Salt to the Sea- Real Events By ll10073 Jan 24, 1945 German troops begin evacuating from Slovakia as Soviets advance Jan 26, 1945 Soviets reach the Prussian coast at Elbing, cutting East Prussia off from Germany. Jan 27, 1945 Soviets free the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Jan 30, 1945 The group in the lifeboat are rescued and brought to the German island of Rügen. Jan 30, 1945 The Wilhelm Gustloff ship sinks The ship was torpedoed by Russian troops and sank
