Adler17
Prussian Feldmarschall
Over 2 million Germans were transported saftey by the Kriegsmarine on the escape from the Russians out of the east. Although there were great catastrophies occuring the way over the Baltic Sea was still the most safty way because the Kriegsmarine ruled the waves of the Baltic sea until the last day. However submarines, MTBs and of course planes were a danger.
On May 9th 1945 the weapons were silent in Europe, Germany surrendered at 1 o´clock AM. A few minutes before the last small German convoy left the pen insula of Hela in Western Prussia. These convoy was made of some R- Boats, small minesweepers, and an old small passenger ship, the Rugard. She had 1300 refugees on her and was carrying absolutely more than the ship was designed to do so. The only armament was an ancient French 7.5 cm gun, which much more belonged into a museum. That this gun was very needed nobody imagined when the ship left Hela only a few minutes before the surrender became in force.
The small convoy wanted to take a course near the Swedish territorial waters to Kiel. The ships were at 17.30 o´clock very near to the Swedish waters and everybody thought they would have left the biggest problems for now. It was a beautiful May evening. "Now there can´t happen much more" the commanding watch officer on the Bridge of the Rugard. said. He should have been much more cautious with such sentences: In the very next moment 4 small boats were spotted with high speed nearing the convoy! Indeed 4 Russian MTBs were nearing with high speed.
These 4 boats were able to seperate the Rugard from the rest of the convoy. Appearently they were only interested in the transport. One of these boats came along the Rugard and in very broken German the commander shouted: "Schipp sofort zurruck- sonst alles kaputt!" (Ship back to the port or we´ll sink it!)
The boat left the this position. No Russian thought on that what was now to come. This ship should go back to the next Russian controlled port. Nobody expected that the captain of the Rugard was not willing to obey these "orders". "Both machines full speed ahead!" was ordered. This was a more desperate attempt to escape the MTBs to the Swedish coast. The three mile zone is near, a Swedish harbour is near. However it was invain. The MTBs are much faster. Help from other German ships is not possible since none of the R- boats filled with refugees was able to stay and help. So only speed can help the Rugard.
In this moment two Soviet torpedoes were spotted and by a manuever just evaded. Both eels missed the ship by only a few centimeters. At the next moment the MTBs opened fire with their guns. The deck gun of the Rugard got at once order to answer the shots. And the gunners showed that they could use the old gun. The first shot was a near miss on the leading MTB. The next two shots were direct hits. Fume emerged from the hit boat and it lost speed and burnt.
This was the chance: The Rugard could escape with high speed. When the fume was gone only 3 enemy MTBs were spotted, the fourth, most probably TS 192, was disappeared, most probably sunk. The three shots of the Rugard were the last shots on the sea in Europe. And this 16 hours after peace was in Europe.
A bit later the Rugard gave following radio message to the OKM:
"17.30 Uhr 13 Seemeilen westlich von Bornholm Rugard durch 4 russischer Schnellboote angegriffen. Nach Torpedo- und Bordwaffenbeschuß Feuer eröffnet, worauf Schnellboote abdrehten. Rugard setzt Marsch fort." (17.30 o´clock 13 sea miles west of Bornholm Rugard attacked by 4 Russian MTBs. After being shelled by Torpedoes and guns fire opened, whereon the MTBs turned off. Rugard continues voyage.)
This was the last sea fight of the Kriegsmarine.
The very next morning, May 10th, the Rugard arrived safety Kiel.
However the last "ship" that could escape was much more a cockle, called Hoffnung (Hope). Hauled by a cutter this cocle left Hela a few minutes before the Rugard left the harbour. But it lasted until 2 P.M. on May 14th 1945 until the boat was able to arrive in Kiel- on a boat designed for rivers without compass or maps. 75 wounded, 25 women and children and 35 soldiers on board- but with god. The first who disembarked was a 35 years old mother with her two children, Ilse, 12 years, and Harald, aged 4. The small boy asked his mom after his daddy who was just caught in Russian captivity. 10 years later he returned to his family seeing his son for the second time in his life.
