Smugglers, spies & escapes · 04.10.1944
The Nordstern sails from Kuressaare
Early on 4 October 1944 the training steamer Nordstern, under Captain Magnus Loorand, left Kuressaare with about 450 refugees, three quarters of them women and children. She stopped at Ventspils, where more Latvians and Soviet prisoners came aboard, and sailed on towards Germany. On 6 October near Klaipėda a Soviet submarine, Shch-407, torpedoed her. The ship broke in two and sank in a minute and a half. German figures say 625 people were aboard and 531 drowned. Among the 22 Estonian survivors was the future writer Ilmar Talve. Feodor Veski from Muhu kept a pocket list of the survivors and the dead and published it in Toronto in 1991.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
4. oktoobri varahommikul 1944 väljus Kuressaarest kapten Magnus Loorandi juhitud õppelaev Nordstern umbes 450 põgenikuga, kellest kolmveerand olid naised ja lapsed. Laev peatus Ventspilsis, kus pardale tuli veel lätlasi ja Vene sõjavange, ning jätkas teed Saksamaa poole. 6. oktoobril tabas Klaipėda lähedal laeva Nõukogude allveelaeva Štš-407 torpeedo. Laev murdus pooleks ja uppus pooleteise minutiga. Saksa andmetel oli pardal 625 inimest, kellest 531 uppus. 22 pääsenud eestlase seas oli tulevane kirjanik Ilmar Talve. Muhust pärit Feodor Veski pidas taskumärkmikus pääsenute ja hukkunute nimekirja ning avaldas selle 1991. aastal Torontos.