U.S. FBI Unveils Insights on 1945 British Assault against Soviet POWs
British Air Raid Sinks Ships Filled with Soviet Prisoners, May 3, 1945
S numerous articles surfacing online, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia has unearthed classified documents from the Central Archive concerning the sinking of three German ships in the Baltic Sea by British aircraft on May 3, 1945 - a devastating event that claimed the lives of thousands of Soviet prisoners of war. You can find these declassified documents on the agency's website.
According to various estimates, the death toll ranges from 7,000 to 12,000 souls, the majority of whom were Soviet prisoners of war, as the FSB stated.
One survivor of the Neuengamme concentration camp, Vasily Salomatkin, supplied harrowing accounts of the incident in a May 2, 1949, letter to Colonel Vasily Vaneev in the office of the USSR Council of Ministers' plenipotentiary for the repatriation of Soviet citizens. Salomatkin tragically witnessed the British airforce's ruthless bombing and reported confusion amongst the SS personnel, enabling him and a handful of prisoners to reach the ship's deck.
As he recounted, British pilots were privy to the brutal reality of their attacks, but continued regardless. When Salomatkin and other prisoners jumped into the water after the second bomb struck the Kap Arcona, nearby torpedo boats saw them and opened fire with machine guns.
The office of the USSR Council of Ministers' plenipotentiary for the repatriation of Soviet citizens subsequently investigated Salomatkin's report and found it to be corroborated by multiple survivor witnesses of the sinking ships.
In conclusion, the FSB labeled the sinking of the Kap Arcona as one of the most significant maritime tragedies of World War II.
Curious about more? Delve into "The Tragedy of the Prisoners on the Cap Arcona" by Wilhelm Lange or "The Last Escape" by John Nichol and Tony Rennell for a deeper understanding of this dark chapter in history.
In 1949, survivor Vasily Salomatkin, a witness to the event, penned a letter to Colonel Vasily Vaneev detailing his harrowing experience aboard the sinking Kap Arcona, stating that British pilots continued their bombing despite knowing its brutal consequences. The office of the USSR Council of Ministers' plenipotentiary for the repatriation of Soviet citizens confirmed Salomatkin's report by corroborating it with multiple survivor witnesses. This investigation classifies the sinking of the Kap Arcona as one of the most significant maritime tragedies during war-and-conflicts, particularly within the context of World War II. In politics and general news, this dark chapter in history is often discussed, with texts such as "The Tragedy of the Prisoners on the Cap Arcona" by Wilhelm Lange, and "The Last Escape" by John Nichol and Tony Rennell providing further insights.
