The Forgotten Sinking That Was 6x Deadlier Than The Titanic
The deadliest maritime sinking in history
The MV Wilhelm Gustloff began its life as a civilian cruise ship designed to provide entertainment for the German people through the Strength Through Joy program. The ship took its maiden voyage in 1938 but only conducted two leisure cruises until war came calling in 1939. With the outbreak of WWII, the Wilhelm Gustloff was requisitioned by the German Navy for use as a hospital ship and later a floating barracks.
If history had been kinder, the Wilhelm Gustloff would have been forgotten alongside the hundreds of other similar ships that were pressed into service during the war. Shipping was highly valuable, and governments around the world vacuumed up as much free shipping as they could through official requisitions or leasing. Unfortunately, the Wilhelm Gustloff would go down in history for all of the wrong reasons.
MV Wilhelm Gustloff Specifications
Tonnage: 25,484 GRT
Length: 208.5 m (684 ft)
Beam: 23.59 m (77 ft)
Height: 56 m (183 ft)
Draught: 6.5 m (21 ft)
After serving as a barracks, the Wilhelm Gustloff was pressed into service once more but…
