I'm pretty deep into WWII history, but I have never heard of this until today.

Props to 60 Minutes for doing a throwback to when they did actual journalism.

Reader's Digest version:

May 2, 1945

War is nearly over, SS and Concentration Camp Nazis are planning to flee to Norway. And Nazis being Nazis, they planned to take POWs, political prisoners, and Jews from concentration camps, with them.

To this end, the former German luxury liner Cap Arcona, and other derelict ships anchored in the Bay of Lbeck, in the Baltic Sea, became prison ships.

The British, not knowing the ships were loaded with prisoners, and hoping to cut off the escape of SS men and women, attacked the ships.

Some 7,000 prisoners died. Few escaped.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Cap_Arcona



60 Minutes story link


Oddball fact: Cap Arcona stood in for Titanic in the 1943 Nazi propaganda movie of the same name, for the exterior shots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_(1943_film)

Yeah, guess that is why I got a D in the 4th quarter of German and I believe Dr. Puppe did me a favor.

Fahr, fahr auf der autobahn.

CanyonAg77 said:

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I'm pretty deep into WWII history, but I have never heard of this until today.

Props to 60 Minutes for doing a throwback to when they did actual journalism.

Reader's Digest version:

May 2, 1945

War is nearly over, SS and Concentration Camp Nazis are planning to flee to Norway. And Nazis being Nazis, they planned to take POWs, political prisoners, and Jews from concentration camps, with them.

To this end, the former German luxury liner Cap Arcona, and other derelict ships anchored in the Bay of Lbeck, in the Baltic Sea, became prison ships.

The British, not knowing the ships were loaded with prisoners, and hoping to cut off the escape of SS men and women, attacked the ships.

Some 7,000 prisoners died. Few escaped.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Cap_Arcona



60 Minutes story link


Oddball fact: Cap Arcona stood in for Titanic in the 1943 Nazi propaganda movie of the same name, for the exterior shots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_(1943_film)

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There was a German cruise liner, MV Wilhelm Gustloff, that was sunk by a Russian submarine in 1945. It was carrying German civilians and military personnel from East Prussia. Upwards of 9,000 were killed.

The US Navy sank sank five Japanese freighters in 1944- 1945 carrying US POWS from the Philippines. Killed over a 1,000 POWs, .

I've heard of the sinking of the Hell ships. Did not know of the Gustloff