This article is dedicated to all who helped to rescue these people from captivity or worse.
Adler
On May 9th 1945 the weapons were silent in Europe, Germany surrendered at 1 o´clock AM. A few minutes before the last small German convoy left the pen insula of Hela in Western Prussia. These convoy was made of some R- Boats, small minesweepers, and an old small passenger ship, the Rugard. She had 1300 refugees on her and was carrying absolutely more than the ship was designed to do so. The only armament was an ancient French 7.5 cm gun, which much more belonged into a museum. That this gun was very needed nobody imagined when the ship left Hela only a few minutes before the surrender became in force.
The small convoy wanted to take a course near the Swedish territorial waters to Kiel. The ships were at 17.30 o´clock very near to the Swedish waters and everybody thought they would have left the biggest problems for now. It was a beautiful May evening. "Now there can´t happen much more" the commanding watch officer on the Bridge of the Rugard. said. He should have been much more cautious with such sentences: In the very next moment 4 small boats were spotted with high speed nearing the convoy! Indeed 4 Russian MTBs were nearing with high speed.
These 4 boats were able to seperate the Rugard from the rest of the convoy. Appearently they were only interested in the transport. One of these boats came along the Rugard and in very broken German the commander shouted: "Schipp sofort zurruck- sonst alles kaputt!" (Ship back to the port or we´ll sink it!)
The boat left the this position. No Russian thought on that what was now to come. This ship should go back to the next Russian controlled port. Nobody expected that the captain of the Rugard was not willing to obey these "orders". "Both machines full speed ahead!" was ordered. This was a more desperate attempt to escape the MTBs to the Swedish coast. The three mile zone is near, a Swedish harbour is near. However it was invain. The MTBs are much faster. Help from other German ships is not possible since none of the R- boats filled with refugees was able to stay and help. So only speed can help the Rugard.
In this moment two Soviet torpedoes were spotted and by a manuever just evaded. Both eels missed the ship by only a few centimeters. At the next moment the MTBs opened fire with their guns. The deck gun of the Rugard got at once order to answer the shots. And the gunners showed that they could use the old gun. The first shot was a near miss on the leading MTB. The next two shots were direct hits. Fume emerged from the hit boat and it lost speed and burnt.
This was the chance: The Rugard could escape with high speed. When the fume was gone only 3 enemy MTBs were spotted, the fourth, most probably TS 192, was disappeared, most probably sunk. The three shots of the Rugard were the last shots on the sea in Europe. And this 16 hours after peace was in Europe.
A bit later the Rugard gave following radio message to the OKM:
"17.30 Uhr 13 Seemeilen westlich von Bornholm Rugard durch 4 russischer Schnellboote angegriffen. Nach Torpedo- und Bordwaffenbeschuß Feuer eröffnet, worauf Schnellboote abdrehten. Rugard setzt Marsch fort." (17.30 o´clock 13 sea miles west of Bornholm Rugard attacked by 4 Russian MTBs. After being shelled by Torpedoes and guns fire opened, whereon the MTBs turned off. Rugard continues voyage.)
This was the last sea fight of the Kriegsmarine.
The very next morning, May 10th, the Rugard arrived safety Kiel.
However the last "ship" that could escape was much more a cockle, called Hoffnung (Hope). Hauled by a cutter this cocle left Hela a few minutes before the Rugard left the harbour. But it lasted until 2 P.M. on May 14th 1945 until the boat was able to arrive in Kiel- on a boat designed for rivers without compass or maps. 75 wounded, 25 women and children and 35 soldiers on board- but with god. The first who disembarked was a 35 years old mother with her two children, Ilse, 12 years, and Harald, aged 4. The small boy asked his mom after his daddy who was just caught in Russian captivity. 10 years later he returned to his family seeing his son for the second time in his life.
This article is dedicated to all who helped to rescue these people from captivity or worse.
Adler
