Shipwreck or sea mystery · 11.01.1945
The ship with five names: Prezidentas Smetona
Few ships changed flags as often as this one. Launched in Germany in 1917 as the minesweeper M59, she was sold to a French company and then bought by Lithuania in 1927, which rebuilt her as the navy's flagship and training ship Prezidentas Smetona. She guarded the Lithuanian coast against smugglers until the Soviet occupation of 1940, when she became Pirmūnas, then Korall and finally the minesweeper T-33. On 11 January 1945, soon after leaving Helsinki, she sank in the Gulf of Finland and 28 people died; whether a German submarine, a torpedo or a mine was to blame is still debated. Estonian researchers located the wreck, which is now a protected monument at this position in the open Gulf north of Tallinn.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Vähe on laevu, mis on nii sageli lippu vahetanud. 1917. aastal Saksamaal miinitraalerina M59 vette lastud alus müüdi Prantsuse firmale ja 1927. aastal ostis selle Leedu, kes ehitas ta ümber oma mereväe lipulaevaks ja õppelaevaks Prezidentas Smetona. Laev valvas Leedu rannikut salakaubavedajate eest kuni 1940. aasta Nõukogude okupatsioonini, mil temast sai Pirmūnas, seejärel Korall ja lõpuks traaler T-33. 11. jaanuaril 1945 uppus ta varsti pärast Helsingist lahkumist Soome lahes ja hukkus 28 inimest; kas süüdi oli Saksa allveelaev, torpeedo või miin, selle üle vaieldakse siiani. Eesti uurijad leidsid vraki üles ning see on nüüd kaitsealune mälestis siin, avamerel Tallinnast põhja pool.
Source: Wikipedia; Estonian Ministry of Culture monument decree ↗