MV Wilhelm Gustloff

Originally built as a cruise vessel for the Nazi Strength Through Joy (Kraft durch Freude) organization in 1937, Wilhelm Gustloff had been requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine (German navy) in 1939. She served as a hospital vessel in 1939 and 1940. She was then appointed as a floating barracks for marine personnel in Gotenhafen before being armed and put into service to ferry evacuees in 1945.

On one aforementioned trip to ferry evacuees, the Wilhelm Gustloff was seen by the Soviet sub S-13, under the lead of Captain Alexander Marinesko. Marinesko pursued the boat to it's starboard (seaward) side for two hours before making a dareful move to surface his sub and pilot it around Wilhelm Gustloff's stern, to attack it from the port side closer to shore, from whence the assault would be less foreseen. At around 9 P.M. (CET), Marinesko ordered his crew to fire four torpedoes at Wilhelm Gustloff's port side. The three torpedoes that were fired successfully all struck Wilhelm Gustloff on her port side. The primary torpedo struck the ship's bow, causing the watertight doors to isolate the area that held quarters where off-duty crew members were asleep. The secondary torpedo hit the accommodations for the ladies naval auxiliary, located in the liner's drained pool, the third torpedo was a direct strike on the engine room situated amidships, disabling all power and telecommunications.

Reportedly, only nine lifeboats were capable to be lowered; the rest had frozen in their davits and had to be detached. About twenty minutes after the torpedoes' collision, Wilhelm Gustloff listed so severely to port that the lifeboats lowered on the high starboard side crumbled into the liner's incline side, ruining many lifeboats and spilling their occupants. Less than 40 minutes after being hit, Wilhelm Gustloff was lying on her side. She sank bow-first ten minutes later, in 44 m (144 ft) of water.