January 1945. The Red Army begins its winter offensive against the German Reich: commanding about 20 times the strength of the enemy, the Soviets crush the Germans at the eastern front. Within days, 2.5 million East Prussians are caught in a gigantic basin. In the coldest winter in decades, the masses flee towards the Baltic in the hope of catching the Gustloff or another ship that will take them to safety. Tens of thousands of people who have lost everything gather in Gotenhafen (today, Gdynia)...
