DESCRIPTION
Goya - then freighter - was built in 1942 in the shipyard Akers Mekaniske Verksted in Oslo. Already that year, as used to sail for support - cargo for German submarines. From 1943 it belonged as ship-base for Navy submarines. Later, served as a ship-to in the harbor Memel (Klaipeda). In 1945 he was reclassified as a transport vessel for the army and the Operation Hannibal was designed to transport German refugees including from Pomerania. Contrary to often repeated opinions, he did not have the status of the hospital ship, but a military transport ship. At the time of the sinking it was carrying not only civilians and wounded, but also the military, including 200 soldiers, 25 Armoured Regiment.
In his last trip Goya sailed in a convoy of ships which carry German refugees from East Prussia and Danzig. April 16, 1945 set off the coast of the southern tip of the Hel Peninsula - four hours after leaving the port - was attacked and damaged by Soviet bombers . Goya sailed in convoy with smaller cargo ships - Kronenfels and Aegir . Convoy speed limit Kronenfelsa problems with the engine, which was even forced to stop the machine for 20 minutes in order to make repairs. Evening, April 16 , Goya was detected by a Soviet submarine minelayer L -3 , also armed with torpedoes . Despite the relatively strong escort - guard the convoy were two Mine - M- 256 and M -328 , at 23:52 at a distance of several miles from Rozewie , L -3 fired four torpedoes, two of which hit the ship . One hit in the nose and the other amidships , destroying the engine room and causing an explosion that Goya broke in half. The ship sank within four minutes , shortly after midnight. Such a fast sinking prevented any planned rescue operation on board Goya. The icy water killed at least 6,000 people , it is possible more victims , because it is very likely that the people aboard were not included in the list of passengers. Escorts managed to pick out just 182 people , of whom nine died shortly (176 soldiers and four civilians ) . Some sources say that it survived only 98 people, some 165 and some 334 persons.
The wreck was discovered August 26, 2002 by the Polish divers Grzegorza Dominika i Michala Porade, who excavated from it the compass.

Wreck MS Goya is regarded by Poland as a war grave, and therefore it is prohibited to dive to the wreck and within 500m of it.