Any heroic deed always has moral, propaganda and military aspects. And there is nowhere to get away from this: this is how people and the world are arranged. Even the designation of the "S-13" strike as the attack of the century carries all three elements.
If from a military point of view and in the twentieth century, I would still call the attacks of the century the sinking of the British battleship Royal Oak by the Germans in the Scapa Flow harbor, the sinking of three British cruisers of the German U-9 Weddigen and the attack on the aircraft carrier Taihu American submarine "Albacore". A matter of taste. I think these are the best in the world. Although you can mention other things. The latter was in 1982, when a British nuclear submarine sank an Argentine cruiser.
You can only take our submarines - the Soviet Navy. But here, too, there were different things, but centuries that were pulling on attacks: from the breakthroughs of babies into the fiords to the attack of Lunin's K-3 on the battleship Tirpitz, albeit unsuccessful, but masterful and desperate.
To widely advertise a single attack, albeit on a large, but auxiliary warship in range conditions … No, of course, any submariners' campaign during the World War is a feat and mortal risk, who would argue. But feats are also different and of various scales.
Advertise right up to the film "The First After God", where a young, handsome and heroic captain wants to be killed by an evil security officer, and he performs a feat in spite of everything.
There is also an opposite opinion: the villain Marinesco drowned a peaceful civilian, almost a hospital ship. Moreover, this fake pops up regularly. And some believe in him. All this created such a layer of legends around the boat and its commander that it is difficult to figure it out - what happened on that January night in 1945?
Myth 1. Peaceful German tractor
Let's start with who was attacked by Marinesco?
Everything seems to be clear, the liner "Wilhelm Gustlov", on board which was … More on that later.
But this ship was a liner before the war. And with the beginning of it - he became a hospital ship. But only for a year. In 1940, the ship was handed over to the Kriegsmarine and became the floating barracks for the school of submariners. Accordingly, the enemy's military auxiliary ship was sunk, not a hospital ship ("Gustlov" had not been there for four years). Not a civilian liner, but a warship carrying weapons (albeit symbolic) and camouflage livery. In addition, "Gustlov" was sailing at sea under the protection of the destroyer "Leve". And from the raid of the naval base Hel (the same, the former Polish).
And there are no atrocities, no crimes of the Soviet fleet here, how can you not suck them out of your finger. During the war, a Soviet warship sank a German auxiliary fleet warship.
Why were the civilians taken out together with the servicemen on such a ship? A question for the Germans. This is a serious question.
In fact, the leadership of the Kriegsmarine put their own refugees under attack. Moreover, many times. In addition to the Gustlov, there were two more sunk liners. And in all cases, the ships did not fall under the Hague Convention.
There are two reasons, it seems to me: the haste, when the population of East Prussia was taken out, on which there is a fire brigade. And ordinary cynicism - if drowned, then an extra argument for the propaganda of the mythical atrocities of the "Bolshevik hordes". And those who were not sunk will defend the Reich more fanatically, or rather, the skins of its leadership.
Myth 2. "Ten thousand couriers alone"
"The sinking of the liner" Wilhelm Gustloff "inflicted an irreparable blow on the submarine fleet of Nazi Germany, since the sinking killed such a number of submariners, which would have been enough to staff 70 submarines of medium tonnage. With this blow, the S-13 submarine under the command of Captain 3rd Rank Marinesco thwarted the plans of the fascist invaders at sea."
Who was on the liner?
There are no exact figures, except for the military personnel. Killed - 406 cadets and instructors of submariners, 250 women in the auxiliary service of the fleet, 168 wounded Wehrmacht and 90 sailors of the ship's crew. The rest are refugees: from 4 to 10 thousand people.
Did this damage the Kriegsmarine?
Undoubtedly.
Could 70 crews be equipped with them?
Of course not.
Is our propaganda lying?
Again, no.
It was somehow a little difficult to count the passengers from the submarine on a January night, the Germans themselves did not share the data for a completely understandable reason, after the war the documents went to the Americans, they classified them. What we had was a British article published long ago by Miroslav Morozov, the best researcher of the history of our fleet in that war:
"The 25,000-ton German liner of the Power Gained Through Joy" Wilhelm Gustloff, which evacuated 3,700 submariners and 5,000 refugees from East Prussia, was sunk after leaving Danzig, according to Finnish radio.
About 1000 passengers were saved.
