Death in the Baltic: The World War II Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff
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Author's Summary
The worst maritime disaster ever occurred during World War II, when more than 9,000 German civilians drowned. It went unreported.
January 1945: The outcome of World War II has been determined. The Third Reich is in free fall as the Russians close in from the east. Berlin plans an eleventh-hour exodus for the German civilians trapped in the Red Army’s way. More than 10,000 women, children, sick, and elderly pack aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a former cruise ship. Soon after the ship leaves port and the passengers sigh in relief, three Soviet torpedoes strike it, inflicting catastrophic damage and throwing passengers into the frozen waters of the Baltic.
More than 9,400 perished in the night—six times the number lost on the Titanic. Yet as the Cold War started no one wanted to acknowledge the sinking. Drawing on interviews with survivors, as well as the letters and diaries of those who perished, award-wining author Cathryn Prince reconstructs this forgotten moment in history. She weaves these personal narratives into a broader story, finally giving this WWII tragedy its rightful remembrance.
MWSA Review
Before the fall of Communism in the early 90s the events of the horrors of what transpired on the Eastern Front were sketchy and minimal at best. We were well versed on the events of the Western Front and what transpired on the Pacific Front, but no one really knew of the horrors of what transpired East of Germany.
Cathryn J. Prince has written a historical account of an event which is little known to us all. It revolves around the events of January, 1945 in East Prussia of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff liner off the shores of Gotenhafen in the desperate escape of civilians and military personnel from the ferocious advancement of Russian troops.
In the last desperate attempts of Germany trying to stop the advance of Russia onto the Motherland of Germany, Hitler finally succumbed to the evacuation of civilians to the West. This large operation was code named “Operation Hannibal” in which in retrospect rescued over two million Germans from Russian destruction.
Ms. Prince goes into the history of the region of Eastern Prussia and the ethnic makeup and history of this ancient land. The resettlement and use of lebensraum as urged by the Nazi regime is well told by the author. Also the author uses first person accounts of what actually happened on that fateful night of January 30, 1945. Such people as a young Horst Woit, Helga Reuter and Irene Tschinkur, Serafina Tschinkur and Ellen Tschinkur give firsthand accounts of what transpired and the aftermath of these tragic events.
The author also goes into the mindset of the Russian submarine commander of the S-13 by the name of Alexander I. Marinesko of his intent and reasons to destroy the good ship Wilhelm Gustloff. His story in and of itself leaves the reader asking why this happened and the tragedy of one’s actions in the course of life.
What the author has done is to expose an event little known to the world. Since the fall of Communism we are indeed learning more of what really happened on the Eastern Front. What we see is a brutal and unforgiving series of events which we are only beginning to unravel. As a student of the events of the Eastern Front, I can fully appreciate the efforts brought forth by Cathryn J. Prince. Her writing is more investigative with a sense of the personal touch with firsthand accounts of what actually happened. Her writing is not that of a history professor detailing factual material. Her writing shows her journalistic talents much on the lines of military firsthand accounts written by Halberstam, Galloway and Sheehan.
This book is a classic first hand analysis of an event that should be known to all people who want to know about what really happened on the Eastern Front of WWII.
Reviewed by: Dick Geschke (2013)