1945 - Transportation

Transportation

The former German KdF cruise line ship Wilhelm Gustloff leaves the Baltic port of Gotenhafen on the night of January 30 as Soviet forces converge on the area and Germans flee from what they fear will be a rampage of looting, murder, and rape. Named for a Nazi organizer in Switzerland who was assassinated by a Jewish refugee in 1936, the 7-year-old vessel was designed to carry a maximum of 1,865 passengers and crew but is overloaded with 10,582 people—refugee women, children, and elderly plus 900 able-bodied men who are trying to keep order and scores of sick and wounded soldiers and sailors. Her captain fears Soviet submarines in deep water and chooses rather to risk minefields close to shore, but as the 25,484-ton vessel steams west three torpedoes from the submarine S-13 strike her, and she goes down in 50 minutes, killing 9,343 people—the worst maritime loss in history.

A U.S. ship loaded with aerial bombs explodes April 9 at Bari, Italy; at least 360 men are killed.

Submarine inventor Simon Lake dies at Bridgeport, Conn., June 23 at age 78.

The HRP-1 flown in March by Frank Piasecki is the first helicopter with tandem rotors (see 1943). Piasecki has persuaded U.S. Navy officials to fund development of the large machine. It can carry heavier loads than were ever before possible with rotating-wing aircraft. The Navy orders 20 of what soon will be called the "Flying Banana" (its ends bend up slightly to keep the rotors from interfering with each other), and it will prove useful not only for search-and-rescue work but also for mine sweeping and amphibious assault (see politics, 1947).

Bendix Aviation chief Vincent Bendix dies at New York March 27 at age 62.

Beech Aircraft introduces a two-engine private plane under the name Beechcraft Bonanza.

Flying Tiger Line has its beginnings in the National Skyways Freight Corp. founded by Fort Worth, Texas-born fighter pilot Robert W. (William) Prescott, 32, who flew with Gen. Claire Chennault's American Volunteer Group from late 1941 until July 1942, when the group was disbanded after many sorties against the Japanese. Starting with four planes and 16 employees, Prescott will rename his company in 1947 and make Flying Tiger Line the world's largest air cargo firm (see communications [Federal Express], 1972).

Northwest Airlines obtains an extension of its routes eastward from Minneapolis-St. Paul to New York City via Milwaukee and Detroit (see 1934). The company has been serving the government in some northern and Pacific theaters of war; it will begin service to the Far East in 1947 (see 1958).

A B-25 light bomber flies into New York's Empire State Building July 28, tearing a hole between the 78th and 79th floors, and killing all three men aboard plus 10 office workers and early Saturday morning pedestrians.

U.S. war plants produce 88,410 tanks (Germany 44,857), 299,293 aircraft (Japan 69,910), but automobile companies convert to passenger car production after the German surrender in May.

Henry Ford steps down from the presidency of Ford Motor Company in September at age 82 as production of civilian passenger cars resumes. He yields control of the shattered organization to his grandson Henry Ford II, 28, son of Edsel Ford's widow, Eleanor Clay Ford (she owns a 42 percent stake in the company; she and her mother-in-law, Clara, had threatened to sell their stock if the founder did not relinquish control). Young Henry immediately dismisses Harry Bennett, who has ruled the Ford empire through sycophants by fear and terror. He then raids other companies to create a new management team: Bendix Aviation president Ernest R. Breech, 48, will join Ford next year as executive vice president (see 1947; 1948).

Jaguar Cars Ltd. is established by a renaming of S.S. Cars Ltd., which produced the first Jaguar motorcar 9 years ago. The 13-year old British company has produced several makes but none with as much success as the Jaguar.