Destruction of Wilhelm Gustlov. Documentary film “The Last March of “Wilhelm Gustloff” Panic and evacuation of the population

Background

History of the name

Characteristics

Launching the liner "Wilhelm Gustloff". Photo, 1937

From a technological point of view Wilhelm Gustloff was not an exceptional vessel. The liner was designed for 1,500 people and had ten decks. Its engines were of medium power and it was not built for fast travel, but rather for slow, comfortable cruising. And from the point of view of amenities, equipment and recreational facilities, this liner was truly one of the best in the world. One of the newest technologies used on it was the principle of an open deck with cabins that had direct access to it and a clear view of the scenery. At their service were provided a luxuriously decorated swimming pool, a winter garden, large spacious halls, music salons, and several bars. Unlike other ships of this class, Wilhelm Gustloff, in a testament to the "classless character" of the Nazi regime, had cabins of the same size and the same excellent amenities for all passengers.

In addition to purely technical innovations and the best equipment for an unforgettable trip, Wilhelm Gustloff, which cost 25 million Reichsmarks, was a unique symbol and means of propaganda for the authorities of the Third Reich. According to Robert Ley, who led the German Labor Front, liners like this could " ...to provide the opportunity, by the will of the Fuhrer, to mechanics of Bavaria, postmen of Cologne, housewives of Bremen, at least once a year, to make an affordable sea voyage to Madeira, along the Mediterranean coast, to the shores of Norway and Africa.»

For German citizens, travel by ship Wilhelm Gustloff it had to be 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 salary 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 strata of the population and the nobility). Thus, Wilhelm Gustloff with its amenities, level of comfort and accessibility, it not only cemented the affection of the German people for the Nazi regime, but also had to demonstrate to the whole world the advantages of National Socialism.

The flagship of the cruise fleet

After the ceremonial launching of the ship, 10 months passed before Wilhelm Gustloff passed sea trials in May 1938. During this time, the finishing and arrangement of the interior of the liner was completed. As a thank you to the builders, the ship was 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 intended to stun the Austrians on the cruise with the level of service and amenities and convince others of the benefits of an alliance with Germany. The cruise was a real triumph, evidence of the achievements of the new German government. The world press enthusiastically described the impressions of the cruise participants and the unprecedented luxury on board the ship. Even Hitler himself arrived on the liner, which symbolized all the best achievements of the country under his leadership. When the excitement around this symbol of the Hitler regime subsided somewhat, the liner began to fulfill the task for which it was built - to provide affordable, comfortable cruises to the workers of Germany.

Propaganda tool

Passenger airliner "Wilhelm Gustloff". Photo, ok. 1938

Although Wilhelm Gustloff offered truly unforgettable and cheap travel and cruises; it also remained in history as a prominent means of propaganda for the Nazi regime. The first successful, although unplanned, incident occurred during the rescue of the sailors of the English ship Peguey, which was in distress on April 2, 1938 in the North Sea. The courage and determination of the captain, who left a 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 memorial plaque was later installed on the ship. Thanks to this occasion, when April 10 Wilhelm Gustloff 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 have already written 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 were delighted with the liner and Germany's achievements. The use of such a sophisticated vessel in the plebiscite symbolized the new things that the Nazi regime was introducing in Germany.

Cruises and troop transport

Like the flagship of a cruise fleet Wilhelm Gustloff spent only a year and a half at sea and completed 50 cruises as part of the Strength Through Joy (STF) program. About 65,000 vacationers visited it. Typically, during the warm season, the liner offered travel around the North Sea, the coast of Germany, and the Norwegian fjords. In winter, the liner went on cruises along the Mediterranean Sea, the coasts of Italy, Spain and Portugal. For many, despite such minor inconveniences as being prohibited from going ashore in countries that did not support the Nazi regime, these cruises remained an unforgettable and the best time of the entire period of Nazi rule in Germany. Many ordinary Germans took advantage of the Strength Through Joy program and were sincerely grateful to the new regime for providing recreational opportunities incomparable to other European countries.

