The sinking of the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff. The death of the liner "Wilhelm Gustloff": doomed to death or another secret of the Third Reich

January 30, 1945 in the Bay of Danzig Baltic Sea a tragedy occurred, which was predicted back in 1937 by the chief astrologer of the Third Reich, Dr. Kraft, - the largest naval disaster of the 20th century, the giant liner Wilhelm Gustloff, hit by three torpedoes, disappeared forever under water.

Of the nearly 7,000 passengers, only a few hundred survived. And each of them said that his salvation was a miracle. In the stories of these people, everything that Dr. Kraft saw in 1937 was repeated: the Baltic winter, the yellow cloud, and three strikes.

Three torpedoes hit the ship, and her fate was sealed. Such a huge colossus with an absolutely fantastic displacement, at the end of the war, in the opinion of professionals, it was doomed to be sunk.

Symbol of prosperity of the Third Reich

Huge a cruise ship, built in the 37th year in Hamburg, became the most mysterious ship of the 20th century. The aura of mystery around this ship was built long before it was built. The ship project has not yet been completed, and the top leaders of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler, Dr. Goebbels and the head of the German Labor Front, Robert Ley, have already taken care of its fate. This is because not just a cruise liner was being built, but a symbolic ship.

It was declared by Nazi propaganda as one of the symbols of the Third Reich in peacetime. It was such a parade picture of the Third Reich.

Going on a ship - the sun, a trip around the world - ordinary Germans felt special care for them and believed: prosperity and universal social equality awaited their country, led by Hitler.

In 1933, the new Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler, twice came to Hamburg to see for himself how the construction of cruise ships for the new Nazi Germany was going.

It was these snow-white beauties that were to become the basis of the unique social propaganda project "Strength through Joy".

Konstantin Zalessky

Writer, historian

The fact is that the German worker could never afford a cruise or vacation at some resort. It was expensive, it was the lot of the middle class at best. And so, as part of the “Strength through Joy”, an ordinary worker could save a small amount for a year and then go on a sea cruise with his family for a week in the summer. It was very cheap, because the ships were built specifically for the order of Strength through Joy, and the Wilhelm Gustloff was a liner built for mass tourism.

For his talentedly organized propaganda, he enjoyed Hitler's unlimited confidence. Moreover, it was he who came up with the main Nazi greeting “Heil Hitler!” “Long live Hitler!” His main goal was to secure the love of the people for the National Socialist Party.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

The propaganda was staged very skillfully, it was a comprehensive level of PR, which was hard not to believe. The ship was built for hard workers, all the cabins were the same, they all cost the same. It was available to every working person. The main thing was different - the service was amazing, the food was great, the entertainment was great ...

With such PR, the Fuhrer quickly won popular love, but did not lose sight of any little things. Looking at the drawings of the future liner, Hitler noticed that such a ship should be absolutely safe, the Third Reich does not need British titanics.

Fatal prediction of Hitler's personal astrologer

A few months after his visit, a huge sun ship was laid down at the Hamburg shipyard, which, despite all the design tricks, nevertheless repeated the fate of the Titanic.

True, according to the prediction of Dr. Kraft, in order to destroy him, three circumstances had to coincide. The number 30, winter and a person who was born in the 13th year. The astrologer warned that on the day and hour when all three of these circumstances are combined, the snow-white liner will go under water.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

The predictions of Kraft, who is called Hitler's personal astrologer, often did come true, and this is true.

Karl Ernst Kraft (German: Karl Ernst Krafft, May 10, 1900 - January 8, 1945) was a well-known astrologer who worked for the RSHA.

As the gigantic cruise ship was solemnly launched into the water amid cheering crowds, the man destined to destroy it stepped aboard the submarine for the first time to begin his military service as navigator.

Alexander Marinesko, the future legendary submariner, never wanted to be a sailor. Since childhood, he dreamed of serving in the merchant navy, but fate decreed otherwise. According to the Komsomol voucher, he was sent to the courses of the command staff. After them, he became a combat officer.

Konstantin Kulagin

He managed to serve on the ships of the civil fleet, make several foreign voyages, but for a civilian sailor everything is completely different - he is a free man on the shore. When he was drafted into the navy, matters of discipline were very difficult for him.

Paradoxically, it was this freethinker and rowdy who was destined to become the most famous Soviet submariner and go down in the history of the Great Patriotic War as a hero who sank the symbol of the Third Reich.

But then, in the 37th year before fateful day, predicted by Dr. Kraft, there were still 8 years left.

Secret passengers on the pre-war "Gustloff"

All of Germany knew that the construction of the miracle ship cost 30 million Reichsmarks. This figure was called on the radio by Dr. Goebbels. Huge swimming pool, bars, winter garden, cinema, promenade deck 160 m long.

Mikhail Myagkov

He embodied all the power of Germany, which Hitler wanted to present to the whole world. This was another proof that the social system that Germany makes, Hitler does, he is the most just.

From now on, luxury has become available to everyone. True, there was a special zone on the ship where mere mortals were not allowed in - Hitler's naval apartments were located there.

Konstantin Kulagin

Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute military history Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Historical Sciences

In fact, the Fuhrer of the German nation did not really like the sea and, according to rumors, suffered from seasickness. But in any case, he was not exactly a fan of sea cruises.

Hitler's apartments were used only once. The Fuhrer's girlfriend Eva Braun took a short boat trip on the Gustloff. But there were other passengers on the liner, no less mysterious.

In the 17 pre-war months, the Wilhelm Gustloff made 44 flights and officially transported 60,000 people. In fact, there were more passengers. The ship became a floating base for naval intelligence officers. They made visual observations, made measurements. On the eve of the war, this was the case on every cruise voyage.

Mikhail Myagkov

Scientific Director of the Russian Military Historical Society, Doctor of Historical Sciences

May 39. The Spanish Civil War ended. The Wilhelm Gustloff arrived at Vigo Harbor on a regular cruise flight. But on the ship, in addition to ordinary passengers, there was also a group of naval intelligence officers. Their task is to secretly take home the pilots whom Hitler sent to Spain to support General Franco. It was they who bombed Madrid and Barcelona, now they were returning to their homeland. Seats and cabins were prepared for them in advance - ordinary cruise participants should not have known anything about this.

Mikhail Myagkov

Scientific Director of the Russian Military Historical Society, Doctor of Historical Sciences

But the Second World War began. The liner was returned to the port just a few days before the start of the German attack on Poland. He was retrained, converted into a sanitary vessel.

But even in this military reality, the propaganda machine continued to work properly. The Nazis wanted to show the world that they cared not only for their soldiers, but also for wounded opponents.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

Seriously wounded Poles, in recognition of their heroic deeds, were brought to this ship and treated. Such pure propaganda, I don’t see a special humane role here, thousands of people were exterminated in Poland, but some 200-400 were lucky, they were taken, cured and released ...

Cruise ship as a training center for the Reich's submarine forces

By the beginning of the 40th year, the time for cruises and propaganda campaigns had passed forever - the flags and symbols of the Red Cross were removed from the liner, the white color was repainted into a camouflage, protective one. Now other secrets were connected with the "Wilhelm Gustloff" - military ones. There were many of these secrets, and not all of them have been revealed so far.

From a secret note by Admiral Karl Doenitz to the Commander of the German Naval Forces, Grand Admiral Raeder:

I propose to place a new training center for the Reich submarine forces on one of the former cruise ships. Wilhelm Gustloff is suitable for this purpose.

Konstantin Kulagin

Senior Researcher at the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Candidate of Historical Sciences

Since it is adapted to accommodate a large number of people, it was used as a floating barracks and as a training center, from where the cadets of the diving school came from. They lived on it: the cinema hall is a ready-made lecture hall, they have a place to wash, there is a place to feed in an organized way, there is a place to accommodate them en masse. Here, in fact, the Wilhelm Gustloff performed this task throughout the war - it was an auxiliary training ship.

The first training team arrived at the Gustloff at the beginning of the 41st year. Doenitz, or “Papa Karl,” as the German sailors called him, met the arrivals himself.

The admiral was used to knowing his combat personnel by sight. This was his style of command. He trained the real elite of the marine submarine fleet.

Already in the New Year's address to the people, Hitler highly appreciated the actions of the submariners and called the brainchild of Doenitz "a powerful detachment of the Third Reich."

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

A school is located in this ship, it is called the secret school of future submariners. And a huge number of German submariners became well-trained specialists thanks to training on this ship.

In the 40th year, Germany made a serious bet on submarine warfare. After the appearance of the cadets, the protection of the ship was significantly strengthened. Now Gustloff was one of the most important objects of the Third Reich. Another mystery is connected with this - military-technical.

According to intelligence, the Russian Naval Forces will not be able to counteract the German army and navy. The waters of the Baltic Sea are shallow and unsuitable for submarines, so a large-scale war in the Baltic should not be expected. This circumstance will allow the Reich submarine forces to deploy Project 21.

It was in Doenitz's report that the mysterious project was mentioned. During the war years, the secret project "21" became the admiral's fix idea. In secret laboratories, the submarines of the future were created - compact, reliable and swift. Work on them began in the 41st year and continued until the 44th.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

I would say that this idea was akin to the idea that an atomic bomb would be ready right now, and it would help win the war. It was the same with the idea of this submarine.

