Death on the Black Sea - The Untold Story of the Struma and World War II's Holocaust at Sea

On the morning of 24 February 1942, on the Black Sea near Istanbul, an explosion ripped through a decrepit cattle barge filled with Jewish refugees. One man clung fiercely to a piece of deck, fighting to survive. Nearly 800 others - among them, more than 100 children - perished. It was the largest loss of civilian life at sea during WW2, yet this tragedy has been all but forgotten. The story of the Struma, its passengers, and the events that led to its destruction is revealed in two vivid parallel accounts set decades apart. One chronicles the diplomatic manoeuvres and callousness of the international community, who refused them sanctuary from the Nazis. The other recounts a recent attempt by a team of divers to locate the Struma at the bottom of the Black Sea, an effort initiated and pursued by the grandson of two of the victims. This vicid reconstruction of a grim exodus aboard a doomed ship illuminates a forgotten episode of WW2 and pays tribute to those who keep its memory alive...