gCaptain - Latest Comments in Wilhelm Gustloff – Hitler’s Titanic

Re: Wilhelm Gustloff – Hitler’s Titanic

Wojtek from Slupsk — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:31:13 -0000

To be concise and to the point: the GUSTLOFF was smaller, shorter and younger than the 'Titanic'; she was as well of different type (the World's first new type single-class cruising vessel). She set sail for the last overloaded with people, but was much more lucky than the said "Titanic', having been in service ca. 530 days long.
Her name was a 'monument', erected to a Nazi party leader for Switzerland.
GUSTLOFF had one so-called 'sister' (built in the same city but on another yard, bigger and having one deck more, and - fancy! - named after a person LIVING at the time of her launch). The 'Titanic' had, as may be two true sisters (both built by the same yard at Belfast). . There were thousands of books written about the 'Titanic', and just a few about GUSTLOFF (but these of very good quality!!).

Re: Wilhelm Gustloff – Hitler’s Titanic

Wojtek from Slupsk — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:07:50 -0000

I know the ship [m/v 'Wilhelm Gustloff'] only too well, living here in Poland, being well up at German language and well-informed on the history of 'Gustloff', 'Ley', 'Dresden' etc.
It is big misunderstanding, blunder or mistake to call the 'Wilhelm Gustloff' a 'Hitler's TITANIC'. Both ships had almost nothing in common technically and the numbers of casualties differ too dramatically to compare them.

Re: Wilhelm Gustloff – Hitler’s Titanic

Axel Heye — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:41:09 -0000

I found some info on the Cap Arkona desaster. the link is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

We never learned at school about it but since my father was the youngest PT boat commander and my grandfather the boss of the German Navy Seals (Einzelkaempfer/1-Mann U-Boote) we talked at home about it

Re: Wilhelm Gustloff – Hitler’s Titanic

Tim — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:57:47 -0000

Great Story --- how come no one knows about this???

Re: Wilhelm Gustloff – Hitler’s Titanic

Axel Heye — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:31:35 -0000

Well there was another one with 4.600 fatalities. The ships name was Cap Arkona from Hamburg Sued. I just can't find anything in english about it

Re: Wilhelm Gustloff – Hitler’s Titanic

Tim Flanagan — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:28:57 -0000

Thanks for the post. I had never heard of this disaster. Titanic, Lusitania, Bismark, Edmund Fitzgerald...THEM I've heard of! Funny how this little 9,000-casualty event escapes ones notice.

Re: Wilhelm Gustloff – Hitler’s Titanic

Axel Heye — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:54:00 -0000

I was told by Germans with maritime background that this movie had nothing to do with reality.