wilhelm gustloff (ship)

Racing to freedom with thousands of other refugees as Russian forces close in on their homes in East Prussia, Joana, Emilia, and Florian meet aboard the doomed Wilhelm Gustloff and are forced to trust each other in order to survive.

". . . studies the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German passenger liner sunk in World War II's closing months while carrying thousands of refugees . . . text and images bring the ship to life, examining its construction, technology, crew, and passengers, as well as its place in history"--Provided by publisher.

In the final days of World War II, German civilians were in a panic and Allied forces were closing in from all directions. Berlin planned an evacuation of upwards of 10,000 women, children, and the elderly using the old Wilhelm Gustloff. Setting off into the icy waters of the Baltic Sea, the ship was soon located and fired upon by Soviet Navy submarines. The ship sank quickly and took an estimated 9,400 victims to their deaths. The sinking became one of the least-known human disasters of World War II.