Cap Arcona

[notb665]

Why do you think the RAF did this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap_Arcona

 

[Thermo]

we can only guess until 2045, but they were ordered to do it, so it would seem to be a deliberate decision rather than a chance happening or mistake. it was known at the time that various high ranking nazis/scientists etc were trying to flee the country. Maybe the risk of killing those on board was worth it to stop some escaping or falling into the wrong hands on the side of the iron curtain

 

[bernardgreen]

I recall from long ago that several thousand prisoners were intentionally put on board ships as human shields. These ships were carrying leading Nazis and materials to reform fighting units to continue fighting in defiance of the surrender. The SS organised the concentration camp in-mates being sent to the ships. This seemed to be humanitarian as it run parallel with the Swedish Red Cross re-patriation of in-mates from Western European countries.

There also serious concerns about contagious and un-curable diseases thought to have been endemic in some of the concentration camps.

But the full truth may never be known and that may be for teh better.

Some people had to make some very hard and heart breaking decisions in the last months of the war.

 

[Thermo]

quite right. They were having to keep one eye on the present and another on the future and the possible ramifications that went with it. pity those lessons are so quickly forgotten