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

Military service

floating hospital, July 1940

The liner's last cruise took place on August 25, 1939. Unexpectedly, during a planned voyage in the middle of the North Sea, the captain received a coded order to urgently return to port. The time for cruises was over - less than a week later, Germany attacked Poland and World War II began.

Military hospital

As the war spread to most of Europe Wilhelm Gustloff first treated the wounded during the Norwegian campaign in the summer of 1940 ( on illus.), and then prepared to transport troops in the event of an invasion of Great Britain. However, the invasion did not take place and the ship was sent to Danzig, where the last 414 wounded were treated, and the ship awaited assignment to subsequent service. However, the ship's service as a military hospital ended - by decision of the Navy leadership, it was assigned to the submariner school in Gotenhafen. The liner was again repainted in gray camouflage, and it lost the protection of the Hague Convention that it had previously had.

Floating barracks

The ship served as a floating barracks for the Kriegsmarine submarine school for almost four years, most of this time being away from the front line. As the end of the war approached, the situation began to change not in Germany's favor - 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 itself Wilhelm Gustloff received damage [ ] .

Evacuation of the population

According to modern estimates, there should have been 10,582 people on board: 918 junior cadets of the 2nd training submarine division (2. U-Boot-Lehrdivision), 173 crew members, 373 women from the auxiliary naval corps, 162 seriously wounded military personnel, and 8,956 refugees, mostly old people, women and children. When at 12:30 Wilhelm Gustloff accompanied by two guard ships, finally departed; disputes arose on the captain's bridge between the four senior officers. In addition to the commander of the ship, Captain Friedrich Petersen (German) Friedrich Petersen), called up from retirement, the commander of the 2nd Submarine Training Division and two merchant marine captains were on board, and there was no agreement between them as to which channel to navigate the ship and what precautions to take regarding enemy submarines and aircraft. The outer fairway (German designation Zwangsweg 58) was chosen. Contrary to recommendations to go in a zigzag to complicate the attack by submarines, it was decided to go straight at a speed of 12 knots, since the corridor in the minefields was not wide enough and the captains hoped to get out into safe waters faster this way; In addition, the ship lacked fuel. The liner could not reach full speed due to damage received during the bombing. In addition, the TF-19 torpedo boat returned to port, having received damage to its hull when it collided with a reef, and only one destroyer remained on guard Lowe. At 18:00, a message was received about a convoy of minesweepers that was supposedly heading towards them, and when it was already dark, it was ordered to turn on the running lights to prevent a collision. In reality, there were no minesweepers, and the circumstances of the appearance of this radiogram have remained unclear to this day. According to other sources, a group of minesweepers was trawling towards the convoy and appeared later than the time specified in the notification.

Sinking

At 21:16, the first torpedo hit the bow of the ship, later the second blew up the empty swimming pool where the women of the naval auxiliary battalion were, and the last hit the engine room, the engines stalled, but the lighting continued to work due to the emergency diesel generator. 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 war's(That's all). Those passengers who did not die from the three explosions and did not drown in the cabins on the lower decks rushed to the lifeboats in panic. At this moment it turned out that by ordering the watertight bulkheads in the lower decks to be closed, according to the instructions, the captain blocked part of the team, which was supposed to lower the boats and evacuate passengers. In the panic and stampede, not only many children and women died, but also many of those who climbed to the upper deck. They could not lower the lifeboats because they did not know how to do this, besides, many of the davits were iced over, and the ship was already heavily listing. Through the joint efforts of the crew and passengers, some boats were able to be launched, but many people still found themselves in the icy water. Due to the strong roll of the ship, an anti-aircraft gun fell off the deck and crushed one of the boats, already full of people. About an hour after the attack, the Wilhelm Gustloff sank completely.