According to the information received from the Stockholm radio broadcast, the liner was hit by a torpedo and sank within a few minutes.
The article was picked up by the media of neutral countries. And she smoothly migrated to our officialdom.
Years in the 60s, when the world began to understand, and what all the same was in that war, in connection with the cooling of passions, the data, of course, surfaced widely, but … It so happened that Marinesco himself was among those offended by Stalin. And the S-13 attack is official. And there were no people willing to destroy the accidentally arisen myth. Moreover, basically something: the huge Kriegsmarine liner was sunk - a fact. There were submariners on it - also a fact. Everything is done according to the law of the sea - and again a fact. Why clarify the details? Like that it was a simple (against the background of other things) attack, in fact, defenseless from the threat from under the water of the enemy? There is nothing bad in this, of course, but also heroic - not enough.
And in those times, when the history of the war became the cornerstone of ideology, it did … Moreover, our people were lazy, having dozens of hero-commanders of submarines, they all followed in the footsteps of Soviet agitprop, making an enormous feat out of ordinary combat work. And the film later - for the mass audience gave the now popular touch of "victory in spite of". Like, a beast-like special officer on the orders of Stalin and Beria personally … This Marinesko was strangled, strangled, and in spite of the authorities he took and won.
By the way, about the personality.
Myth 3. A knight without fear and reproach
Alexander Ivanovich Marinesko, born in 1913, Odessa, in 1933 he graduated from the Odessa Naval School. Drafted into RKKF, became navigator of Sch-306 "Haddock" of the Baltic Fleet. Since 1936 he was a lieutenant and chief officer of the submarine "L-1". Since 1939, the commander of the "M-96". He commanded well. In 1940, the boat was recognized as the best in the fleet. Marinesco was awarded a gold watch.
A career typical of those times. The submarine fleet grew exponentially, there were not enough people. And competent smart sailors quickly made a career.
But in the war, Lieutenant Marinesco was unlucky. Two military campaigns yielded no results. Although it is stupid to blame him. Sinking the enemy on the "Baby" is a matter of luck, not skill. The boats with two torpedo tubes and no autonomy were too poor.
Nevertheless, the simple service of the "Baby" was not - the landing of the DRG behind enemy lines, military campaigns, in one of which the boat crossed 26 (twenty six) minefield lines … As a result - the Order of Lenin and … b) with the wording:
"For systematic drunkenness, for the collapse of discipline, for the lack of educational work among the personnel, for insincere admission of their mistakes."
Which, however, did not become a hindrance to the promotion. The S-13 was removed for the indecision of the previous commander, although he actually won two victories. And they put our hero in 1943. Than saved both him and the boat.
The strategy of 1943, when our submarines broke through to the Baltic and died without purpose and purpose, is still waiting for its researchers. But this boat, in connection with the change of the commander, did not go on a campaign. The increase in the work style of the already 3rd rank captain Marinesco did not affect:
Found that Comrade. Marinesko A. I. On August 14, 1943, he got drunk, overslept, in the morning he was not present in the commission for the reception of the submarine. For negligence in service, the commander of the 1st DPL was arrested for 2 days and kept in the garrison guardhouse.
Nevertheless, he was forgiven a lot, and was forgiven for the cause:
In 1941-1942, commanding an M-class submarine, he made several daring military campaigns, for which he was awarded the Order of Lenin. He controls and commands the ship perfectly. The officers and crew are well trained. The material part is in good condition, it is used correctly. Before Captain 3rd Rank Marinesco took command on the S-13 submarine, the crew was not united, the organization of the service was not adjusted, now this situation has been corrected by the commander, and the service on the ship is going well. Determined and proactive. Disciplined, but in everyday life requires constant supervision. Tactful. The state of discipline of the crew is quite satisfactory. The commander is demanding. He works to improve his knowledge and train his subordinates.
An experienced military officer, respected by the team, with one problem as old as Russia itself - systematic drinking. Because of them, he flew out of the fleet:
On January 5, 1945, during his stay in the port of Hanko for repeated unauthorized departure from the ship, drunkenness on the shore and communication with Finnish women, at your order, Marinesko was to be brought to trial by the Military Tribunal, but in connection with the upcoming combat exit of the submarine to the captain of the 3rd rank Marinesco the opportunity was given to improve, to atone for their guilt in a military campaign.
Returning from a military campaign, Captain 3rd Rank Marinesco did not correct his behavior and continued to behave extremely undisciplined.