It was on the Gustloff that elite personnel for new submarines were trained. Admiral Karl Doenitz personally oversaw this secret project.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

Did the submarine fleet play such an important role in Germany as some kind of weapon of war? I must recall that the German submariners did not lay down their arms even when the act of surrender was signed. And who was carrying thousands and thousands of people to Argentina, and who was on those submarines? SS officers, people with large capitals who had previously transferred them to Latin American countries. It was very difficult to get to it by any other means than underwater.

Alexander Marinesko: the difficult path of a sailor

The Soviet Union also attached great importance to the education of submariners. Especially in the North. Already at the very beginning of the war, Hitler announced that the Soviet fleet was finished in the Baltic. Here the Nazis created a powerful system of minefields and barriers.

Konstantin Kulagin

Senior Researcher at the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Candidate of Historical Sciences

In the Baltic, as is known, since 1942, every exit to the open part of the Baltic Sea through The Gulf of Finland for our submariners, it was in itself a heroic feat to break through those minefields and anti-submarine barriers that the Germans and Finns systematically set up there.

By August 1942, most of the submarines of the Baltic Fleet were seriously damaged and were under repair. Therefore, every experienced officer capable of conducting combat operations in such conditions was worth its weight in gold.

Chronicle

A new replenishment has arrived in the naval units. Young patriots took their fighting places. They successfully master naval affairs.

Konstantin Kulagin

Senior Researcher at the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Candidate of Historical Sciences

Our submarine fleet grew much faster than the number of officers. Because in order to become a submarine commander, it takes 5-6 years, and it takes 5-6 years to become a good, competent, trained submarine commander. If a person was really prepared, he became a very valuable shot, because it was not possible to quickly find a second such person.

By August 1942, Alexander Marinesko was already an experienced submariner and commander of a small M-96 boat of the Malyutka class. Although the German minefields were practically impassable, his "Baby" managed to break into the operational space and torpedo the multi-ton enemy transport. For this attack, Marinesko received the Order of Lenin, his name became known throughout the Baltic Fleet.

Konstantin Kulagin

Senior Researcher at the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Candidate of Historical Sciences

We must pay tribute to our leadership, which noted his good maritime qualities, noted that he loves the sea, saw in him a person in whom the Motherland has invested heavily and from whom she expects him to justify these efforts with his service.

And for that he was forgiven a lot. The hero of the Baltic Alexander Marinesko was known not only for his successful attack, but also for his complex character and unwillingness to clearly follow all the rules of discipline. For these violations, he was repeatedly punished, but according to all the laws of logic, he should not have held out until the very time when he was destined to sink the Wilhelm Gustloff.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

The entire submarine fleet knew that Alexander Marinesko was one of those people who could have a great drink and violate certain rules of the charter. At the same time, few people questioned his skill as a submariner. There was an eternal struggle between the two principles, what to do with such a person. And who will go to sea? Who will go to beat the Nazis? Who can do it? Sasha can do it, he will do it, we need to give him a chance ...

Hunting for an unsinkable liner

UK, Naval Intelligence Technical Center. The Royal Secret Service intercepted and deciphered the text of Admiral Doenitz's telegram. The telegram talked about the 21 project. Soon in London they learned what was behind this code. An aerial hunt began for the Wilhelm Gustloff ship.

On October 30, 1943, aircraft of the British Air Force appeared in the sky over Danzig. The German air defense was unable to stop them. In the city - explosions, fires, panic. The main target of the raid is the ship "Wilhelm Gustloff". But the huge liner, which was dead anchored, remained safe and sound, not a single direct hit.

The next day, the chief propagandist of the Third Reich, Joseph Goebbels, delivered a speech:

"Wilhelm Gustloff" does not sink! This ship is a symbol like our Reich.

There were several such massive raids. In the Third Reich, they believed in the unsinkability of the ship. And this belief will later play a fatal role in the history of the liner.

The end of the 43rd year. Grand Admiral Doenitz arrived in Danzig. This is the last visit of the German commander to the Gustloff. He gave the order to curtail all work on the project "21".

In the evening, she entered the Danzig Bay German submarine. Several boxes were secretly transferred to it - all that was left of the secret project. The floating university of Admiral Doenitz was closed. It seemed that the famous liner was forgotten. But not for long.

Konstantin Zalessky

Writer, historian

And then he was transferred to East Prussia, because the situation arose to start the evacuation. It seemed to the Nazi leadership and the command of the fleet that the Gustloff was a way out.

On January 12, 1945, the offensive of the Soviet troops broke through the German Eastern Front. The fighting moved to the territory of East Prussia. The unsinkable Third Reich was rapidly sinking. Preparations began for a large-scale evacuation.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

A successful agitation was launched that the Reds would come and kill your children, maybe the old people would be left behind, and the women would be raped. This is a political operation of 44-45, which is called Operation Hannibal in honor of the great commander. And millions ran. Officially - 2.5 million.

Chronicle

Our troops firmly pulled the steel ring around the East Prussian grouping of Germans. The fate of the German troops encircled in Königsberg is a foregone conclusion.

The offensive of the Soviet troops was swift. And when East Prussia was already cut off from the main part of Germany, the only way out was by sea through the ports of Danzig and Gotenhafen - today's Gdansk and Gdynia.

Konstantin Zalessky

Writer, historian

It was believed that the Gustloff could play a huge role in the evacuation. As a result, about 7 thousand people were stuffed there. It was, of course, an overload, but the Germans decided to take a chance. In principle, the entire Gustloff campaign on the part of the German military command was a gamble, and this gamble ended in tragedy.

Alexander Marinesko could have died several times during the years of war and blockade. His M-96 and S-13 boats were blown up by German mines, received serious damage, were repaired and again went on military campaigns. He realized that submarine warfare is a chain of accidents that no one can foresee.

And the death of "Wilhelm Gustloff" on January 30, 1945 was also the result of a fatal combination of circumstances. As predicted by the German astrologer.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

Marinesco did not want to let go on this voyage. Why? Because just a month before that, he committed a breach of discipline - he left his team, celebrated the New Year 1945, spent 2 or 3 days outside his ship along with several of his close friends, subordinate officers.

For unauthorized absence from a military unit, according to the laws of wartime, he was threatened with capital punishment, i.e. execution or, in extreme cases, a penal company in which he could atone for his guilt with blood.

Konstantin Kulagin

Senior Researcher at the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Candidate of Historical Sciences

In this case, he was sent on a campaign precisely because he was given the last opportunity to justify himself before the Motherland. To show that it was not in vain that all this time he was given certain indulgences and believed that he would be able to improve.

The last flight of the Gustloff

"Wilhelm Gustloff" was under dual command: as a ship - the liner was headed by the captain of the merchant fleet Friedrich Petersen; and as a floating barracks of the 2nd submarine training division - the liner was headed by Navy officer Wilhelm Tzahn, approx. ed.

On January 30, 1945, the Wilhelm Gustloff sailed away from the pier. For the first time in 5 years of the war, the symbol of the Third Reich went on a flight.

From the explanatory note of the military captain of the liner Wilhelm Zahn:

“The ship was sailing normally with a top speed of 12 knots. As expected, there were no signs of the presence of Russian submarines, intelligence data were confirmed. We had to go all the way without complications, I was absolutely sure of it,” writes Tsang.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

On this ship, according to various sources, about 8 thousand refugees crowded. Basically, they were children, women, there were a lot of very SS men. As stated, among them were people in high ranks, officers. At first they were allowed only with passes, and then this vaunted disciplined German car simply broke down, could not withstand the pressure, and people poured onto the decks, filled all the free compartments, lay down, if only to get away from these Reds. And this is where the panic began. It turned out that the escort ships - one was damaged, instead of two or three there was only one ...

January 30, Baltic, storm, frost below 20 degrees, visibility is low. The Soviet boat S-13 went to sea late. If this had not happened, the Wilhelm Gustloff liner would probably have avoided a torpedo attack. Such is the price of one accident.

Konstantin Kulagin

Senior Researcher at the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Candidate of Historical Sciences

Actually, at the moment when the Gustloff was attacked, literally half an hour later the next German convoy with the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper was going through the same area. Half an hour later, the next convoy was on its way. It's actually like standing on a subway platform - every 3 minutes a train passes by you.

When the S-13 submarine arrived in the area of the combat mission assigned to it, the passengers on the Wilhelm Gustloff listened to the speech of their leader - it was another anniversary of the Nazis coming to power. Hitler spoke the same words to the people for 12 years, and the frightened, tired passengers of an overcrowded liner did not care about his speech. In addition, the speakers did not work well. The Fuhrer's voice sounded unusually muffled, as if coming from the other world.

The commander of the Soviet submarine S-13 saw the silhouette of an enemy German ship through the periscope and gave the order to prepare for an attack.

Mikhail Myagkov

Scientific Director of the Russian Military Historical Society, Doctor of Historical Sciences

Here it should be clearly noted right away that it was a warship, which was repainted in a camouflage color, which had an anti-aircraft gun, a gun for firing at other ships, it had a military crew. According to any laws, naval warfare, according to the Hague Convention, it is a legitimate target, of course, for submarines. Whatever they say today, the German authorities themselves are responsible, who put civilians on a military ship. And they did not care at all to somehow indicate that this was a hospital ship or to evacuate the wounded, the sick, and not the civilian population.