Rescue of survivors

Destroyer Lowe(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 the temperature in January was already −18 °C, there were only a few minutes left before irreversible hypothermia set in. Despite this, the ship managed to rescue 472 passengers from the lifeboats and from the water. The guard ships of another convoy, the cruiser Admiral Hipper, which also, in addition to the crew, also had about 1,500 refugees on board, also came to the rescue. Due to fear of attack from submarines, he did not stop and continued to retire to safe waters. Other ships (by “other ships” we mean the only destroyer T-38 - the sonar system did not work on the Lion, the Hipper left) managed to save another 179 people. A little more than an hour later, new ships that came to the rescue could only fish dead bodies from 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 from the ship Wilhelm Gustloff .

As a result, it was possible to survive, according to various estimates, from 1200

The newest German motor ship was sunk by a Soviet submarine. There were about 9 thousand Nazis on board, of which 3,700 were trained submariners. According to various sources, from 6 to 7 thousand people died in this disaster.

This disaster is called the greatest maritime disaster in all centuries of navigation. “If we consider that incident a disaster,” wrote in the book “The Death of Wilhelm Gustlov,” which was published in Germany, Hitler’s officer Heinz Schön, who was on board the liner and survived, “then it was undoubtedly the biggest disaster in the history of navigation , compared to which even the death of the Titanic, which collided with an iceberg in 1912, is nothing.” As you know, 1,517 people died on the Titanic. The Wilhelm Gustlov had significantly more enemy manpower. The attack of a German liner by a submarine under the command of Marinesko on January 30, 1945 plunged Nazi Germany into mourning. It was the attack of the century...

Alexander Marinesko was born in Odessa. At the age of 14, he began working on the Sevastopol steamship, which made regular voyages between the ports of the Black Sea. In 1933 he graduated from the Odessa Marine College and worked in the merchant fleet. But the brightest pages of his life are connected with his service in the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, where he managed to prove himself even in the pre-war years.

In 1939, Alexander Marinesko took command of the submarine M-96, the so-called “baby”. For excellent performance of torpedo firing, the People's Commissar of the Navy in 1940 awarded Lieutenant Commander Marinesko with a gold personalized watch.

In August 1942, the M-96 torpedoed a fascist transport with a displacement of 7 thousand tons. Having traveled about 900 miles (of which 400 miles were underwater), the “baby” returned to base victoriously. Marinesko was awarded the Order of Lenin, and the crew members were awarded other government awards.

In 1943, Marinesko took command of the submarine S-13. And on the very first military campaign, in October 1944, another enemy transport was sent to the bottom by artillery fire. But the main victory, which became legendary, was ahead.

On January 9, the S-13 submarine received a combat order from the commander of the submarine brigade, Rear Admiral S.B. Verkhovsky, according to which she was to take a position in Danzing Bay by January 13 with the task of destroying enemy ships and transports on enemy communications. Exactly at the appointed time, S-13 arrived at the position and began searching for convoys, usually doing it at night on the surface and during the day under a periscope. However, a persistent search at first did not give the desired results: apart from anti-submarine defense ships, Marinesko was unable to find anything.

Meteorological conditions during this campaign were extremely unfavorable for the actions of S-13. The first half was hampered by stormy weather and bright moonlit nights, the second was accompanied by snowfalls and rains that limited visibility.

It is not known what played the main role - your own, unknown calculations, intuition? But Marinesko decided to leave the area.

On the evening of January 30, the S-13 was on the surface. At about 20 o'clock, hydroacoustic foreman of the 2nd article Shnaptsev reported that he heard distant noises of propellers. The submarine's navigator, Lieutenant Commander Redkoborodov, quickly calculated the course for approaching enemy ships and reported it to the commander. Captain 3rd Rank Alexander Ivanovich Marinesko immediately ordered to increase the speed to full and set on a course of approach with the enemy convoy.

Cutting the steep wave with its bow, the boat rushed towards the enemy. Soon, among the many noises, the sonar distinguished the noise of the propellers of a large ship. And at 21 hours 10 minutes, the commander of the steering sections, foreman of the 2nd article Vinogradov, who was on signal watch, discovered two masthead lights, and then darkened side lights. They belonged to a large liner that was escorting warships.

At first, Marinesko thought that he was dealing with a light cruiser of the Nuremberg type - these lights were moving too quickly to the side, in a westerly direction. Warships usually have such speeds.

At 21:15 a combat alarm sounded throughout the compartments. Marinesko decided to attack the liner from the surface. Having determined the direction of the enemy’s movement, the S-13 set a course parallel to the liner in order to overtake it and take a position advantageous for a torpedo salvo.

The boat was chasing the enemy ship in the dark, on the surface, at top speed. The liner was so huge that Marinesco now mistook it for a floating ship repair plant.

At 22:08, the S-13 crossed the convoy’s course astern and took a parallel course from the shore. This attack position - between the shore and the enemy - often ensures success, since the enemy expects an attack mainly from the sea and maintains intense surveillance from the sea. The danger is that if the boat is spotted, it will be impossible to escape.

It was still not possible to achieve complete secrecy of the S-13: Morse code flashes of light flashed from one of the security ships. The Nazis, mistaking the cabin of the boat for one of their security boats, made a request. The signalman on duty, Vinogradov, was not at a loss. Previously, he had watched the light negotiations of two fascist ships and remembered their identification, given by the flashes of the lantern. Now, on the orders of the commander, Vinogradov clearly responded to the request of the Nazi signalman with the identification of the fascist ship and thereby disoriented the enemy, allowing him to get closer to him at a distance of 12 cables.

An hour later, S-13 broke through the guards and, having taken an advantageous position, at 23:08 fired a salvo of four bow torpedo tubes. Three powerful explosions followed: one torpedo exploded in the bow, the second in the middle and the third in the stern of the transport. Due to a malfunction, the fourth torpedo remained in the apparatus and did not come out.

The liner began to sink quickly. Security ships rushed to the aid of the dying nine-deck giant. The rays of enemy searchlights flickered feverishly over the surface of the sea. The submarine immediately sank to depth. Marinesko decided to dive under the convoy so that the noise of the boat’s propellers would not be recognized by Hitler’s acoustics among the many scurrying ships, then, when the boat reached great depths, break away from the enemy and go to sea.

However, this plan was only partially implemented: as soon as the S-13 began to move away from the convoy, it was found by enemy sonars. Maneuvering, the boat evaded pursuit. The commander directed her to the dive site of the attacked liner with the goal of lying down next to it on the ground and resting.

But the enemy did not allow this intention to be realized. At 23 hours 26 minutes, the submarine's acoustician reported that a destroyer liner, four patrol ships, two minesweepers and many patrol boats were approaching the sinking site, which established hydroacoustic contact with the submarine and began pursuing it.

The pursuit continued until four o'clock in the morning on January 31. The Nazis dropped more than two hundred depth charges on the boat, and only thanks to the skillful maneuvering of the commander the boat broke away from the pursuit, receiving almost no damage.

According to the commander's report, on January 30, the boat sank a transport with a displacement of 20 thousand tons. However, Marinesko, who quite accurately determined the elements of the target’s movement, made a mistake in determining the displacement of the transport...

On January 30, 1945, one of the largest ships in Germany, the Wilhelm Gustlow, sailed into the Bay of Danzig in the Baltic Sea. The tourist and excursion ship was built at the Hamburg shipyard in 1938. It was an unsinkable nine-deck ocean liner with a displacement of 25,484 tons, built with the latest technology. Two theaters, a church, dance floors, swimming pools, a gym, restaurants, a cafe with a winter garden and artificial climate, comfortable cabins and Hitler’s personal apartments. Length - 208 meters, fuel capacity - up to Yokohama: half the world without refueling. It could not sink, just as a railway station could not sink.

The ship was named and built in honor of Wilhelm Gustlow, the leader of the Swiss Nazis, one of Hitler's assistants. One day, a Jewish youth from Yugoslavia, David Frankfuter, came to his headquarters. Having identified himself as a courier, he entered Gustlov’s office and pumped five bullets into him. Thus Wilhelm Gustlow became a martyr of the Nazi movement. During the war, "Wilhelm Gustlov" became a training base for the Higher School of Submariners.

It was January 1945. The railways are clogged, the Nazis are fleeing and taking out the loot by sea. On January 27, at a meeting of representatives of the Wehrmacht fleet and civilian authorities, the commander of the Wilhelm Gustlov announced Hitler’s order to transport the crews of newly minted submarine specialists to Western bases. This was the flower of the fascist submarine fleet - 3,700 people, crews for 70-80 of the latest submarines, ready for a complete blockade of England.

High-ranking officials - generals and senior officers, an auxiliary women's battalion - about 400 people - also embarked. Among the chosen ones of high society are 22 Gauleiters of the lands of Poland and East Prussia. It is also known that when the liner was loading, cars with red crosses drove up to it. And according to intelligence data, bandaged dummies were unloaded onto the liner.

At night, civilian and military nobility were loaded onto the liner. There were both wounded and refugees there. The figure of 6470 passengers is taken from the ship's list.

Already at the exit from Gdynia, when on January 30, four tugboats began to take the liner out to sea, it was surrounded by small ships with refugees, and some of the people were taken on board. Then the liner went to Danzig, where it received wounded military personnel and medical personnel. There were up to 9,000 people on board.

Many years later, the German press discussed: if there had been red crosses on the ship, would it have been sunk or not? The dispute is pointless; there were no hospital crosses and there could not have been. The ship was part of the German naval forces, was under escort and had weapons - anti-aircraft guns. The operation was prepared so secretly that the senior radio operator was appointed just a day before the exit.

During the transition, conflict broke out between senior officials. Some suggested going in zigzags, constantly changing course, throwing Soviet submarines off the scent. Others believed that there was no need to be afraid of boats - the Baltic was filled with mines, there were 1,300 German ships at sea, and one should be afraid of airplanes. Therefore, they proposed to go directly, at full speed, in order to quickly avoid the dangerous air zone.

After three torpedoes hit the liner, in a strange way, all the lamps in the cabins and all the illumination on the decks suddenly lit up. Coast Guard ships arrived, one of which captured a photograph of the sinking ship.

The Wilhelm Gustlow sank not in five or fifteen minutes, but in one hour and ten minutes. It was an hour of horror. The captain tried to reassure the passengers by announcing that the ship had simply run aground. But the sirens were already wailing, drowning out the captain’s voice. Senior officers fired at junior officers as they made their way to the lifeboats. The soldiers fired into the maddened crowd. With full illumination, the Wilhelm Gustlov sank to the bottom.

The next day, all foreign newspapers reported about this disaster. "The Greatest Disaster at Sea"; “The death of the Titanic in 1912 is nothing compared to what happened in the Baltic on the night of January 31,” wrote Swedish newspapers.

On February 19 and 20, the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat published the following message: “According to Swedish radio, on Tuesday the Wilhelm Gustlow, leaving Danzig with a displacement of 25,000 tons, was sunk by a torpedo. On board the ship there were 3,700 trained submariners en route to participate in the operations of the German fleet, and another 5,000 evacuees. Only 998 people were saved. After being hit by torpedoes, the liner fell on board and sank within 5 minutes.”

The death of the liner alarmed the entire Nazi Reich. Three days of mourning were declared in the country. An emergency report from Berlin radio said that the commander of the submarine that torpedoed the liner was sentenced to death in absentia and declared a “personal enemy of Germany.” Those close to Hitler say in their memoirs that he kept a special record of “personal enemies of Germany” who caused damage to the “Third Reich.” Marinesko was included in this list.

Hitler, in a fit of rage, ordered the convoy commander to be shot. In 1938, when this “miracle of German technology” was launched from the stocks in Hamburg, the Fuhrer personally took part in its “baptism” and at the banquet raised a toast to the greatness of Germany.

A special commission was hastily created to investigate the circumstances of the ship's sinking. The Fuhrer had something to lament. More than six thousand members of the military elite evacuated from Danzig, who were ahead of the retreating Nazi troops in their flight, died on the liner.

The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustlow liner was the largest, but not the only victory of the S-13 in the January-February campaign. Having broken away from the pursuers, the commander ordered the damage received during the bombing by depth charges to be repaired, after which the submarine continued to search for the enemy.

On February 9, C-13 continued combat operations in the southern Baltic. A fierce storm with snowfall prevented observation. It seemed that in such weather hardly anyone would dare to go to sea. But by evening the snowstorm subsided a little.

At 22:15, the hydroacoustic Shnaptsev picked up the noise of the propellers of a large ship. Marinesko determined the direction of the enemy's movement and began to approach him, giving 18-knot speed with diesel engines. The bow torpedo tubes were prepared to fire.

At this time, visibility improved slightly, and the silhouette of a huge ship was clearly defined directly in the direction of the boat. In order not to be prematurely noticed, Marinesko changed course with the expectation of going into the dark part of the horizon.

2 am, almost forty minutes of intense maneuvering. Finally, S-13, again from the shore, as when attacking the liner, took an advantageous position for the salvo.

At the moment when the command was already given to prepare for the attack, the target suddenly turned to a new course. Marinesko realized that the enemy, fearing to be attacked, was moving in an anti-submarine zigzag. The commander increased the speed of the boat to 19 knots and began preparing to torpedo with stern devices.

2 hours 49 minutes. Marinesko orders to stop the diesel engine. Firing with stern devices allows you to fire a salvo at a speed of 19 knots. The stern torpedo tubes have no drag, but it is still better to fire at the submarine's low speed. Then the command “Fire!” sounds.

Torpedoes from the feed tubes rush towards the target. Marinesko's calculations were unmistakable. Two torpedoes hit the target almost simultaneously, and a few seconds later three more strong explosions were heard. Ammunition detonated or boilers exploded. A strong flame, like lightning during a thunderstorm, illuminated the battlefield.

Security destroyers rushed towards the sinking ship. Illuminating the entire area with searchlights and flares, they tried to approach it, but it turned over on its left side, stayed on the water with its keel up for a minute, and then sank to the bottom.

Only after the war it became known that on the night of February 10, 1945, at 2 hours 50 minutes Moscow time, the auxiliary cruiser General von Steuben with a displacement of 14,660 thousand tons was sunk. There were 3,600 Nazi soldiers and officers on it, hurrying from the Courland bridgehead to defend Berlin. The German destroyers that approached the site of the destruction of the transport were able to lift only 300 people from the water.

And this time the S-13, thanks to the skillful maneuvering carried out by Marinesko, managed to escape from the enemy.

Unfortunately, the fate of the commander of the legendary submarine was tragic. Immediately after the end of the war, Marinesko was arrested. And subsequently his name and his feat undeservedly remained in oblivion.

Time, however, put everything in its place. On May 5, 1990, a Decree was published conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to Alexander Ivanovich Marinesko, captain of the 3rd rank. Posthumously...

Comment:

- Marinesko sank the floating hospital "General von Steuben" in the same military campaign...

And of course, the debate about whether or not the Gustloff was a legitimate military target due to the submarine cadets on board, meaningless- firstly, the USSR did not pay attention to the red crosses, secondly, the Gustloff was sunk precisely because of refugees as part of an operation directed specifically against refugees, thirdly, to “General von Steuben” and “Stuttgart” (and others "fascists") the red crosses did not help in any way, and in this case Marinesko would have to attack in accordance with the assigned combat mission, regardless of what was painted on the Gustloff, and fourthly, if the Gustloff was legal military purpose, then I would like to hear your attempt to get out by answering a simple question - why did you have to lie so openly:

“The Gustloff is not a defenseless civilian ship, but a military transport sailing under powerful cover. It was a fair fight!” (Alexander Marinesko);

"...The commander of the submarine S-13 accomplished his main feat on January 30, 1945, sinking the German transport Wilhelm Gustloff with a torpedo attack, on board which were 7,000 fascists, including the SS battalion, 4,000 thousand evacuated German submariners, highly qualified specialists, major Nazi bosses, high ranks of the fleet..."

“...Marinesko attacked underwater, firing torpedoes almost point-blank, and this in front of the strongest German convoy of the entire war!”

"... Further, the presentation talked about another masterful attack and sinking of one large ship - the military transport "General von Steuben". Displacement of about 15,000 tons. The transport carried 3,600 tankers. There would be enough of them to staff several tank divisions! That's all on the same trip..."

“Thus, in just one campaign, Alexander Marinesko destroyed eight thousand Nazis. A full-fledged division! And what a division! Selected officers, first-class specialists - submariners, SS men, fascist bosses...”

“Alexander Marinesko managed to break through the dense encirclement of the ships guarding the transport, and the four torpedoes he fired reached their target: the transport with Nazi submariners sank to the bottom. After a successful attack and a long pursuit of the submarine by enemy convoy ships, the submarine returned safely to base...”

“It was a brilliant military operation, thanks to which the initiative for dominance in the naval war in the Baltic was firmly seized by Soviet sailors,” says Yuri Lebedev, deputy director of the Museum of Russian Submarine Forces named after A.I. Marinesko: “By its actions, the submarine “S-13” brought the end of the war closer. It was a strategic success for the Soviet navy, and for Germany it was the biggest naval disaster. Marinesko’s feat lies in the fact that he destroyed the seemingly unsinkable symbol of Nazism, a dream ship promoting the “Third Reich” ... "

COMMENT:

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From a legal point of view, the actions of commander Marinesko were impeccable. Ships intended to transport refugees and hospital ships had to be marked with the appropriate red cross insignia, could not wear camouflage colors and could not travel in the same convoy with military ships. There could not be any military cargo, stationary or temporarily placed air defense guns, artillery pieces or other equipment on board. In legal terms, the Wilhelm Gustloff was a warship on which six thousand refugees were allowed to board. The entire responsibility for their lives, from the moment they boarded the warship, rests with the appropriate officials of the German navy.

During the Cold War in Germany, Marinesko was considered a war criminal, until the Institute of Maritime Law (Kiel, Germany) made a decision that completely exonerated Marinesko and recognized that the Wilhelm Gustloff was a legitimate war booty of Soviet submariners. The decision was based on the following:

1. “Wilhelm Gustloff” was not an unarmed civilian ship: it had weapons on board that could be used to 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;
4. Soviet transports with refugees and wounded during the war repeatedly became targets for German submarines and aircraft (in particular, the motor ship "Armenia", sunk in 1941 in the Black Sea, was carrying more than 5,000 refugees and wounded on board. Only 8 survived However, “Armenia”, like “Wilhelm Gustloff”, violated the status of a medical ship and was a legitimate military target). Therefore, the Soviet side was recognized as having the right to take adequate retaliatory actions against German courts.

COMMENT:

- // “Wilhelm Gustloff” was not an unarmed civilian ship: it had weapons on board that could be used to fight enemy ships and aircraft.
Lie. Studies of the hull of the sunken ship by independent experts have proven this repeatedly. The last time was in 2004.

//"Wilhelm Gustloff" was a training floating base for the German submarine fleet.
Lie. At the time of the torpedoing he was not one, having a completely different legal status.

