General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
Posted by:
Anders Wingren
()
Date: December 02, 2000 11:21PM
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Hi Ricky!
Yes it is true,there has never been so many lives lost in a single ship
in the history,as the 9343 dead,when German 25 484 ton Liner
WILHELM GUSTLOFF was sunk NW of Gulf of Danzig in the area of Stolpe Bank,
by Russian Sub S-13,(CO Marinesko),on the night of 30 Jan 1945.
GUSTLOFF,unescorted at the time of the sinking,was designed to carry 1 865
passengers,but due to desperate evacuation measures taken,in the Gulf of Danzig,
away from the Russian onslought;the liner had nearly 10 000 souls on board.
It was sunk relatively close to the coast,but the bitter winter night took its toll.
There was a wind strength of 7,temperature 10 degrees below 0 Celsius,
and ice flows in the water.
GUSTLOFF was hit by 3 torps,and sank fast,and despite heroic efforts by
GÖTTINGEN, LÖWE, T-36, M-341, TS-2, TF-19, and V-1703,only 564 refugees are
rescued. ADMIRAL HIPPER with 1 500 wounded on board,had to leave the area
because of the danger of submarines.
On 14 Febr -45 the same Russian Sub sank the 14 660 ton German Liner
GENERAL STEUBEN,at the time escorted by T-196 and TF-10,in an area
a bit to the east of the GUSTLOFF sinking.
The escorts rescued only about 300 of the more than 3 000 passengers on board,
because of the bitter cold.
On the night of 16 April -45 German 5 230 ton Transport Ship GOYA
was torpedoed and sunk off Rixhöft,by Russian Sub L-3,(CO Konovalov).
GOYA at the time was sailing in a 7 ship convoy,with a number of escorts.
At daytime the 16th April, German Aircraft Repair Ship BOELCKE had been sunk
by Russian Air Attack,soon after the convoy had left Hela.
Of the 6 385 persons on board GOYA,only 165 could be rescued.
German Naval Units and German civilian ships performed wonders during 1945,
in evacuating nearly 2 000 000 Germans from the Danzig-Hela area.
But the price was high!!!
Nearly 30 000 Germans lost their lives as refugees on board ships, sunk during
these evacuations.
You are right in Your statement Ricky;
These sinkings are not often mentioned in history sources in the west,
outside of Germany.
But than again;it is not as glamorous to make a Holywood film about
refugee ships,as it is to make films about the demise of TITANIC.
It shall also be noted that Russian Subs were not the only perpetrators
of sinking civilian refugee ships!!!
On 3 May -45 German 27 561 ton Liner CAP ARCONA, 2815 ton Steamer
THIELBEK, and 21 046 ton Steamer DEUTSCHLAND,was sunk by RAF
rocket equipped Typhoons of Nos 83 and 84 Groups of the 2nd TAF off Lübeck Bay
8 000 lives were lost,mainly survivors from the concentration camp system
of Neuengamme and Stutthof.
These 8 000 had to loose their lives so unnecessaryly,only 4 days before WW II Europe ended!!
It is so,so sad!!
Source:
www.feldgrau.com
Rohwer&Hümmelchen:Chronology of War at Sea
Mercer:Chronology of WW II
Best regards/Anders.
</HTML>
Hi Ricky!
Yes it is true,there has never been so many lives lost in a single ship
in the history,as the 9343 dead,when German 25 484 ton Liner
WILHELM GUSTLOFF was sunk NW of Gulf of Danzig in the area of Stolpe Bank,
by Russian Sub S-13,(CO Marinesko),on the night of 30 Jan 1945.
GUSTLOFF,unescorted at the time of the sinking,was designed to carry 1 865
passengers,but due to desperate evacuation measures taken,in the Gulf of Danzig,
away from the Russian onslought;the liner had nearly 10 000 souls on board.
It was sunk relatively close to the coast,but the bitter winter night took its toll.
There was a wind strength of 7,temperature 10 degrees below 0 Celsius,
and ice flows in the water.
GUSTLOFF was hit by 3 torps,and sank fast,and despite heroic efforts by
GÖTTINGEN, LÖWE, T-36, M-341, TS-2, TF-19, and V-1703,only 564 refugees are
rescued. ADMIRAL HIPPER with 1 500 wounded on board,had to leave the area
because of the danger of submarines.
On 14 Febr -45 the same Russian Sub sank the 14 660 ton German Liner
GENERAL STEUBEN,at the time escorted by T-196 and TF-10,in an area
a bit to the east of the GUSTLOFF sinking.
The escorts rescued only about 300 of the more than 3 000 passengers on board,
because of the bitter cold.
On the night of 16 April -45 German 5 230 ton Transport Ship GOYA
was torpedoed and sunk off Rixhöft,by Russian Sub L-3,(CO Konovalov).
GOYA at the time was sailing in a 7 ship convoy,with a number of escorts.
At daytime the 16th April, German Aircraft Repair Ship BOELCKE had been sunk
by Russian Air Attack,soon after the convoy had left Hela.
Of the 6 385 persons on board GOYA,only 165 could be rescued.
German Naval Units and German civilian ships performed wonders during 1945,
in evacuating nearly 2 000 000 Germans from the Danzig-Hela area.
But the price was high!!!
Nearly 30 000 Germans lost their lives as refugees on board ships, sunk during
these evacuations.
You are right in Your statement Ricky;
These sinkings are not often mentioned in history sources in the west,
outside of Germany.
But than again;it is not as glamorous to make a Holywood film about
refugee ships,as it is to make films about the demise of TITANIC.
It shall also be noted that Russian Subs were not the only perpetrators
of sinking civilian refugee ships!!!
On 3 May -45 German 27 561 ton Liner CAP ARCONA, 2815 ton Steamer
THIELBEK, and 21 046 ton Steamer DEUTSCHLAND,was sunk by RAF
rocket equipped Typhoons of Nos 83 and 84 Groups of the 2nd TAF off Lübeck Bay
8 000 lives were lost,mainly survivors from the concentration camp system
of Neuengamme and Stutthof.
These 8 000 had to loose their lives so unnecessaryly,only 4 days before WW II Europe ended!!
It is so,so sad!!
Source:
www.feldgrau.com
Rohwer&Hümmelchen:Chronology of War at Sea
Mercer:Chronology of WW II
Best regards/Anders.
</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Fin Bonset | 11/30/2000 12:49PM |
|
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Michael Lowrey | 11/30/2000 08:23PM |
|
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Torlef | 12/01/2000 08:59AM |
|
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Fin Bonset | 12/01/2000 12:24PM |
|
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Ricky.S | 12/02/2000 03:51PM |
|
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Anders Wingren | 12/02/2000 11:21PM |
|
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Ricky.S | 12/03/2000 05:36PM |
|
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Dakota | 12/03/2000 09:43PM |
|
RE: A letter to Horst Bredow
|
Anders Wingren | 12/03/2000 10:00PM |
|
Wilhelm Gustloff
|
kpp | 12/03/2000 11:30PM |