The liner was in full swing in the open sea, rapidly approaching neutral waters. And the passengers breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed to them that the worst was over.

The captain of the ship, Peterson, was also sure that the danger had passed. Intelligence reported: there are no enemy submarines nearby.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

And on Mount Peterson, he came across Marinesko. These are, let's say, the forces of opposition ... And as soon as Marinesko saw that the ship was going straight, he decided to attack instantly, not to wait, not even to approach. Three torpedoes fired - no ship. There is such a thing as coincidence. Here - this is just the same military luck that happens. Marinesko made a very difficult maneuver, in my opinion: he attacked this ship from the coast, which the Germans did not expect at all.

A yellow-red cloud from the explosion descended on the liner. As the astrologer Kraft predicted, death did indeed come from the water. The ship, the symbol of the Third Reich, was sinking. At the moment of complete immersion, something incredible happened: a light suddenly came on on the liner, and so it went under water.

Mikhail Myagkov

Scientific Director of the Russian Military Historical Society, Doctor of Historical Sciences

When the liner was hit, at first the Germans did not really understand what had happened, but it soon became clear that this was the end. The ship tilted, the command was given to save people who literally fell overboard in cold water, it was −18 air temperature.

But almost all the boats froze to the ship, and people floundered helplessly in the icy water, doomed to death from hypothermia.

The collapse of a career and the personal tragedy of Marinesko

The boat of Alexander Marinesko completed its trip in February 1945. It was the most brilliant and most successful military campaign in the entire history of the Baltic Fleet and in the entire history of the war. In this case, the boat received minimal damage and safely returned to base.

But it was this brilliant attack at the end of the war that forever broke the military career of Alexander Marinesko.

Sergey Lipatov

Researcher at the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces

In general, he should have been brought to trial by a military tribunal, and the fact that he sank 2 ships in one flight - the Wilhelm Gustloff and the Steuben - in principle, this saved him from punishment. On the other hand, he should have received a higher award, the award was reduced to the Order of the Red Banner of Battle ...

The fact is that initially the division commander wrote a presentation on Alexander Marinesko for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but, apparently, given his past, the authorities nevertheless decided to confine themselves to the Order of the Red Banner.

Konstantin Kulagin

Senior Researcher at the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Candidate of Historical Sciences

In the conditions of ordinary peaceful life, it turned out that the shortcomings of Alexander Ivanovich largely overlap his virtues. Because already in official documents it is noted that he completely stopped doing official business, that he constantly arranges some kind of booze, and that in general there is an opinion that he should be sent for treatment. It's not just that a person can't control himself because apparently he's unwell...

But Alexander Marinesko did not want to listen to the comments of his superior comrades. In the end, the authorities told him directly: a submarine commander who cannot cope with himself is not the commander that our country needs.

Then there was a transfer to the reserve of his own free will and work already in civil organizations, in which, as it turned out, everything was not going very well for Alexander Ivanovich either. It ended with a completely sad story of a conflict with the management of the enterprise, which led to the fact that he received three years in prison ...

The famous hero of the Baltic was convicted for stealing six peat briquettes from a research institute, where he got a job after being discharged from the army. As it turned out later, this accusation was unfair: his boss was guilty of the theft.

But no one else wanted to take him back to the fleet. He did not meet the requirements that were now placed on naval officers. The result is a serious illness and premature death.

Nikolai Dolgopolov

Writer, intelligence historian

He was in some kind of hospital, such, let's say, not the best one. Friends and a beloved woman came to visit him. He had cancer, in my opinion, of the stomach. He was given painkillers, which no longer helped, he suffered, gnashed his teeth, and now the moment came, as they say, the last wish. And the last wish - he wanted to drink cognac. When the cognac was brought to him, he could not drink it. And then Marinesko took it and showed his hands to his thigh. The woman who was with him and the doctor understood: they took and poured this cognac into his esophagus. And he may indeed last time in life he enjoyed the fact that he was taken by this fighting hop. The last one in his life.

A list of the largest German ships sunk during the Second World War was published, and the Wilhelm Gustloff was unexpectedly found on this list. This became the basis for considering the results of this campaign deserving of a special award.

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Victory, Alexander Marinesko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Posthumously.

Books were written about him, films were made about him. Streets, schools and even museums began to be named after Marinesko.

But the story of "Wilhelm Gustloff" did not end there. In 2002, the sunken liner was examined. It seemed that all the secrets of the miracle ship had already been revealed. But new ones have been added to the old secrets.

Experts found that the liner was blown up twice. And moreover, for the last time - at the bottom of the sea.

Who did it? For what? There are no answers to these questions yet. And the Wilhelm Gustloff liner is still the most mysterious ship of the 20th century...

(torpedoed)

Options Tonnage 25,484 brt Length 208.5 m Width 23.5 m Height 56 m Technical data Power point Four 8-cylinder MAN diesel engines screws 2 pairs of four-bladed propellers Power 9 500 l. With. Speed 15.5 knots (29 km/h) Crew 417 people Passenger capacity 1,463 people

background

Assassination of Wilhelm Gustloff

Characteristics

From a technological point of view, the Wilhelm Gustloff was not an exceptional ship. Its engines were of average power and it was not built for fast travel, but rather for slow, comfortable cruising. But in terms of amenities, equipment and leisure facilities, this ship was truly one of the best in the world. Unlike other ships of this class, the Gustloff, in confirmation of the "classless nature" of the Nazi regime, had cabins of the same size and the same excellent amenities for all passengers. The liner had ten decks. One of the latest technologies applied on it was the principle of an open deck with cabins that had direct access to it and a clear view of the landscape. The liner was designed for 1,500 people. They were provided with a chicly decorated swimming pool, a winter garden, large spacious halls, music salons, and several bars.

In addition to purely technical innovations and the best adaptations for an unforgettable journey, the Wilhelm Gustloff, which cost 25 million marks, was a kind of symbol and propaganda tool for the authorities of the Third Reich. According to Robert Ley, who led the German Labor Front, liners like this could:

to give the opportunity, at the will of the Fuhrer, to the locksmiths of Bavaria, the postmen of Cologne, the housewives of Bremen, at least once a year, to carry out affordable cruise to Madeira, along the Mediterranean coast, to the shores of Norway and Africa

For German citizens, a trip on the Gustloff was not only unforgettable, but also affordable, regardless of social status. For example, a five-day cruise along the coast of Italy cost only 150 Reichsmarks, while the average monthly income of an ordinary German was 150-250 Reichsmarks. For comparison, the cost of a ticket on this liner was only a third of the cost of similar cruises in Europe, where only representatives of the wealthy segments of the population and the nobility could afford them. Thus, the Wilhelm Gustloff, with its amenities, level of comfort and accessibility, not only cemented the favor of the German people for the Nazi regime, but also had to demonstrate to the whole world the advantages of National Socialism.

Passenger liner "Wilhelm Gustloff"

Flagship of the cruise fleet

After the ceremonial launch of the vessel, 10 months passed before the Wilhelm Gustloff passed sea trials in May of the year. During this time, the decoration and arrangement of the interior of the liner was completed. As a thank you, the builders of the ship were taken on a two-day cruise in the North Sea, which qualified as a test. The first official cruise took place on May 24 of the year, and almost two-thirds of its passengers were citizens of Austria, which Hitler intended to soon annex to Germany. The unforgettable trip was designed to amaze the level of service and comfort of the Austrians - participants of the cruise - and convince others of the benefits of an alliance with Germany. The cruise was a real triumph, a testament to the achievements of the new German government. The world press enthusiastically described the impressions of the cruise participants and unprecedented luxury on board the liner. Even Hitler himself arrived on the liner, symbolizing all the best achievements of the country under his leadership. When the excitement around this symbol of the Nazi regime somewhat subsided, the liner began to fulfill the task for which it was built - to provide affordable, comfortable cruises to the workers of Germany.

Descent to the water. "Wilhelm Gustloff".

Propaganda medium

Although "Wilhelm Gustloff" offered really unforgettable and cheap travel and cruises, it also remained in history as a bright propaganda tool for the Nazi regime. The first successful, though not planned, incident occurred during the rescue of the sailors of the English ship Pegway, which was in distress on April 2 in the North Sea. The courage and determination of the captain, who left the procession of three ships to save the British, was noted not only by the world press, but also by the English government - the captain was awarded, and a commemorative plaque was later installed on the ship. Thanks to this occasion, when on April 10 the Gustloff was used as a floating polling station for the Germans and Austrians of Great Britain participating in the plebiscite on the accession of Austria, not only the British, but also the world press already wrote favorably about it. To participate in the plebiscite, almost 2,000 citizens of both countries and a large number of correspondents sailed to neutral waters off the coast of Great Britain. Only four of the participants in this event abstained. The Western, and even the British, communist press was delighted with the liner and Germany's achievements. The inclusion of such a perfect vessel in the plebiscite symbolized the new that the Nazi regime was introducing in Germany.

Cruises and troop transport

As the flagship of the cruise fleet, the Wilhelm Gustloff spent only a year and a half at sea and made 50 cruises under the Strength through Joy program. About 65,000 vacationers were on board. Usually, during the warm season, the liner offered trips along the North Sea, the coast of Germany, and the Norwegian fjords. In winter, the liner went on cruises on mediterranean sea, the coast of Italy, Spain and Portugal. For many, despite such minor inconveniences as being banned from landfalls in countries that did not support the Nazi regime, these cruises were unforgettable and the best time of the entire period of Nazi rule in Germany. Many ordinary Germans used the services of the Strength through Joy program and were sincerely grateful to the new regime for providing recreational opportunities that cannot be compared with other European countries.

In addition to cruise activities, the Wilhelm Gustloff remained a state-owned ship and was involved in various activities carried out by the German government. So on May 20, the Wilhelm Gustloff transported troops for the first time - the German volunteers of the Condor Legion, which took part in the Spanish Civil War on Franco's side. The arrival of the ship in Hamburg with "war heroes" on board caused a great resonance throughout Germany, and a special welcoming ceremony was held in the port with the participation of state leaders.

Military service

The last cruise of the liner took place on August 25 of the year. Unexpectedly during a scheduled flight in the middle North Sea the captain received an encrypted order to urgently return to port. Cruise time was over - less than a week later, Germany attacked Poland and World War II began.

Military hospital

Wilhelm Gustloff as hospital ship

With the spread of the war to most of Europe, the Wilhelm Gustloff first received the wounded during the capture of Norway in the summer of the year, and then prepared to transport troops in the event of an invasion of Great Britain. However, due to the failure of German attempts to conquer her, these plans were not implemented, and, together with the reorientation of German attention to the east, the ship was sent to Danzig, where the last 414 wounded were treated, and the Wilhelm Gustloff was awaiting direction for subsequent service. However, the ship's service as a military hospital ended - by decision of the Navy leadership, it was assigned to the submariner's school in Gotenhafen. The liner was again repainted in gray camouflage, and she lost the protection of the Hague Convention, which she had before.

Floating naval barracks

Transformed from a liner into a floating barracks for a submarine school, the Wilhelm Gustloff spent most of her life as such. short life- almost four years. The school of submariners trained personnel for the German submarine war at an accelerated pace, and the longer the war lasted, the more personnel passed through the school and the shorter the period of study became and the younger the age of the cadets. The chance to survive in the submarine war, which Germany began to lose, for the cadets was 1 to 10. This, however, did not concern the Wilhelm Gustloff, since he had been away from the front line for a long time. With the end of the war approaching, the situation began to change not in favor of Germany - many cities suffered from allied air raids. On October 9, Gotenhafen was bombed, as a result of which another ship of the former KDF was sunk, and the Wilhelm Gustloff itself was damaged.

Panic and evacuation of the population

According to some German estimates, there should have been about 10,400 passengers on board, of which about 8,800 civilians, including children, and about 1,500 military personnel). When the Wilhelm Gustloff, escorted by two escort ships, finally withdrew at 12:30, disputes arose between the four senior officers on the captain's bridge. In addition to the commander of the ship, Captain Friedrich Petersen (German. Friedrich Petersen), called up from retirement, on board were the commander of the 2nd training division of submariners and two captains of the merchant fleet, and there was no agreement between them as to which fairway to navigate the ship and what precautions to take regarding Allied submarines and aircraft. The outer fairway was chosen (German designation Zwangsweg 58). Contrary to the recommendations to zigzag, in order to complicate the attack of submarines, it was decided to go straight ahead at a speed of 12 knots, since the corridor in the minefields was not wide enough and the captains hoped to get out faster in this way. safe waters. In addition, due to technical problems, one of the escort ships was forced to return to the port, and only one Leo destroyer remained in escort ( Lowe). At 18:00, a message was received of a convoy of minesweepers that was allegedly moving towards them, and when it was already dark, they were ordered to turn on their navigation lights to prevent a collision. In reality, there were no minesweepers, and the circumstances of the appearance of this radio message have remained unclear to this day. According to other sources, the section of minesweepers was trawling towards the convoy, and appeared later than the time given in the notification.

sinking

The place of the death of the ship "Wilhelm Gustloff" on the map of the Baltic Sea

It is noteworthy that just two weeks later, on February 10, the S-13 submarine under the command of Alexander Marinesko sank another large German transport, General Steuben, resulting in the death of about 3,700 people.

Survivor Rescue

The destroyer "Lion" (a former ship of the Dutch Navy) was the first to arrive at the scene of the tragedy and began rescuing the surviving passengers. Since in January the temperature was already -18 ° C, there were only a few minutes left before irreversible hypothermia of the body set in. Despite this, the ship managed to rescue 472 passengers from boats and from the water. The escort ships of another convoy also came to the rescue - the cruiser Admiral Hipper, which, in addition to the crew, also had about 1,500 refugees on board. For fear of a submarine attack, he did not stop and continued to retire to safe waters. Other ships (the “other ships” mean the only T-38 destroyer - the GAS did not work on the Leva, the Hipper left) managed to save another 179 people. A little more than an hour later, the new ships that came to the rescue were only able to fish the dead bodies out of the icy water. Later, a small messenger ship that arrived at the scene of the tragedy unexpectedly found, seven hours after the sinking of the liner, among hundreds of dead bodies, an unnoticed boat and a living baby wrapped in blankets in it - the last rescued passenger of the Wilhelm Gustloff.

As a result, it was possible to survive, according to various estimates, from 1,200 to 2,500 people out of more than 10,000 on board. Maximum estimates put losses at 9,343 lives.

The death of "Gustloff" among the largest maritime disasters

Vessel	A country	Number of victims	Cause of death
Goya		7000 ~ 7000	Attack submarine L-3
Cap Arkona		5594 5594	Air attack
		5300 ~ 5300	Attack submarine S-13
Armenia	USSR	5000 ~ 5000	Air attack
General Steuben		3608 3608	Attack submarine S-13
Tilbek		2800 ~ 2800	Air attack
Dona Paz		3000 ~ 3000	Tanker collision and fire
Woosung	China	2750 ~ 2750
Titanic		1503 1503	Iceberg collision
Lusitania		1198 1198	Attack submarine U-20

Consequences

Legal assessment of the sinking

In some German publications during the Cold War years, the sinking of the Gustloff is called a crime against civilians, the same as the Allied bombing of Dresden. However, the disaster researcher Heinz Schön concludes that the liner was a military target and its sinking was not a war crime, since: ships intended for the transport of refugees, hospital ships had to be marked with the appropriate signs - a red cross, could not wear camouflage, not could go in one convoy along with military courts. On board could not be any military cargo, stationary and temporarily placed air defense guns, artillery pieces or other similar means.

The Wilhelm Gustloff was a warship that allowed 6,000 refugees to board. All responsibility for their lives, from the moment they boarded the warship, lay with the appropriate officials of the German navy. Thus, "Gustloff" was a legitimate military target of Soviet submariners, in view of the following facts:

Reaction to tragedy

In Germany, the reaction to the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff at the time of the tragedy was rather restrained. The Germans did not disclose the extent of the losses, so as not to worsen the morale of the population even more. In addition, at that moment the Germans suffered heavy losses in other places. However, at the end of the war, in the minds of many Germans, the simultaneous death of so many civilians and especially thousands of children on board the Wilhelm Gustloff remained a wound that even time did not heal. Together with the bombing of Dresden, this tragedy remains one of the most terrible events of World War II for the German people. Of the four captains who escaped after the death of the ship, the youngest, Kohler, unable to bear the feeling of guilt for the tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff, committed suicide shortly after the war.

In Soviet historiography, this event was called the “Attacks of the Century”. Alexander Marinesko posthumously received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Monuments were erected to him in Kaliningrad, in Kronstadt, in St. Petersburg and in Odessa. In Soviet military historiography, he is considered submariner No. 1.

Exploration of the wreck

Porthole "Gustloff", raised in 1988

Unlike the long search for the Titanic, finding the Wilhelm Gustloff was easy. Its coordinates at the time of sinking ( 55.07 , 17.41 55°04′12″ s. sh. 17°24′36″ E d. / 55.07° N sh. 17.41° E d.(G)) turned out to be accurate, in addition, the ship was at a relatively shallow depth - only 45 meters. After the war, Soviet specialists visited the remains of the ship. There is a version that they were looking for the famous Amber Room among the wreckage. During these visits, the middle part of the sunken ship was blown up, leaving only the stern and prow. During the post-war years, some items from the ship ended up in private collections as souvenirs. The Polish government has legally proclaimed this place mass grave and banned visits to the remains by private individuals. An exception has been made for explorers, the most famous of which is Mike Boring, who visited the wreck in the year and filmed a documentary about his expedition. On Polish navigation charts, the place is marked as "Obstacle No. 73".

"Wilhelm Gustloff" in literature and cinema

On March 2-3, 2008, a new television film by the German channel "Wilhelm Gustloff" was shown. It was attacked and sunk by the Soviet submarine S-13 under the command of Marinesko on January 30 of the year; day to day exactly fifty years after the birth () of the person after whom he was named a second time (Gustloff) and exactly 12 years after coming to power () of the person after whom he was named originally (

(torpedoed)

background

Assassination of Wilhelm Gustloff

Characteristics

to give the opportunity, at the will of the Fuhrer, to the locksmiths of Bavaria, the postmen of Cologne, the housewives of Bremen, at least once a year, to carry out an affordable sea voyage to Madeira, along the Mediterranean coast, to the shores of Norway and Africa

Passenger liner "Wilhelm Gustloff"

Flagship of the cruise fleet

Descent to the water. "Wilhelm Gustloff".

