The MV Wilhelm Gustloff, pictured, was sunk by a Russian submarine in 1945 while evacuating 10,000 people from Nazi-occupied Poland, leaving more than 9,000 dead in the worst maritime disaster in maritime history. Its death toll was six times higher than the Titanic
Daily Mail: Hitler's Titanic: The Nazi luxury cruise liner with no 1st or 2nd class - because 'the master race was equal' -that became the world's WORST maritime disaster... but is barely mentioned in the history books
* 9,000 died in sinking of MV Wilhelm Gustloff, six times greater than the 1,500 who perished on the Titanic
* Cruise liner was torpedoed by Russian submarine during mass evacuation of Germans from occupied Poland
* Many victims were crushed to death, killed in torpedo explosions or died from exposure in freezing water
* It is worst recorded maritime disaster in history but no inquiry ever took place due to fall of Nazi government
* Ship was built with no class division to give all members of German 'master' race opportunity to enjoy holiday
It is the naval disaster that dwarfs the Titanic but is rarely mentioned despite being the largest maritime catastrophe in history.
In 1945 almost 10,000 men, women and children were killed on board cruise liner the MV Wilhelm Gustloff as they fled the advancing Russian Army.
The ship set sail from Gdynia, then Gotenhafen, in occupied Poland and was bound for Kiel in northern Germany, but was attacked by a Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea in January 1945.
It sank in less than 40 minutes, causing the deaths of 9,343 people including about 5,000 children.
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WNU Editor: I fancy myself as an amateur historian .... especially on past wars and conflicts. But I never knew about this sinking.
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