10000 Dead – the Worst Disaster in Maritime History (Part 1 of 2)

SHIP BIRTHED BY EVIL

The argument could be made that if ever a ship deserved to be sunk, it was MV Wilhelm Gustloff. The original name was to be the Adolf Hitler. Hitler himself chose the name – Wilhelm Gustloff, to commemorate the leader of the Swiss Nazi party who was assassinated by a Jewish student. 

The ship was an incredibly effective tool of propaganda. The Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy) Organization arranged for loyal German workers were taken on relatively cheap cruises around Europe in one of the most luxurious ships in the world. It was an effort at eliminating class distinction between the rich and poor and ensuring that everybody could enjoy the comforts of luxury cruise travel.

Passengers were required to sit through propaganda in the form of concerts and films. In 1938, the ship was docked off the British coast to allow German and Austrian citizens living in the UK to vote in the referendum on whether Austria should be absorbed into Germany. Out of over 2000 that voted, less than 10 voted against the Anschluss. The International Press responded positively to the development as it was perceived that such an endeavour could not be the undertaking of a government hostile to liberty. The fact that the Germany occupation had already taken place was conveniently ignored. 

Despite this, the ship is a microcosm of everything that is humanity. Notwithstanding its unsavoury associations, the ship had previously rescued 19 persons from the stricken Pegaway – carrying out the most basic obligation to render assistance at sea. The sentiment was uttered - the brotherhood of the seas knows no political frontiers. The irony of the phrase is particularly poignant considering how the story of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff plays out. 

WAR BREAKS OUT

When war broke out, the Wilhelm Gustloff was initially requisitioned to serve as a hospital ship. She was then used as a support vessel in Operation Sea Lion – the planned invasion of Britain. On cancellation of the invasion, she spent four years docked at Gotenhafen (Gdynia) in occupied Poland, serving as Navy barracks.

At one stage of the war, she even served as a cadet training ship. Trainees were to spend six months at a time onboard learning about naval basics such as navigation, morse and signalling. Once fully trained, they would join U-boats thereby contributing to the war effort. This was an extremely dangerous endeavour. Of the 39,000 men involved in the Naval offensive, 32000 were listed as killed or missing. 

OPERATION HANNIBAL

Following the German invasion of Poland, over a million Germans had moved into the conquered areas. In less than 5 years, they would be themselves forced to evacuate before an advancing Russian army. Germans trapped in East Prussia had only one escape option – by sea. Thousands upon thousands of them headed for the docks, running away from the constant rumble of advancing artillery. 

The Wilhelm Gustloff was initially required to carry only wounded soldiers, and women with children. But as was often the case with evacuations, there were a significant number of Nazi officials on board. When boarding began the first passengers weren’t the poor huddling masses that had waited on the pier for days, but rather the rich who had used their connections to get the pick of the cabins. 

The soldiers stopped registering passengers once the count exceeded 5000. Passengers were herded like cattle into every available open space. Even the empty swimming pool below the waterline was to hold over 370 female Naval auxiliaries. 

The winter of 1945 was the coldest in twenty years and all 12 lifeboats were full of ice, with their davits frozen solid. An additional 18 lifeboats were sourced, but it was obvious only a tiny fraction of passengers could be rescued in case the ship had to be abandoned. 

Over 48 hours, more than 10000 passengers were to board the Wilhelm Gustloff. It was finally decided that the ship would set sail for Kiel. At the time it set sail, no fewer than 4 Captains had been assigned to the vessel.

A TALE OF TOO MANY CAPTAINS

At 67, Friedrich Petersen was in charge. He had previously sailed as second in command (in 1938) and had briefly commanded the ship following the death of her Captain.

The next two young Captains were civilians with merchant marine experience. 

The fourth Captain and the central figure in the whole incident was Wilhelm Zahn. At just 33, he was already a U-boat commander, and he had nothing but disdain for the civilian chain of command. He had a harsh reputation and was often seen with his Alsatian dog Hassan on his side. As far as he was concerned, this was a military mission and it needed a Captain with experience evading enemy aircraft and sea mines. 

WILHELM GUSTLOFF CASTS OFF

At midday on the 30th of January, 1945, the Gustloff set sail.

Shortly after it left the harbour, another refugee ship, the Reval arriving from Pillau (now Baltiysk in Russia) drew up alongside. Over 600 refugees were transferred to the Gustloff by cargo nets and rope ladders. 

Captain Zahn and Captain Petersen argued about the best course of action regarding the route and speed. Zahn, aware of the threat of submarines, wanted to zigzag closer to the shoreline. His line of thinking was that in the event she was attacked, she could be run aground and the 10,000 plus passengers could escape ashore. He also wanted to push the engines to the limits for a maximum speed of 15 knots, which would have enabled them to easily outrun most submarines. Petersen, on the other hand, feared British aircraft more than he did Soviet submarines. He was also concerned about the risk of a breakdown (considering that the vessel had been laid up for 4 years).

At the end, the three merchant marine Captains overrode Zahn as they decided to continue along the deep-water route.

BEING HUNTED

The S-13 was a Soviet submarine with something to prove. She hadn’t had many successes in combat and during an evasive manoeuvre had managed to damage her rudder on the seafloor. 

Her new Captain – Alexander Marinesko himself had something to prove. Despite being well-regarded and given command of one of the most advanced submarines of the Soviet fleet, he was facing a court-martial. During New Year’s Eve, while ashore, he was cavorting with a Swedish restaurant owner for a few days, absent without leave. He was to be penalized, not just for the unauthorized absence but also for fraternizing with a non-Soviet citizen. 

On the Gustloff they had received a radio message warning of a minesweeper heading along the same course. Fearing a collision, Zahn wanted the ship’s lights turned on but Petersen didn’t. This time Zahn won out. The red light on port and green on starboard made her an easy target to spot and track.

Marinesko spent almost two hours overtaking the Gustloff and the L?we (which was also part of the convoy). He spent almost all that time on the surface and was surprised not to have been discovered. 

Back on the Gustloff, Hitler’s speech was playing to the passengers. The 30th of January was the twelfth anniversary of Hitler’s seizure of power. His speech was bombastic, arrogant and unapologetic. He claimed that Germany had achieved “Great things” and that “Impotent enemies” were attacking Germany out of “jealousy”. For most of the passengers, exhausted by war, and aware of their circumstances, this was the last voice they wanted to hear. At the time the speech was playing, a baby was born on board the ship. 

The Captains on the bridge were just celebrating a toast, believing they had cleared the most treacherous part of the voyage when the first torpedo hit.

About the Author

Neiloy George is Business Development Manager at Nautix Technologies. He has over 16 years of experience at sea having served in both the Deck and Engine departments. In his spare time, he writes about software and technology issues related to the maritime industry. 

He currently lives in the Black Forest in Germany. He moved there for the cake and stayed back for his wife and two kids.

About Nautix Technologies 

Nautix Technologies is a modern maritime software company that provides next-generation SaaS products to ship owners and technical managers. Check our website nautixtech.com to learn about our Early Adopter Program. Contact us to find out more: [email protected].