Propaganda medium

Although the Wilhelm Gustloff offered truly unforgettable and cheap travel and cruises, it also went down in history as a prominent propaganda tool for the Nazi regime. The first successful, though not planned, incident occurred during the rescue of the sailors of the English ship Pegway, which was in distress on April 2 in the North Sea. The courage and determination of the captain, who left the procession of three ships to save the British, was noted not only by the world press, but also by the English government - the captain was awarded, and a commemorative plaque was later installed on the ship. Thanks to this occasion, when on April 10 the Gustloff was used as a floating polling station for the Germans and Austrians of Great Britain participating in the plebiscite on the accession of Austria, not only the British, but also the world press already wrote favorably about it. To participate in the plebiscite, almost 2,000 citizens of both countries and a large number of correspondents sailed to neutral waters off the coast of Great Britain. Only four of the participants in this event abstained. The Western, and even the British, communist press was delighted with the liner and Germany's achievements. The inclusion of such a perfect vessel in the plebiscite symbolized the new that the Nazi regime was introducing in Germany.

Cruises and troop transport

As the flagship of the cruise fleet, the Wilhelm Gustloff spent only a year and a half at sea and made 50 cruises under the Strength through Joy program. About 65,000 vacationers were on board. Usually, during the warm season, the liner offered trips along the North Sea, the coast of Germany, and the Norwegian fjords. In winter, the liner went on cruises around the Mediterranean, the coast of Italy, Spain and Portugal. For many, despite such minor inconveniences as being banned from landfalls in countries that did not support the Nazi regime, these cruises were unforgettable and the best time of the entire period of Nazi rule in Germany. Many ordinary Germans used the services of the Strength through Joy program and were sincerely grateful to the new regime for providing recreational opportunities that cannot be compared with other European countries.

Military service

The last cruise of the liner took place on August 25 of the year. Unexpectedly, during a scheduled voyage in the middle of the North Sea, the captain received an encrypted order to urgently return to port. Cruise time was over - less than a week later, Germany attacked Poland and World War II began.

Military hospital

Wilhelm Gustloff as hospital ship

Floating naval barracks

Transformed from a liner into a floating barracks for a submarine school, the Wilhelm Gustloff spent most of his short life in this capacity - almost four years. The school of submariners trained personnel for the German submarine war at an accelerated pace, and the longer the war lasted, the more personnel passed through the school and the shorter the period of study became and the younger the age of the cadets. The chance to survive in the submarine war, which Germany began to lose, for the cadets was 1 to 10. This, however, did not concern the Wilhelm Gustloff, since he had been away from the front line for a long time. With the end of the war approaching, the situation began to change not in favor of Germany - many cities suffered from allied air raids. On October 9, Gotenhafen was bombed, as a result of which another ship of the former KDF was sunk, and the Wilhelm Gustloff itself was damaged.

Panic and evacuation of the population

According to some German estimates, there should have been about 10,400 passengers on board, of which about 8,800 civilians, including children, and about 1,500 military personnel). When the Wilhelm Gustloff, escorted by two escort ships, finally withdrew at 12:30, disputes arose between the four senior officers on the captain's bridge. In addition to the commander of the ship, Captain Friedrich Petersen (German. Friedrich Petersen), called up from retirement, on board were the commander of the 2nd training division of submariners and two captains of the merchant fleet, and there was no agreement between them as to which fairway to navigate the ship and what precautions to take regarding Allied submarines and aircraft. The outer fairway was chosen (German designation Zwangsweg 58). Against advice to zigzag to make it more difficult for submarines to attack, it was decided to steer a straight course at 12 knots, since the corridor in the minefields was not wide enough and the captains hoped to get to safe waters faster in this way. In addition, due to technical problems, one of the escort ships was forced to return to the port, and only one Leo destroyer remained in escort ( Lowe). At 18:00, a message was received of a convoy of minesweepers that was allegedly moving towards them, and when it was already dark, they were ordered to turn on their navigation lights to prevent a collision. In reality, there were no minesweepers, and the circumstances of the appearance of this radio message have remained unclear to this day. According to other sources, the section of minesweepers was trawling towards the convoy, and appeared later than the time given in the notification.

sinking

The place of the death of the ship "Wilhelm Gustloff" on the map of the Baltic Sea

Survivor Rescue

As a result, it was possible to survive, according to various estimates, from 1,200 to 2,500 people out of more than 10,000 on board. Maximum estimates put losses at 9,343 lives.

The death of "Gustloff" among the largest maritime disasters

Vessel	A country	Number of victims	Cause of death
Goya		7000 ~ 7000	Attack submarine L-3
Cap Arkona		5594 5594	Air attack
		5300 ~ 5300	Attack submarine S-13
Armenia	USSR	5000 ~ 5000	Air attack
General Steuben		3608 3608	Attack submarine S-13
Tilbek		2800 ~ 2800	Air attack
Dona Paz		3000 ~ 3000	Tanker collision and fire
Woosung	China	2750 ~ 2750
Titanic		1503 1503	Iceberg collision
Lusitania		1198 1198	Attack submarine U-20

Consequences

Legal assessment of the sinking

Reaction to tragedy

Exploration of the wreck

Porthole "Gustloff", raised in 1988

Unlike the long search for the Titanic, finding the Wilhelm Gustloff was easy. Its coordinates at the time of sinking ( 55.07 , 17.41 55°04′12″ s. sh. 17°24′36″ E d. / 55.07° N sh. 17.41° E d.(G)) turned out to be accurate, in addition, the ship was at a relatively shallow depth - only 45 meters. After the war, Soviet specialists visited the remains of the ship. There is a version that they were looking for the famous Amber Room among the wreckage. During these visits, the middle part of the sunken ship was blown up, leaving only the stern and prow. During the post-war years, some items from the ship ended up in private collections as souvenirs. The Polish government legally proclaimed the site a mass grave and banned private visits to the remains. An exception has been made for explorers, the most famous of which is Mike Boring, who visited the wreck in the year and filmed a documentary about his expedition. On Polish navigation charts, the place is marked as "Obstacle No. 73".

"Wilhelm Gustloff" in literature and cinema

Many people know about the death of the Titanic thanks to numerous publications and the famous film of the same name that broke box office records. The Titanic, which collided with an iceberg and went under water, claimed the lives of many people with it -1,513. When the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk during World War II, more than 9,000 people died.

"Wilhelm Gustloff" was launched from the stocks on May 5, 1937. The length of the ship was 208.5 m, width 23.5 m. The ship could carry 1463, with a crew of 417 people. It had 10 landing decks. In terms of its comfort, the liner was one of the best ships of that time. The passengers had a magnificent swimming pool, a beautiful winter garden, several music salons, and bars. Tickets for the liner were affordable for all social strata of the German population. The ship not only aroused the love of the German people for the Nazi regime, but was also a means of promoting the "advantages" of the National Socialist system throughout the world.

The authors of the project planned to give it the name "Adolf Hitler", but on February 4, 1936. in Davos, the unremarkable Swiss NSDAP activist Wilhelm Gustloff was killed. And he was killed by a Jewish student, David Frankfurter. The supernumerary leader of foreign Nazis was immediately turned, for propaganda purposes, into a victim of a conspiracy of world Jewry against the peaceful and hardworking German people, and the ship was named after him.

Sea trials and final interior decoration were completed in May 1938. and on May 24 the ship went on her first cruise.

Initially, the ship was intended to promote the Nazi regime. April 2, 1938 the crew of the Wilhelm Gustloff will rescue English sailors in distress in the North Sea. The British reward the captain, and the name of the ship gets into all the world's funds mass media. The world is choking with delight over the achievements of Nazi Germany.

About 65,000 people have been on cruise flights on the Wilhelm Gustloff. In addition, he transported the volunteers of the Condor Legion to participate in the Spanish Civil War.

August 25, 1939 the ship went on another cruise, but in the North Sea the captain received an encrypted order to return to port. A week later, World War II began.

With the outbreak of war, the Wilhelm Gustloff was converted into a floating hospital. It was repainted white and marked with red crosses. According to the requirements of the Hague Convention, an attack on ambulance ships was prohibited.

But already in the summer of 1940. The leadership of the German Navy assigned the ship to the diving school in Gotenhafen. The ship was repainted in camouflage and the red crosses were removed. As a floating barracks for the school of submariners, it was used for about four years.

The ship received its first damage on October 9, 1943. during an aerial bombardment by American aircraft of Gotenhafen, in the port of which it was located.

At the beginning of 1945, when the fighting was going on in Germany, panic began among the population. Crowds of refugees moved towards Gotenhafen (now the Polish port of Gdynia).

January 22, 1945 began loading on board the "Wilhelm Gustloff" military personnel and refugees. First, several dozen submarine officers were placed, then several hundred women who served in the naval auxiliary division, about a thousand wounded soldiers, and then they began to let in refugees, giving preference to women and children. By January 30, over 10,000 refugees had been taken on board. At about 12.30 the ship set off on its last journey.

