Today in the Second World War

Welcome to today’s edition of the Hidden History Newsletter! Today marks significant moments of tragedy in the history of World War II, as the conflict continued to escalate and spread across the globe. From the Eastern Front to the Pacific Theater, pivotal battles and strategic decisions were made that would ultimately shape the outcome of the war. Join us as we delve into the events of April 14th, 1940-1945, and gain a deeper understanding of this critical period in human history.

"The Red Army and Navy and the whole Soviet people must fight for every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last drop of blood for our towns and villages...onward, to victory!" - Joseph Stalin

Stalin’s Son Dies in German Captivity

Yakov Dzhugashvili was born on March 18, 1907, in the city of Baku, in what is now Azerbaijan. His mother, Ekaterina Svanidze, was Stalin's first wife, who died from tuberculosis when Yakov was only six years old. Stalin later remarried and had two children with his second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva.

During World War II, Yakov Dzhugashvili was a lieutenant in the Red Army and fought on the front lines against the German invasion of the Soviet Union. He was captured by the Germans on July 16, 1941, during the Battle of Smolensk. After his capture, the Germans used Yakov as a propaganda tool, offering to exchange him for a high-ranking German officer. However, Stalin refused to accept the offer, fearing that it would set a precedent for the exchange of other Soviet soldiers.

Yakov was held as a prisoner of war in various camps, including the Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin. He reportedly suffered from poor living conditions, malnutrition, and physical abuse while in captivity. There are conflicting reports on the circumstances surrounding his death. The official German version was that Yakov died by suicide on April 14, 1943, by throwing himself onto an electric fence in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. However, some historians dispute this claim, arguing that Yakov may have been shot while trying to escape.

Stalin was devastated by his son's death and reportedly blamed himself for not having done more to secure his release. Yakov's death had a profound impact on Stalin, who became increasingly paranoid and repressive in his later years. Stalin's relationship with his second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva, also deteriorated, and she committed suicide in 1932.

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Yakov Dzhugashvili's life and death. In 2018, a Russian filmmaker released a biopic about Yakov's life, entitled "Dzhugashvili." The film explores Yakov's relationship with his father and his experiences as a prisoner of war.

Disaster in Bombay

On this day in 1944, the Fort Stikine exploded in Bombay harbor. The Fort Stikine was a British cargo ship that was carrying a large quantity of explosives, including 1,400 tons of ammonium nitrate and 200 tons of TNT, as well as a consignment of gold bars worth £1 million.

The incident occurred during the height of World War II, and the Fort Stikine was on a mission to deliver its cargo to support the war effort. The ship was anchored in Bombay harbour when a fire broke out in the cargo hold, possibly caused by a cigarette or a spark from welding work being carried out nearby.

The fire quickly spread, and the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. The ship then exploded, causing a massive blast that destroyed nearby buildings and sank several other ships in the harbour. A second, even larger explosion occurred half an hour later, caused by the detonation of the ship's remaining explosives.

The explosions caused extensive damage, killing 231 people and injuring 476 others. The blasts also caused significant property damage, destroying several buildings and sinking or damaging many other ships in the harbour. The explosion was so powerful that it hurled a troopship out of the water and onto the roof of a nearby warehouse.

The aftermath of the explosion was devastating. More than 500 dock workers and civilians were killed, and another 1,000 people were never found, presumed dead. Around 2,000 people were hospitalized, and many others were left homeless by the destruction.

Despite the destruction and loss of life, the incident had some positive outcomes. It led to the development of new safety regulations for the transport of hazardous materials, which have since been adopted by many countries around the world. It also highlighted the need for better emergency response systems and improved infrastructure in ports and harbours.

In 1960, a single gold bar was recovered from the wreckage of the Fort Stikine by a dredger working in the harbour. The bar was believed to be one of the bars that were on board the ship when it exploded.

U-Boat Sunk by its Toilet

On April 14, 1945, just a few weeks before the end of World War II, the U-1206 was lost. U-1206 was a Type VIIC submarine, which was designed for operations in the Atlantic Ocean. The submarine was commissioned in March 1944 and was one of the last U-boats to be built by Germany during the war.

The incident began when Kapitänleutnant Karl-Adolf Schlitt, the commanding officer of U-1206, attempted to use the toilet. The submarine's toilets were notoriously complicated to operate, and Schlitt was not trained in their use. When a rating trained in the toilet's operation arrived to assist Schlitt, he misunderstood the situation and opened the wrong valve. This caused seawater to flood into the submarine's batteries, which produced chlorine gas.

The chlorine gas quickly spread throughout the submarine, and the crew was forced to surface immediately. However, when U-1206 surfaced, it was spotted by a British aircraft, which began bombing the submarine. Schlitt ordered the crew to abandon ship and scuttle the submarine.

The crew was forced to abandon the submarine in heavy seas, and three men drowned in the process. The remaining 46 crew members were taken prisoner by the British.

The incident was a significant embarrassment for the German Navy, and the name "shitwreck" was coined shortly after the news of the incident reached the British. The loss of U-1206 was also a significant blow to the German war effort, as it was one of the last U-boats built by Germany during the war.

Photo of the Day

Funeral procession of Roosevelt, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC, United States, 14 Apr 1945.

As we come to the end of today's newsletter, we hope that our coverage of the events of April 14th during World War II has been informative and engaging. By understanding the past, we can gain insight into the present and make better decisions for the future. Today showed us more tragedies than normal, but these help to illustrate the cost of war. Join us again tomorrow for another edition of our daily WW2 newsletter, as we continue to explore the triumphs and tragedies of this global conflict. Thank you for reading and see you soon!

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Have a great weekend :)

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