SS Goya

The SS Goya was a German cargo ship which was pressed into service as a transport ship by the Kriegsmarine during World War II. Built in 1940 by the Akers Mekaniske Verksted shipyard in Oslo, Norway, it was initially named MS Goya and intended for the Norwegian shipping company Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab (BDS). The ship was seized by the Germans during the occupation of Norway.

During the war, SS Goya was used to transport troops, equipment, and refugees across the Baltic Sea. In the final months of the war, as the Red Army advanced, it became involved in Operation Hannibal, the evacuation of German soldiers and civilians from East Prussia and other areas threatened by the Soviet offensive.

On April 16, 1945, SS Goya departed Gotenhafen (Gdynia), Poland, overloaded with thousands of refugees and wounded soldiers. That evening, it was torpedoed by the Soviet submarine L-3, commanded by Captain Vladimir Konovalov. The ship sank within minutes, resulting in one of the largest single-incident maritime losses of life in history. Estimates of the number of casualties range from 6,000 to over 7,000, making it a far greater tragedy in terms of lives lost than the Titanic or the Wilhelm Gustloff.

The wreck of SS Goya lies in the Baltic Sea, at a depth of approximately 76 meters (249 feet), and is designated as a war grave. The sinking of the SS Goya remains a poignant reminder of the immense suffering and loss of life that occurred during the final stages of World War II.