Appendix 8
Two different Estonian versions of the course of events
The Estonian delegation (Meister, Laur and Neidre) handed in two different versions of the course of events to the Commission.
The first (act C11*) is dated 17 January 1995.
The second (act 30*) is dated 18 August 1995, i.e. seven months later. Both were made secret by Forssberg.
It is interesting to note different times of the same events in the two versions as shown below, e.g. in the first version Linde arrives on the bridge before the change of watch at 01.00 hrs, in the second version he arrives seven minutes later.
Event
Time (act C11*)
Time (act C30*)
Comments by AB Departure of the 'Estonia' from Tallinn.
19.00
19.15
Linde starts his patrol round
-
00.30
Mate Kukk leaves the bridge
00.30
00.30
Kukk meets Linde at the Pub Admiral
00.32-00.33
About 00.40
Linde makes his patrol round on the car deck
00.35-00.43
-
Linde is behind the ramp and hears a metallic noise. Linde reports to the bridge (to 2/O Kannussar via talkie-walkie)
00.45
00.50 or later
Linde leaves the car deck and goes down to decks 1/0 to complete the round
-
About 01.00
Linde returns to the bridge
00.58
01.05 or later
Change of watch on the bridge
01.00
01.00
Linde leaves the bridge
01.01-01.02
01.07 or later
The visor locks are broken and the visor has started to hit against the forward ramp. After the visor hinges are broken, the visor pushes/pulls the ramp open. Water starts to flow into the ship
01.02-01.04
-
The ship gets starboard list. Linde on deck 5 sees things falling
01.05-01.10
-
The official time for the sudden list is 01.15 hrs.
Linde arrives to deck 5 and asks the 'Information' to open the doors to the car deck. The ship suddenly lists to starboard
-
01.08 or later
The Estonians do not agree with JAIC that the sudden list was at 01.15 hrs
Linde runs up to deck 7
01.11-01.14
01.08 or later
Linde runs up after the sudden list, i.e. it occurred before 01.15 hrs
Linde arrives to deck 7 and meets one passenger which states that it is water on deck 1
01.15
01.10
This passenger must have escaped before the sudden list occurred, i.e. it was water on deck 1 before the sudden list
3/E Treu hears strong hitting (impact) noises from the foreship and sees water leaking in at the ramp
01.14-01.15
01.08-01.14
We should be informed when Treu in sound insulated ECR managed to hear the impacts - before or after the sudden listing
The visor is detatched from the 'Estonia' and pulls out the ramp further
01.15
-
The sudden increase in listing showed that the visor had fallen off and that the ramp was completely open
-
01.08-01.14
It is suggested that the ramp was completely open before the sudden listing
Order from the bridge to 3/E Treu to ballast the ship upright
01.15-01.20
Before 01.20
It seems the first action on the bridge was to call Treu and to order him to ballast the ship upright. Is this plausible? Didn't they discuss other matters?
Lifeboat alarm with bells. Alarm "Mr Skylight 1" and "Mr Skylight 2" via loud speakers. Then lifeboat alarm with the horn 1.33
01.20
Before 01.22
Why did Treu ignore these alarms?
Angle of list up to 25-30 degrees
01.20-01.26
-
Angle of list >30 degrees
-
Before 01.22
Port M.Es stop
01.20-01.26
Before 01.22
Starboard M.Es stop
01.20-01.26
About 01.22
Mayday call
01.24
01.25
Angle of list is 40-45 degrees
01.30
-
Angle of list is close to 90 degrees
-
Before 01.30
3/E Treu leaves the ECR
01.30
-
How?
3/E Treu arrives at deck 7 (sic)
-
Before 01.30
How?
3/M Treu is swept overboard by a wave
-
About 01.30
The 'Estonia' disappears from the radar screens of the 'Silja Europa' and the 'Mariella'
01.48
01.53
How could Treu be swept overboard 18-23 minutes before the alleged sinking?
Comments: The Estonian delegation ignored the testimonies of the passengers - the reports of Schager 2.1 were not considered. In one version Linde arrives to the bridge before the change of watch, in another after the change of watch. In one version Linde is already on deck 5 and notes the sudden listing, while in the other version Linde has not yet left the bridge. In the first version the sudden list occurs long before the visor was finally lost overboard
Neither version considers that Treu, Sillaste and Kadak saw the ramp closed at least two minutes after the sudden listing.
The escape of 3/E Treu is not explained 1.48. The Estonians believe Treu arrived at deck 7 and was immediately swept overboard 18-23 minutes before the sinking. In other statements Treu visits the emergency generator on deck 8.
The courses of events do not tally with the final one in figure 13.2 in (5) 1.9. In one version the angle of list is only 40-45 degrees at 01.30 hrs, in another Treu is already in the water at that time. After 3/E Treu has been swept overboard at 01.30 hrs, the 'Estonia' should have drifted another 2 500 meters Eastward. The Estonians give two different times, when the 'Estonia' should have disappeared from the radar screens of both 'