This article is a brushstroke of history and curiosity. When we think about the great cruise ships and the misfortunes that have happened at sea, our mind goes to the Titanic, however this was not the greatest maritime disaster to befall a cruise ship. The MV Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship built in Nazi Germany, sank leaving more than 9.000 victims, most of them civilians.
I'll tell you some details about this ship and its history.
The MV Wilhelm Gustloff was chartered in 1937, World War II had not yet started, it was 208 meters long and 23 wide, and weighed 25.000 tons. As of 1939 it ceased to be used as a luxury cruiser, and became part of the army.
In January 1945, being already a warship, when it was sailing from Poland to the north of Germany with almost 10.000 passengers, fleeing from the advance of the Russian army, it was torpedoed by a Russian submarine. It sank in just 40 minutes.
In that incident 9.343 people died, including 5.000 children, this figure is about six times higher than the number of passengers who died on the Titanic. One of the reasons why there were so many deaths, in addition to the cold, is that when listing to port, several life rafts were lost and there were not enough life jackets. There were "only" 1.000 German soldiers and members of the Gestapo on the ship.
As I told you before I was a warship it was built with the idea that it would serve as a luxury cruiser for the "superior Aryan race", It was designed by the Nazi tourist organization Force through Joy, whose goal was to create a uniform society through leisure activities.
At this time the MV Wilhelm Gustloff still in Baltic waters 450 meters deep, and is considered a war grave.