Usually big ships advance, escorted by convoy ships capable of providing protection against attacks, but by that time the evil fate had already spread its black wings over the Wilhelm Gustloff. One of the escort ships, TF-19 torpedoes, returned to port with hull damage as a result of a collision with a stone. The convoy of minesweepers, which allegedly went to meet them, did not reach the liner. And the doomed "Wilhelm Gustloff" went to the place of his death in the protection of the only escort ship - the destroyer "Lev". Set off on a straight course, at a speed of 12 knots. To comply with the recommendations to zigzag to complicate possible torpedo attacks, he did not have enough fuel. The ship was an excellent target. Moreover, hoping for a meeting with a convoy of minesweepers, the captain gave the order to turn on all the lights.

The brightly lit liner was spotted by the Soviet submarine C - 13, under the command of the captain of the third rank Alexander Marinesko. For two hours, the boat followed the ship, choosing a position convenient for the attack. When the captain of the "Wilhelm Gustloff" Peterson, having lost hope of waiting for the minesweeper convoy, gave the command to put out the fires at 19.30, it was already too late.

At 21.04, from a distance of less than one kilometer, C-13 launched the first torpedo, and then two more. The fourth torpedo got stuck in the torpedo tube, almost sinking the boat, but, fortunately, did not explode.

At 21.16 the first torpedo ripped open the bow of the liner, the second landed in the pool, and the third in the engine room.

Some of the passengers died from the explosions, some drowned in the cabins of the lower decks, and the survivors rushed to the lifeboats. Due to the created panic and stampede, another part of the passengers died. Mostly women and children. By ordering to block the watertight compartments, Peterson also blocked part of the team that was supposed to lower the boats, but the passengers did not know how to do this. Nevertheless, several boats managed to be launched. By that time, the ship had given a strong roll. Because of the roll from the deck, the anti-aircraft gun fell off and crashed onto one of the boats. Next to the sinking liner, people swam mad with horror in the icy water.

The destroyer "Lion" began the rescue. In total, the ship managed to save 472 passengers. Near the scene of the tragedy, the cruiser Admiral Hipper, which had on board one and a half thousand passengers, passed. He passed without stopping, as he was afraid of a torpedo attack. The only ship of his convoy, the destroyer T - 38, managed to get 179 people out of the water. The ships, which arrived an hour later to save them, did not find the living. Only corpses and debris floated in the icy water.

According to the maximum data, the losses were estimated at 9,343 people. Approximately 2,000 people survived.

The death of more than 9,000 people, mostly women and children, was the reason for conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on Captain Marinesko. True, posthumously.

65 years ago, on January 30, 1945, the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk. Wilhelm Gustloff) - Germanic passenger liner, owned by the German organization "Strength through Joy" (it. Kraft durch Freude-KdF), since 1940 a floating hospital.
His death was one of the largest in terms of the number of victims of maritime disasters - according to official figures, 5,348 people died in it, and according to some historians, real losses could be from eight to more than nine thousand victims.
And there are still disputes about what it was - an outstanding feat or a monstrous crime?

The history of the ship is largely symbolic and full of mystical coincidences. For example, the Wilhelm Gustloff was attacked and sunk by the Soviet submarine S-13 under the command of Marinesko on January 30, 1945 - exactly 50 years after the birthday (1895) of the person in whose honor the ship was eventually named (party functionary Gustloff) and exactly 12 years after the person who was originally named after (Hitler) came to power (1933) ... In addition, January 30, 1945 marked 30 years from the day when attacking the French port of Le Havre, Germany first used submarines...

The news feed says the following:

On January 30, 1945, as a result of an unprecedented torpedo attack in the Baltic, in the Bay of Danzig, the C-13 crew destroyed thousands of elite Nazi submarine officers aboard the German superliner Wilhelm Gustlov.
Adolf Hitler declared Alexander Marinesco his personal enemy number 1.
On the floating training base of German submariners with a displacement of almost 25.5 thousand tons, there were more than 10 thousand people, including about 3,600 trained submariners, or 70 submarine crews. With their help, Nazi Germany planned to establish a naval blockade of Great Britain.
And just ten days later, in the same campaign, the S-13 submarine also sank the General von Steuben cruiser in the Baltic Sea, on board of which there were about three thousand fascist soldiers and officers.
The exploits of the illustrious crew of the S-13 submarine and its commander, the “attack of the century”, carried out contrary to all the textbook canons of military science, the significance of those events was hushed up for decades. Thanks to the perseverance of the Marinesko Committee public organization, fleet veterans, and the support of the Baltic Fleet command, Alexander Marinesko's merits to the Motherland and his exploits received a worthy assessment. In 1990, after his death, the legendary submariner was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Today, submarine veterans, officers of the Baltic Fleet, teachers and cadets of the Baltic Naval Institute named after Admiral F.F. Ushakov, residents of the city will traditionally come to the Marinesko Embankment. They will lay flowers at the foot of the monument to the famous submariner, erected here in 2001. The C-13 commander seemed to freeze at the periscope of his submarine, peering into the sea distance.
A rally will be held in Kaliningrad to commemorate the memorable date, and a scientific conference dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the feat of the C-13 crew will be held at the Baltic State Academy of the Fishing Fleet.
http://news.mail.ru/society/3314514/print/

Very touching and patriotic. But... not true.
However, what really happened?
(many letters and photos)

Hitler never declared Marinescu his personal enemy - this is a fiction.
The tales about "thousands of elite submarine officers" who supposedly were supposed to subject England to a naval blockade are also fantasy ... And this was in 1945, then ?!

And a pleasure liner that became a floating hospital during the war years could not be a "floating base". What is a floating base? These are not just places for recreation and classrooms (under which, theoretically, wardrooms with textbooks on the tables can be brought), but it is also the opportunity to moor, maintain, repair military vessels (in this case, submarines), the possibility of stable refueling of these military or training ships, stationarity, the absence of civilians on board (this is essential to prevent information leakage), being in skerries (fjords) closed from the enemy, protection both from aviation and from possible capture, destruction at the place of deployment or passive reconnaissance, upon exit for exercises - the possibility of replenishing supplies in stationary or temporary bases, and so on. None of this on"Wilhelm Gustloff" was not in sight.

In fact, the ship was filled with the wounded, nurses and, for the most part, refugees, mostly women and children. Can the torpedoing of this ship be called a feat, where, by the way, there were more dead than on the famous Titanic?
Two destroyers dangling away from the defenseless ship, later called "the strongest guard" - could not prevent the boat commander from sinking the practically helpless ship ... Here, alas, there is nothing to be proud of ....

When the Nazis sank civilian ships with the wounded, it was called meanness and a crime.
When the Soviet submarine sank"Wilhelm Gustloff" along with thousands refugees - it was called a feat ....

But was Marinesko (Marinescu) a "bloodthirsty Russian villain"? And the surname is not very Russian, and the circumstances do not indicate that Marinesko specifically hunted for the wounded and children ...
How did it all happen, which led to a terrible tragedy?
Let's try to figure it out...

Gustloff. The ceremony of tightening the first bolt.
Hamburg, 1 August 1936.

It all started with the fact that after the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) headed by Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, one of its activities was the creation of a broad system social security and services, which would make it possible to increase the social base of support for Nazi policies among the German population. Already in the mid-1930s, the average German worker, in terms of the level of services and benefits that he was entitled to, favorably differed from workers in other European countries.

To spread the influence of the ideas of National Socialism and organize the leisure of the working class, organizations such as Strength through Joy (German: Kraft durch Freude - KDF), which was part of the German Labor Front (DAF), were created. The main goal of this organization was to create a system of recreation and travel for German workers. To realize this goal, a whole flotilla of passenger ships has been built to provide cheap and affordable travel and cruises. The flagship of this fleet was to be a new comfortable liner, which the authors of the project planned to name the name of the German Fuhrer - "Adolf Hitler".
However, everything changed due to the fact that on February 4, 1936, in Davos, a little-known Swiss NSDAP activist, Wilhelm Gustloff, was killed by a Jewish student, David Frankfurter.

The story of his death gained scandalous publicity, especially in Germany, given the nationality of the killer. For Nazi propagandists, the murder of a German, moreover, the leader of the National Socialists of Switzerland, was the perfect confirmation of the Nazi theory of a conspiracy of world Jewry against the German people. From one of the rank and file leaders of foreign Nazis, Wilhelm Gustloff turned into a "symbol of suffering" ( Blutzeuge). He was buried with state honors, numerous rallies were held in his honor throughout Germany, which were skillfully exploited by state propaganda, a wide variety of objects in Germany were named after him.

In this regard, when in 1937 a cruise ship ordered from the shipyard "Blom & Foss", was already ready for launching, the German leadership decided to perpetuate the name of "the hero of the Nazi cause and suffering for the German people." At the initiative of Hitler, it was decided to name the new liner "Wilhelm Gustloff". On the solemn launching on May 5, 1937, in addition to the main leaders of the Nazi regime, Gustloff's widow also arrived, who at the ceremony, according to tradition, “for good luck”, broke a bottle of champagne on the side of the liner.

May 5, 1937: As Adolf Hitler watches Wilhelm Gustloff's widow, Hedwig Gustloff, breaks a bottle of
champagne on the bow christening the ship at the launch ceremony. The ship is named after the former head of the Swiss Nazi Party who was assassinated by David Frankfurter on Feb. 4, 1936.

