Customer Reviews

Cruellest Night

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Ask almost anyone what the worst maritime disaster of all time was and you're likley to hear: the Titanic, the Lusitania, the Andrea Doria. Follow up that question with: "Have you ever heard of the "Wilhelm Gustloff"? and you'll mostly hear, "no". Yet the sinking of the Gustloff in the Baltic in 1945 killed at least 6000-five times the death toll of the Titanic! Cruelest Night chronicles the horrific events before, during and after the sinking of the refugee ship. It is a heart-wrenching tale of despair and cruel fate. Read it.

This book is the remarkable account of the loss of three ships with a combined total loss of life in the region of 15,000 people!

The Wilhelm Gustloff was a 25,000 ton luxury liner built in Germany in 1938. She was a beautiful ship in every respect but her cruise liner days were almost immediately cut short by the advent of WW2. On 30 January 1945, she departed Gdansk with a cargo of 6,100 people - most of whom were either wounded soldiers or refugees. All were fleeing the advancing Russian army which they feared more than anything else on earth. At 2106 hrs that night the ship was struck by 3 torpedoes fired from a Russian submarine. In under 3 hours the ship had sunk and the death toll was eventually put at 5,200 people.

As part of the same evacuation plan, the 14,660 ton "Steuben" sailed from the same port on 9 February carrying 4,267 people. Later that night she too was struck by two torpedoes and sank within 20 minutes. During the time it took for this ship to sink, many wounded German officers committed suicide. Only some 300 people were saved.

On 16 April 1945, the 5,230 ton "Goya" was sailing across the Baltic also overloaded with 6,100 German troops and civilians fleeing the advancing Russians when she too was torpedoed and sunk. On this occasion, the much smaller Goya sank within 7 minutes. The death toll for this ship is ranked second only to the Wilhelm Gustloff.

In this incredible book the full story of these three ships is told. For those who wish to see evidence of research, the bibliography in my copy runs to almost 6 pages and includes some of the highest authorities anyone could possibly quote.

NM