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
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
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
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
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 !
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
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.
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
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
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.
The Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff | History | Smithsonian Magazine The Deadliest Disaster at Sea Killed Thousands, Yet Its Story Is Little-Known. Why? In the final months of World War II, 75 years ago, German citizens and soldiers fleeing the Soviet army died when the “Wilhelm Gustloff” sank
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.