There have been several documentaries on German TV about the sinking of the Gustloff. And there is a movie about the incident tilteled "Nacht fiel über Gotenhafen" - "Night fell over Gotenhafen"
In the documentary several survivers and eye witnesses were interviewed. One of them, a woman stated that she wasn't able to listen to the children's song "Alle meine Entchen"/All my little ducklings" anymore, especially when it comes to the verse:
Alle meine Entchen schwimmen auf dem See, schwimmen auf dem See, Köpfchen in das Wasser, Schwänzchen in die Höh'/All my little ducklings are swimming on the lake, swimming on the lake, heads (plunge) into the water, tails to the top"
because when leaving the sinking ship some kids were dressed with adult live vests which forced their heads into the water and the legs were straightened into the air and the kids did fidget with their legs to get their heads back to the surface of the water which didn't work and they drowned.
I had a coworker who only could be my coworker because his grandmother and mother were refused to get aboard the Gustloff. Coming from East Prussia and fleeing from the advancing Red Army they often were forced to hit the dirt because of raiding low-flying Russian aircraft They got to the harbor too late. The ship was already overcrowded. So they had to move west on feet. Sometimes in life you think it sucks but then you realize you are a lucky fellow.
