The British Royal Air Force mistakenly attacks Luebeck harbor, a major port in Northern Germany, on May 3, 1945, sinking the Ocean liner SS Cap Arcona and the freighter Thielbek, believing they were transporting troops.
The SS Cap Arcona and the freighter Thielbek were actually carrying some 8,000 concentration camp prisoners. They were hit by bombs, caught fire, and capsized. Only about 600 prisoners survived. The attack, is considered one of the largest maritime disasters of World War II.
