.
The gustloff and a few other smaller ships left the port of gdynia gotenhafen, just to the north of danzig, shortly after noon on 30 january. The heroic deed of marinesko and the tragedy of the german. The wilhelm gustloff had been attacked by soviet submarine s commanded by alexander marinesko. On 30 th january 1945 the liner ms wilhelm gustloff was making her way from gotenhafen packed with thousands of nazi officials, refugees and armed forces personnel fleeing the soviet juggernaut sweeping into the reich. Mv wilhelm gustloff was a german armed military transport ship which was sunk on 30 january 1945 by soviet submarine s in the baltic sea while evacuating german civilians, german officials, refugees from prussia, lithuania, latvia, poland, estonia and croatia and military personnel from gotenhafen gdynia as the red army advanced. Nearly 10,000 died aboard the mv wilhelm gustloff and.
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