Descent to the water. "Wilhelm Gustloff"

The dimensions of the ship were impressive: length 208.5 m, width - 23.5 m, freeboard height - 17.3 m, full height "from keel to klotik" - 58 m, draft - 7 m. To move with a maximum speed of 15, 5 knots were driven by four eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines with a total power of 9500 hp. The ship was designed to carry 1463 passengers with a regular crew of 417 people.

From a technological point of view, the Wilhelm Gustloff was not an exceptional ship. Its engines were of average power and it was not built for fast travel, but rather for slow, comfortable cruising. But in terms of amenities, equipment and leisure facilities, this ship was truly one of the best in the world. Unlike other ships of this class, the Gustloff, in confirmation of the "classless nature" of the Nazi regime, had cabins of the same size and the same excellent amenities for all passengers. The liner had 10 decks. One of the latest technologies applied on it was the principle of an open deck with cabins that had direct access to it and a clear view of the landscape. The liner was designed for 1,500 people. They were provided with a chicly decorated swimming pool, a winter garden, large spacious halls, music salons, and several bars.

In addition to purely technical innovations and the best adaptations for an unforgettable journey, the Wilhelm Gustloff, which cost 25 million marks, was a kind of symbol and propaganda tool for the authorities of the Third Reich. According to Robert Ley, head of the German Labor Front, liners like this could:

"... to provide the opportunity, at the will of the Fuhrer, to the locksmiths of Bavaria, the postmen of Cologne, the housewives of Bremen, at least once a year, to carry out an affordable sea voyage to Madeira, along the Mediterranean coast, to the shores of Norway and Africa"

For German citizens, a trip on the Gustloff was not only unforgettable, but also affordable, regardless of social status. For example, a five-day cruise along the coast of Italy cost only 150 Reichsmarks, while the average monthly income of an ordinary German was 150-250 Reichsmarks. For comparison, the cost of a ticket on this liner was only a third of the cost of similar cruises in Europe, where only representatives of the wealthy and the nobility could afford them. Thus, the Wilhelm Gustloff, with its amenities, level of comfort and accessibility, not only cemented the favor of the German people for the Nazi regime, but also had to demonstrate to the whole world the advantages of National Socialism.

After the ceremonial launch of the ship, 10 months passed before the Wilhelm Gustloff passed sea trials in May 1938. During this time, the decoration and arrangement of the interior of the liner was completed. As a thank you, the builders of the ship were taken on a two-day cruise in the North Sea, which qualified as a test cruise. The first official cruise took place on May 24, 1938, and almost two-thirds of its passengers were citizens of Austria, which Hitler intended to soon annex to Germany. The unforgettable trip was meant to amaze the Austrians on the cruise with the level of service and comfort and convince others of the benefits of an alliance with Germany. The cruise was a real triumph, a testament to the achievements of the new German government. The world press enthusiastically described the impressions of the cruise participants and unprecedented luxury on board the liner. Even Hitler himself arrived on the liner, symbolizing all the best achievements of the country under his leadership. When the hype around this symbol of the Nazi regime somewhat subsided, the liner began to fulfill the task for which it was built - to provide affordable, comfortable cruises to the workers of Germany.

Although the Wilhelm Gustloff offered truly unforgettable and cheap travel and cruises, it also went down in history as a prominent propaganda tool for the Nazi regime. The first successful, though not planned, incident occurred during the rescue of the sailors of the English ship Pegway, which was in distress on April 2, 1938 in the North Sea. The courage and determination of the captain was noted not only by the world press, but also by the British government - the captain was awarded, and a memorial plaque was later installed on the ship. Thanks to this occasion, when on April 10 the Gustloff was used as a floating polling station for the Germans and Austrians of Great Britain participating in the plebiscite on the annexation of Austria, not only the British, but also the world press already wrote favorably about it. To participate in the plebiscite, almost 2,000 citizens of both countries and a large number of correspondents sailed to neutral waters off the coast of Great Britain. Only four of the participants in this event abstained. Western and even the British communist press was delighted with the liner and Germany's achievements. The use of such a perfect vessel in the plebiscite symbolized the new that the Nazi regime was introducing in Germany.

Passenger liner Wilhelm Gustloff. Pocztówka (postcard) z roku 1938.

The flagship of the cruise fleet, Wilhelm Gustloff, spent only a year and a half at sea and made 50 cruises under the Strength Through Joy program. About 65,000 vacationers were on board. Usually in the warm season, the liner offered trips along the North Sea, the coast of Germany, Norwegian fjords. In winter, the liner went on cruises in the Mediterranean, the coast of Italy, Spain and Portugal.

For many, despite such minor inconveniences as being banned from landfalls in countries that did not support the Nazi regime, these cruises were unforgettable and the best time of the entire period of Nazi rule in Germany. Many ordinary Germans used the services of the Strength through Joy program and were sincerely grateful to the new regime for providing recreational opportunities that cannot be compared with other European countries.

Hmm, Stalin did not give such joys to Soviet citizens. But the Stalinists still praise him ...

In addition to cruise activities, the Wilhelm Gustloff remained a state-owned ship and was involved in various activities carried out by the German government.
On May 20, 1939, the Wilhelm Gustloff transported troops for the first time - the German volunteers of the Condor Legion, which took part in the Spanish Civil War on Franco's side. The arrival of the ship in Hamburg with "war heroes" on board caused a great resonance throughout Germany, and a special welcoming ceremony was held in the port with the participation of state leaders.

The last cruise of the liner took place on August 25, 1939. Unexpectedly, during a scheduled voyage in the middle of the North Sea, the captain received an encrypted order to urgently return to port. Cruise time was over—less than a week later, Germany invaded Poland and World War II began.

With the start of the war, almost all KDF vessels found themselves in military service. "Wilhelm Gustloff" was converted into a hospital ship (German. Lazarettschiff) and assigned to the German Navy. The liner was repainted white and marked with red crosses, which was supposed to protect it from attack in accordance with the Hague Convention.

"Wilhelm Gustloff" - hospital ship

The first patients began to arrive on board already during the war against Poland in October 1939. Even under such conditions, the German authorities used the ship as a means of propaganda - as a testament to the humanity of the Nazi leadership, most of the first patients were wounded Poles. Over time, when German losses became tangible, the ship was sent to the port of Gotenhafen (Gdynia), where it took on board even more wounded, as well as Germans (Volksdeutsche) evacuated from East Prussia.

The Wilhelm Gustloff also received the wounded during the capture of Norway in the summer of 1940, and then prepared to transport troops in the event of an invasion of Great Britain. However, due to the failure of German attempts to conquer her, these plans were not implemented, and the ship was sent to Danzig, where the last 414 wounded were treated. The service of the ship as a military hospital ended - by decision of the leadership of the Navy, it was assigned to the school of submariners in Gotenhafen. The liner was again repainted in gray camouflage, and she lost the protection of the Hague Convention, which she had before.

With the end of the war approaching, the situation began to change not in favor of Germany - many cities suffered from Allied air raids. On October 9, 1943, Gotenhafen was bombed, as a result of which another ship of the former KDF was sunk, and the Wilhelm Gustloff herself was damaged.

In the second half of 1944, the front came very close to East Prussia. The Germans of East Prussia were afraid of revenge from the Red Army. In addition, just as Soviet propaganda skillfully used information about the atrocities of the Germans to strengthen the morale of the Soviet soldiers and calls for revenge, so did the German depiction of the "horrors of the Soviet offensive." This propaganda led to increased panic among the civilian population with the approach of the front, and millions of people became refugees.

At the beginning of 1945, a significant number of people were already fleeing in panic from the advancing Red Army. Many of them followed to the ports on the coast of the Baltic Sea. To evacuate a huge number of refugees, on the initiative of the German Admiral Karl Dönitz, special operation"Hannibal", which went down in history as the largest evacuation of the population by sea in history. During this operation, almost 2 million civilians were evacuated to Germany - for big courts, as "Wilhelm Gustloff", as well as on bulk carriers and tugs.

As part of Operation Hannibal, on January 22, 1945, the Wilhelm Gustloff began taking on board refugees. At first, people were placed on special passes - first of all, several dozen submarine officers, several hundred women from the naval auxiliary division and almost a thousand wounded soldiers. Later, when tens of thousands of people gathered in the port and the situation became more complicated, they began to let everyone in, giving preference to women and children. Since the planned number of seats was only 1,500, refugees began to be placed on decks, in passageways. Women soldiers were placed even in an empty pool.

In the last stages of the evacuation, panic increased so much that some women in the port, in desperation, began to give their children to those who managed to board, in the hope of at least saving them in this way. In the end, on January 30, 1945, the officers of the ship's crew already stopped counting the refugees, whose number exceeded 10,000 ...

According to modern estimates, there should have been 10,582 people on board: 918 cadets of junior groups of the 2nd submarine training division ( 2.U-Boot-Lehrdivision), 173 members of the ship's crew, 373 women from the auxiliary naval corps, 162 seriously wounded military personnel, and 8956 refugees, mostly the elderly, women and children.

