The Gustloff Disaster, also known as the "Wilhelm Gustloff" tragedy, occurred on January 30, 1945, during World War II. The German ship Wilhelm Gustloff, carrying an estimated 10,000 people, primarily refugees fleeing the advancing Soviet forces in East Prussia, was torpedoed by the Soviet submarine S-13 in the Baltic Sea. The sinking of the Gustloff resulted in the deaths of an estimated 9,000 to 9,500 people, making it the deadliest maritime disaster in history. The majority of the victims were women, children, and elderly individuals, and the tragedy remains a haunting reminder of the immense human cost of war and displacement.