//"Wilhelm Gustloff" was accompanied by a warship of the German fleet;
Lie. The ship left the harbor accompanied by three ships: the Hansa passenger liner, also filled with refugees, and two torpedo boats. Due to problems, both Hansa and one torpedo boat remained in the harbor - they simply leaked in such a storm, and the second torpedo boat, Löwe, was left as an escort. But he also fell behind the ship due to problems with the engine and at the time of the torpedoing Gustloff escort didn't have.

//in particular, the motor ship "Armenia", sunk in 1941 in the Black Sea, was carrying more than 5,000 refugees and wounded on board. Only 8 people survived. However, the Armenia, like the Wilhelm Gustloff, violated the status of a medical ship and was a legitimate military target).
Lie. In 1941, the USSR declared unlimited submarine warfare (I hope there is no need to tell you what this means?) and could not count on anything other than a completely similar response. But the Germans delayed their response, but in vain. As for Armenia, which they love to cite as an example for not having others, there is NO evidence that the ship was hit by German torpedoes. The ship has still not been found.

COMMENT:

Did the Gustloff have the insignia of a hospital ship? NO
DA servicemen were on board Gustloff

These two facts alone make the ship a completely legitimate military target.

COMMENT:

- “At the same time, in violation of the status of a medical ship”
So what? :-) Hitler actually attacked the USSR, violating the non-aggression pact, that’s how bad it is.

And Marinesko’s actions could simply be revenge for the sinking of the Armenia.
“Moreover, there is NO evidence of the defeat of Armenia by German torpedoes.”
When torpedoes float, they announce their nationality loudly and in three languages. belonging. And after the explosion, they throw out a buoy with the flag of the producing state.
Hmmm...

Comment:

- //Engels describes this phenomenon, incomprehensible to European perception, as follows: “And the Russian peasant, taking up an ax, defended his slavery with desperate frenzy.” Short and clear."
I'm not sure it was Engels, but the quote is great. Thank you.

(Torpedoed)

Options Tonnage 25,484 GRT 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-blade 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 medium power and it was not built for fast travel, but rather for slow, comfortable cruising. But in terms of amenities, equipment and recreational facilities, this ship was truly one of the best in the world. Unlike other ships of her class, the Gustloff, in a testament to the "classless character" 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 newest technologies used on it was the principle of an open deck with cabins that had direct access to it and a clear view of the scenery. The liner was designed for 1,500 people. At their service were provided a luxuriously decorated swimming pool, a winter garden, large spacious halls, music salons, and several bars.

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

to provide the opportunity, at the will of the Fuhrer, to locksmiths of Bavaria, postmen of Cologne, housewives of Bremen, at least once a year, to make 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 should have been not only unforgettable, but also affordable, regardless of social status. For example, a five-day cruise along the Italian coast 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 ship was only a third of the cost of similar cruises in Europe, where only representatives of the wealthy and nobility could afford them. Thus, “Wilhelm Gustloff”, with its amenities, level of comfort and accessibility, not only consolidated the disposition of the German people towards the Nazi regime, but also had to demonstrate to the whole world the advantages of National Socialism.

Passenger liner "Wilhelm Gustloff"

The flagship of the cruise fleet

After the ceremonial launch of the vessel, 10 months passed before the Wilhelm Gustloff underwent sea trials in May of this year. During this time, the finishing and arrangement of the interior of the liner was completed. As a thank you, the ship's builders 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 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 intended to stun the Austrians on the cruise with the level of service and amenities and convince others of the benefits of an alliance with Germany. The cruise was a real triumph, evidence of the achievements of the new German government. The world press enthusiastically described the impressions of the cruise participants and the unprecedented luxury on board the ship. Even Hitler himself arrived on the liner, which symbolized all the best achievements of the country under his leadership. When the excitement around this symbol of the Hitler regime subsided somewhat, the liner began to fulfill the task for which it was built - to provide affordable, comfortable cruises to the workers of Germany.

Launching. "Wilhelm Gustloff."