The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner, was the most tragic maritime event in history. While the ship spent most of the war at a pier, at 1 pm January 30 1945, the ship sailed for western Germany with U-boat personnel, more than 300 women naval auxiliaries and a large number of uncounted German civilian refugees. Just after 9 pm, three torpedos struck the ship off the coast of Pomerania (Poland). She sank within an hour.
Around 1,250 people were rescued, many of whom were men. Forget "women and children first" to the lifeboars. The actual number is illusive but the dead probably numbered about 9,400. Many were children. The disaster was not shared with the world by either the Russians who sunk the ship nor the Germans who feared publicizing it would demoralize their population. In contrast, the Titanic death toll was 1,600. Eyewitness accounts share views of people jumping into frigid water, spilled from the decks, locked inside the ship, and children who landed upside down in their life jackets.
This outstanding story has a fictional heroine (according to internet sources) named Tulla Pokriefke whose hair turns white as she watches the sinking. These dramatic expierences remain in her mind forever. She passes the tale to her grandson, who repeats history imitating the murder of the man whose name the ship carried. In short, this is a tale about a fictional German teenager, who gives birth to a boy on the ship that sunk or the one that rescues her. She settles in East Germany, calls herself the last Stalin supporter. Son Paul becomes a journalist in the West. He marries and they have a son. The marriage fails, and the son, Konrad known as Konny, becomes a geeky teenager who designs a website dedicated to the Gustloff and the Nazi âheroâ after whom it was named. A Jewish boy begins to argue with him online. None of these characters, though well developed, are especially appealing.
While at times it's hard to follow the story, it provides a look at the internet which is a perfect place for hatred to spread and develop. Briefly, this is a history lesson and a family saga, with two murders. Learning about the sinking of this ship and the dramatic events that surrounded it was fascinating to me.
Around 1,250 people were rescued, many of whom were men. Forget "women and children first" to the lifeboars. The actual number is illusive but the dead probably numbered about 9,400. Many were children. The disaster was not shared with the world by either the Russians who sunk the ship nor the Germans who feared publicizing it would demoralize their population. In contrast, the Titanic death toll was 1,600. Eyewitness accounts share views of people jumping into frigid water, spilled from the decks, locked inside the ship, and children who landed upside down in their life jackets.
This outstanding story has a fictional heroine (according to internet sources) named Tulla Pokriefke whose hair turns white as she watches the sinking. These dramatic expierences remain in her mind forever. She passes the tale to her grandson, who repeats history imitating the murder of the man whose name the ship carried. In short, this is a tale about a fictional German teenager, who gives birth to a boy on the ship that sunk or the one that rescues her. She settles in East Germany, calls herself the last Stalin supporter. Son Paul becomes a journalist in the West. He marries and they have a son. The marriage fails, and the son, Konrad known as Konny, becomes a geeky teenager who designs a website dedicated to the Gustloff and the Nazi âheroâ after whom it was named. A Jewish boy begins to argue with him online. None of these characters, though well developed, are especially appealing.
While at times it's hard to follow the story, it provides a look at the internet which is a perfect place for hatred to spread and develop. Briefly, this is a history lesson and a family saga, with two murders. Learning about the sinking of this ship and the dramatic events that surrounded it was fascinating to me.
