While the Titanic is history's most famous shipwreck, its death toll was eclipsed by a lesser-known maritime disaster almost 80 years ago. 9News
is history's most famous shipwreck, its death toll was eclipsed by a lesser-known maritime disaster almost 80 years ago.was torpedoed in the Baltic Sea during the closing stages of World War II.The death toll from the sinking of the Nazi liner Wilhelm Gustloff was six times bigger than the Titanic disaster.
And decisions by the Gustloff's Captain, Wilhelm Peterson, and German naval commanders during the fateful voyage made the ship a sitting duck. And concerned about the state of the ship's engines after not being sailed for four years, he decided to keep a slow speed of just 12 knots. All these factors – and an outside air temperature of -18C – combined in an eventual death sentence for most of the ship's passengers.