On June 24, at 2 o'clock, he drank with the commander of the Smolny PB, Lieutenant-Commander Lobanov, made a fight, which attracted the attention of all officers and personnel sailing on the ship …
At the beginning of July, the S-13 submarine, as part of other submarines of the submarine, was relocated from the ports of Finland to the port of Libava (as in the document. - Comp.), Where the captain of the 3rd rank Marinesko, taking advantage of the absence of the submarine commander, from 10.07 also systematically began to make unauthorized absences in Libava, drinking, meeting with unknown women and bringing them to his base, where the submarine personnel are stationed. Due to the systematic consumption of alcohol in large quantities, recently Captain 3rd Rank Marinesco had several epileptic seizures.
Based on the foregoing, I consider the further stay of Captain 3rd Rank Marinesco in the position of submarine commander is impossible. The educational measures I have taken are completely exhausted.
For my part, I petition Captain 3rd Rank Marinesco to remove from his post and enter into a petition to the People's Commissar of the Navy for demotion and dismissal from the ranks of the Navy.
The commander of the Red Banner submarine KBF Rear Admiral Kournikov.
Because of him, he ended up in prison, already a civilian, for abuse of office under Article 109 of the RSFSR Criminal Code.
Was he the picture that was drawn later?
Of course not.
Was he a brave man and a military professional?
Yes.
Everyone has their own reaction to war, stress and separation from loved ones. He showed it in vodka, which ruined a good professional. And he was tough as a pro. And the attack on "Gustlov" is not an indicator.
By the way, about the attack.
Myth 4. Attack of the century
Tuesday at 21 o'clock. 10 min. 01/30/45, at Ш = 55 ° 02′2 L = 18 ° 11′5, the commander found a liner heading 280 ° in the region of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, with a displacement of 18–20 thousand tons. At 23 o'clock. 08 minutes attacked and sunk with a three-torpedo salvo. The hit of all three torpedoes and the sinking of the liner was visually observed.
The liner killed a number of events, and they began in the afternoon, long before the meeting with the "S-13".
First, the second transport of the Hansa convoy hit the wreck of the sunken Shelswig-Holstein and was damaged. Then a leak was discovered at the torpedo, and the guard from the scanty two ships fell to a completely ridiculous one. And then the commander of the ship decided to leave in a deep-water fairway in the evening in order to avoid mines and aircraft attacks in the expectation that a speed of 12 knots would not allow Soviet submarines to attack.
As a result, the huge ship accelerated and went in a straight line, without even using an anti-submarine zigzag. I went to go straight to the "S-13". The rest was a matter of technique. In fact, the Germans unwittingly checked whether Soviet submariners were capable of sinking a target in the range conditions. For Marinesco, who later drowned:
The vessel was sailing at high speed (about 16 knots), variable course, at night, in poor visibility and with the lights off. His escort consisted of the T 196 destroyer and the TF 10 torpedoes. For four hours Marinesco maneuvered, knowing about the presence of the enemy only thanks to the data of the hydroacoustic station, and observed him only for the last 40 minutes. To pursue the target (according to Marinesko's assessment, the light cruiser Emden) had to be pursued at speeds from 12 to 18 knots. Due to the strong security, the volley was fired from a distance of 12 cables. The commander fired both "fish" from the stern torpedo tubes, and both hit.
"General Steuben" in much worse conditions - this task was one tooth. The rest is lyrics.
The Irony of Fate. An hour after "Gustlov" the heavy cruiser "Hipper" was to pass the same fairway. If everything went a little differently - and there would really be an attack of the century, with the sinking of the largest enemy warship in the entire history of the Soviet Navy.
Outcome
There is nothing to be ashamed of.
But when you see the lacquered biography of “Submariner No. 1” on The People's Feat, you remember others, the same masters, but not so lucky and not repressed.
And it's a shame that some of the good commander blinded an idol, and the second - an antihero.
And yet he was doing his duty. And the man had victories. And besides this attack.
Yes, and it should not be over-inflated. No, the Germans themselves set up the refugees. There is not even a shadow of guilt on us. But inventing non-existent crews of 70 submarines and other feats is also wrong.
Easier to say - the crew and the commander have done their duty professionally.
Still, a feat is the result of leadership mistakes. And Marinesco acted perfectly on that trip. Like many others in other trips, about whom you also need to remember.
