January 30, 1945: The MV Wilhelm Gustloff is sunk off the coast of Łeba, Poland. Over 9,400 people died, making it the largest loss of life in a single ship sinking in history.
The ship was built as a cruise ship, and launched in 1937. The originally intended name was MV Adolf Hitler. Who decided that Hitler wasn't going to get his name on it? Surprise: Hitler himself. The Chancellor of Nazi Germany wanted to honor a martyred friend: Wilhelm Gustloff, the founder of the Nazi Party of Switzerland, who was assassinated in the Swiss city of Davos on February 4, 1936.
The ship only served as a cruise ship for 2 years, before being requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine, the Nazi navy. It became a hospital ship, and then a floating barracks, before being fitted with anti-aircraft guns and put into service to transport evacuees in 1945.
It was sailing in the Baltic Sea, evacuating Nazi soldiers from occupied territories in Eastern Europe, when it was sighted by the Soviet submarine S-13, which sank it. There has never been a greater loss of life from a seagoing vessel.
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January 30, 1945 was a Tuesday. Native American author and activist Michael Dorris was born on this day. This was also the day of the Raid at Cabanatuan. I have a separate entry for that event.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt celebrated his birthday. Adolf Hitler gave a public speech. Nobody knew it at the time, but, in each case, it was for the last time.
Baseball and football were out of season, The NBA hadn't been founded yet. There was 1 game in the NHL: The Chicago Black Hawks beat the Boston Bruins, 5-3 at the Boston Garden.
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