A bit of unknown history:
The deadliest sinking killed about 9000, more than the Titanic and Lusitania combined. It was in 1945. Refugees fleeing the invading Russians coming into East Prussia raced to the Polish port city of Gotenhafen and boarded a German luxury liner. There were about 10k people aboard when it was torpedoed by a Russian submarine. It was a sitting duck and, like the Titanic, went down in the winter when the water was barely liquid.
The sub's captain was a heavy drinker and hoped to regain his reputation with the attack, regardless that it was all civilians. The Russians considered it revenge for what the Nazi's had done to them during Hitler's march to St. Petersburg.
Wilhelm Gustloff
