ever heard of the Wilhelm Gustloff?

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[maritiem]

Hi

Many people believe that the Titanic was the worst ship disaster in history. But I founded something else. On january 30, 1945 Wilhelm Gustloff sank after being torpedoed, approxiomately 9,400 people died during this ship disaster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Gustloff_(ship)
Have you guys ever heard about it? 


maritiem

BTW: i've heard that they were going to make a movie about this disaster called 'die gustloff'

[RMSGreatBritain]

I watched a documentary on this. People everywhere on that ship and most went down with it when it was missiled. sounds awful.

[RMS Canada]

I know about this vessel being the greatest loss of life, far more than Titanic.

[firestar12]

That ship must have been absolutely crammed when it sank.

[Kapn Jonah]

I've always know Titanic as the most tragic ship wreck there ever was, but this is even worse, why have i never heard of it!??!?

[firestar12]

Probably because Titanic was (or may have been) the worst civilian maritime disaster in history. Of course, the Empress of Ireland had a higher passenger death toll than Titanic did. Also, it was not as big of a shock when this ship sank because this ship never claimed to be unsinkable.

[Traddles]

It must be remembered that this took place during the 1939-1945 world war when many ships, both passenger and cargo were sunk by torpedoes. That is the horror of war. Secrecy was such that the Russian submarine which sank her probably thought she was carrying troops who had been fighting the USSR only just previously.

[Mad_Fred]

Also, it was not as big of a shock when this ship sank because this ship never claimed to be unsinkable.

Well, as far as I know that 'myth' came about after she had sunk..  They never actually claimed that, but after a newspaper article where one of the WSL top guys said that he thought she was unsinkable and could thus not believe it actually sunk, people took over this 'fact' and it grew to become this legend, or myth.. .

There were a few publications before she sank, in which itwas described as 'practically unsinkable', but the public never really thought of her like that, not untill after she sunk.