Contrary to the recommendations to zigzag to complicate the attack of submarines, it was decided to go straight ahead at a speed of 12 knots, since the corridor in the minefields was not wide enough and the captains hoped to get out to safe waters faster in this way; in addition, the ship was running out of fuel. The liner could not reach full speed due to the damage received during the bombing. In addition, the TF-19 torpedoes returned to the port of Gotenhafen, having received damage to the hull in a collision with a stone, and only one Leo destroyer remained in guard ( Lowe). At 18:00, a message was received of a convoy of minesweepers that was allegedly moving towards them, and when it was already dark, they were ordered to turn on their navigation lights to prevent a collision. In reality, there were no minesweepers, and the circumstances of the appearance of this radio message have remained unclear to this day. According to other sources, the section of minesweepers was trawling towards the convoy, and appeared later than given in the notification of times

When the commander of the Soviet submarine S-13, Alexander Marinesko, saw the Wilhelm Gustloff brightly lit, contrary to all norms of military practice, he followed him on the surface for two hours, choosing a position for attack. Even here, fate let the Gustloff down, as submarines were usually unable to catch up with surface ships, but Captain Peterson was moving slower than design speed, given the significant overcrowding and uncertainty about the state of the ship after years of inactivity and repairs after the bombing. At 19:30, without waiting for the minesweepers, Peterson gave the command to put out the fires, but it was too late - Marinesko worked out a plan of attack.

At about nine o'clock S-13 entered from the side of the coast, where they could least expect it, and from a distance of less than 1,000 m at 21:04 fired the first torpedo with the inscription "For the Motherland", and then two more - "For the Soviet people" and "For Leningrad". The fourth, already cocked torpedo "For Stalin", got stuck in the torpedo tube and almost exploded, but they managed to neutralize it, close the hatches of the vehicles and dive.

At 21:16 the first torpedo hit the bow of the ship, later the second blew up the empty pool where the women of the naval auxiliary battalion were, and the last one hit the engine room. The passengers' first thought was that they had hit a mine, but Captain Peterson realized it was a submarine, and his first words were: Das wars("That's all").

Those passengers who did not die from three explosions and did not drown in the cabins of the lower decks rushed to the lifeboats in a panic. At that moment, it turned out that by ordering to close, according to the instructions, the watertight compartments in the lower decks, the captain inadvertently blocked part of the team, which was supposed to launch the boats and evacuate passengers. Therefore, in the panic and stampede, not only many children and women died, but also many of those who got out on the upper deck. They couldn't get down lifeboats, because they did not know how to do this, in addition, many davits were iced over, and the ship had already received a strong roll. With the joint efforts of the crew and passengers, some boats were launched, and yet there were many people in the icy water. From the strong roll of the ship, an anti-aircraft gun came off the deck and crushed one of the boats, already full of people. About an hour after the attack, the Wilhelm Gustloff completely sank.

A little more than an hour later, the new ships that came to the rescue were only able to fish the dead bodies out of the icy water. Later, a small messenger ship that arrived at the scene of the tragedy unexpectedly found, seven hours after the sinking of the liner, among hundreds of dead bodies, an unnoticed boat and in it a living baby wrapped in blankets - the last rescued passenger of the Wilhelm Gustloff ...

Sailor Werner Fick, who was inspecting the last boat he met, saw in it a strange bundle of large sizes. Approaching it and unwinding the corner, the sailor saw the head of a one-year-old child, who was still showing signs of life! Immediate medical intervention saved the boy's life. Subsequently, the childless Werner Fick adopted the baby, thus becoming the only person for whom the terrible night of the death of the Gustloff became the happiest day in his life.

As a result, it was possible to survive, according to various estimates, from 1,200 to 2,500 people out of more than 10,000 on board. Maximum estimates put losses at 9,343 lives.

Some German historians are stubbornly pushing the version that there was at least one more Soviet submarine in the Gustloff disaster area.

This is how the German military historian Guido Knopp describes this episode in his book The Death of the Gustloff (Ekon Ulstein, Munich, 2002). According to his version, S-13 or another Russian submarine attacked at least once the destroyer T-36, which arrived forty minutes later at the crash site and caught the Gustloff still afloat. At 00:25 on 02/01/1945, a cry was heard: "Torpedoes on a collision course!" It was only with great difficulty that the commander of the destroyer, Captain-Lieutenant Hering, managed to sharply turn the ship to starboard and avoid the attack.

In the description of this episode, there are surprising discrepancies in the reports of those who survived the disaster and in Soviet sources. Historiographer "Gustloff" Heinz Schön found in the course of his research a number of witnesses who reported that immediately after the death of the liner they saw the cabin of a submarine in the sea and even heard the submariners talking to each other in Russian. However, Soviet sources nowhere report the S-13 surfacing at this moment. The submarine's logbook also confirms that it has already gone under water. Maybe there was another submarine in the disaster area?

Horst Mankowka, a submariner from the 2nd training division of the submarine forces, says: “I was on board. By that time, the Gustloff had already tilted heavily. Suddenly I saw a submarine. At first I thought this german boat and said to the women standing nearby: "Calm down, the rescue boats have come." But then I saw three people descend from the cabin, who ran forward and began to turn the gun around. Then I realized that it must be the Russians. After a short time they returned to the cabin, and the boat left.

Ursula Birkle, a refugee from East Prussia, confirmed Mankowka's statement: “There was something long and black that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. We saw a gun pointed at us. Then the boat disappeared again.

One of the last living members of the Soviet submarine crew, Alexei Astakhov, who lives in Kronstadt, claims that the S-13 immediately sank and moved away from the site of the torpedo attack. Russian archival materials nowhere mention a second submarine attack. All published documents speak only of the S-13 leaving the danger zone under a barrage of depth charges.

The largest specialist in the history of the navies of the Second World War, German professor Jürgen Rover believes that Marinesko missed a brilliant opportunity to attack one of the most capital ships naval forces of Germany - heavy cruiser "Admiral Hipper". Since the destroyer T-36 was still picking up the surviving passengers of the Gustloff, the cruiser drifting nearby was a tempting target for the submarine commander. But there is no doubt that the Soviet submariner overestimated the strength of the Hipper's escort escort. However, the Soviet submarine threatened the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper so much that it was forced to flee, giving full speed right through the passengers of the Gustloff who were in the water at that moment.

According to Rover, which he verified with Russian sources, at that moment there were seven Soviet submarines in the Baltic Sea:

Shch-307 Lieutenant Commander Kalinin (4.1 - 3.2 45) - in the Libau area.
"S-13" of the captain of the 3rd rank Marinesko (11.1 -15.2.45) - in the area of the Stolpebank shoal.
"Sch-318" captain of the 3rd rank Loshkarev - in the Memel area.
"Sch-407" Lieutenant Commander Bocharov - first in front of the island of Bornholm, then in the central Baltic and in front of the Danzig Bay and the Hel Peninsula.
"L-3" of the captain of the 3rd rank Konovalov (23.1 - 8.2.45) - laying mines in the Windau area.
"K-51" captain 3rd rank Drozdov (23.1 - 21.2.45) - in the Kolberg area, then north of Bornholm and in the Pomeranian Bay.
"M-90" Lieutenant Commander Rusin (29.1 - 9.245) - in the Windau area.

Could any of them have also taken part in the attack on the German ships in the area? Theoretically, yes. However, a concrete answer can only be given after the data from the logbooks of Soviet boats has been analyzed.
(Lebedev Yu. How did the liner "Wilhelm Gustloff" die?)

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In some German publications during the years cold war, the sinking of the Gustloff is called a crime against civilians, the same as the Allied bombing of Dresden. However, the disaster researcher Heinz Schön believes that the liner was a military target and its sinking was not a war crime, since: ships intended for the transport of refugees, hospital ships had to be marked with the appropriate signs - a red cross, could not wear camouflage, not could go in one convoy along with military courts. On board could not be any military cargo, stationary and temporarily placed air defense guns, artillery pieces or other similar means.

1. "Wilhelm Gustloff" was not an unarmed civilian ship: it had weapons on board that could fight enemy ships and aircraft;
2. "Wilhelm Gustloff" was a training floating base for the German submarine fleet;
3. "Wilhelm Gustloff" was accompanied by a warship of the German fleet (destroyer "Lion");
4. Soviet transports with refugees and the wounded during the war years repeatedly became targets for German submarines and aviation (in particular, the ship "Armenia", sunk in 1941 in the Black Sea, carried on board more than 5 thousand refugees and the wounded. Only survived 8 people However, "Armenia", like "Wilhelm Gustloff", violated the status of a sanitary vessel and was a legitimate military target)

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If let down summary results"attacks of the century", it turns out the following: a large passenger liner was sunk, which, in itself, had neither combat value nor military cargo. On board died: out of 918 sailors and officers of the 2nd training division of the submarine forces, 406 people (44 percent), out of 173 crew members - 90 (52 percent), out of 373 female soldiers - 250 (67 percent), out of almost 5150 refugees and wounded - 4600 (89 percent). The last figure included almost 3,000 children. Naturally, Marinesco could not know the true value of his victory, but those who investigated the circumstances of the victory (if they were serious about it) after him could not have known all this. Can the achieved result be called a "feat" in terms of the results achieved? I'm afraid not.

Meanwhile, in the shadow of this bloated "duck" was another combat episode.//
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(to be continued)