MV Wilhelm Gustloff

Discussion in 'The War at Sea' started by Gerard, Jul 27, 2006.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    [​IMG]
    Military hospital ship " Wilhelm Gustloff" Scherl picture service action in Norway: Military hospital ship " Wilhelm Gustloff" wounded Narvikkämpfer brings after the homeland. Joyfully laughing this wounded Narvikkämpfer, whose chest and EK II decorate the EK I, expects to its imminent recovery in the homeland. PK: Augst; July 1940
     
  2. Erich

    Erich Senior Member

    well one of the survivors of the W.G. has a few wonderful books under his belt: Heinz Schön

    Ostsee "45, Menschen, Schiffe Schicksale. the book is required reading although in German. Of the great insanity in the last war year in Prussia.

    one volume more appropriate to this thread: Die Gustloff Katastrophe, 516 pages, 350 photos, Motorbuch Verlag, bestellen # 01027
     
  3. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Came across this on our sister site, WW2F. A link to a website commemorating the two liners. Seems fairly intensive althought one of the articles seems to have generated a bit of discussion over there. Regardless, there's some fascinating info on these ships to be found here: The Wilhelm Gustloff Museum
     
  4. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Ger,

    There was a German TV Drama documentary made on the subject of the events leading up to the sinking.

    There were several other ships, like the Wilhelm Gustloff sunk in those dark days. resulting in the loss of many lives.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  5. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Yes indeed Tom. The Goya was another liner which suffered a great loss of life when it sank.
     
  6. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Cap Arcona is another ship sunk , the so called " revisionists" hold this up to be an "Allied War Crime" - as she was carrying concentration camp inmates and was attacked and sunk by Allied aircraft.
    As Tom says desperate dark days in which the Baltic was a shooting gallery did the ships carry civilians , troops , or both ....terrible losses of life with a war so evidently lost and those wasteful last shots still having to be fired.

    Gerrard , that is a very good site you linked to - seduction at its very best when you look behind the smiling faces and the holiday memories , everything came at a price - surrender your selves to our will and we will send you on holiday !
     
  7. Erich

    Erich Senior Member

    interesting ............ as I told the webmaster he can do really nothing without the mention and info from one of the former passengers and leading historian on the Baltic tragedies as to shipping. Heinz Schön. if you chaps are interested google the guy, I own several of his works, quite eye opening if you are unaware of what befell the soviets and the Germans towards wars end, great possibly the bloodiest encounter(s) of the war were in the last war month in defense of Ost Preußia. Having known and still know good friends from Germany surviving that terrible time well lets just say there is still much to be written

    Sinking The Gustloff
     
    James S likes this.
  8. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    interesting ............ as I told the webmaster he can do really nothing without the mention and info from one of the former passengers and leading historian on the Baltic tragedies as to shipping. Heinz Schön. if you chaps are interested google the guy, I own several of his works, quite eye opening if you are unaware of what befell the soviets and the Germans towards wars end, great possibly the bloodiest encounter(s) of the war were in the last war month in defense of Ost Preußia. Having known and still know good friends from Germany surviving that terrible time well lets just say there is still much to be written

    Sinking The Gustloff
    Indeed Erich and thanks for the input. I do agree Erich, that much has to be written about the Defense of East Prussia. So many battles, so much misery for all concerned.

    James, Well done sir! As I typed in "Goya" I knew there was another ship that needed to be mentioned so well done on that!

    The evacuation of the Eastern Provinces by sea was probably one of the least acknowledged successes of the Kriegsmarine during the war.
     
  9. red devil

    red devil Senior Member

  10. Avigliana

    Avigliana Active Member

    Was a German ship which left port on 30 January 1945 in the Baltic sea, it was evacuating German civilians, officials and military personnel which also included wounded German soldiers, from Gydnia (Gotenhafen),which was occupied Poland. By one estimate over 10,000 people were on board. They were making for the safety of The Fatherland.

    They were fleeing from The Russian Steamroller that was smashing in to anything the Germans could put up against it. The people on board thought that they had escaped from the clutches of the Russians, little did they know that a Russian submarine was stalking them and was about to send the ship and most of the people on board to the bottom of The Baltic sea.

    The story of the sinking.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff

    Experts disect what happened (No mention of The Lancastria). There is a piece of advertising at the end that should be ignored.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ufWAflyB88

    Survivors talk about their experiences.part 1
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIaLZdXJiNY

    Part2
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJLXPVCHMOU

    Final part
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_qdQHKa-Pw

    I try and present subjects were possible from both sides.
    Avigliana
     
  11. Bernard85

    Bernard85 WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    good day avigliana,new yesterday.10:03.am.re: the wilhelm gutcoff.a terrible loss of life.in all the clips you have presented.but that is the way they fought war back then.there was a lot of hate in russia againts the germans who had raped and pilaged like army's of old.and that was not the only ship that was sunk with civilians on it.the germans sank a ship taking children to canada.and so it goes on.you say you try to present subjects from both sides.as a veteran,i agree with the distruction of the enemy by any means,we lost a lot of good mem at sea.unarmed.helpless in the water after there ship has been torpedoed.i could go on.i dont want to relive the war.i think you will learn a lot on talkww2.so take your time you are doing fine.regards bernard85
     
  12. Avigliana

    Avigliana Active Member

    Bernard85

    Thanks, it was my lucky day finding this site and thanks for the advice.
    I hope you did not over do the celebrations on your birthday.
     
  13. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Merged with pre-existing thread.
    There are others, I may have a wider shufti & mass-merge
    later.
     
  14. Avigliana

    Avigliana Active Member

    Von Poop, its a very good idea!
     
  15. Avigliana

    Avigliana Active Member

    Van Poop, I should read things properly before responding, please how can this be deleted
     
  16. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

  17. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    IMG_1707.JPG IMG_1709.JPG IMG_1712.JPG WG.PNG A model of the WG on display in the Maritime Museum in Hamburg.
    Cap Tally from WG.
     
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  18. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    WG, in happier times. IMG_5588.JPG
     
  19. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Witness History - The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff - BBC Sounds

    Released On: 07 Jan 2022
    Available for over a year
    In January 1945, an estimated 9,400 people died when the German military transport ship, the Wilhelm Gustloff, was sunk in the Baltic by a Soviet submarine. The victims were almost all civilians trying to escape the advancing Red Army. In 2011, the late Horst Woit spoke to Neal Razzell about surviving what's thought to be the worst maritime disaster in history.
     
    davidbfpo likes this.

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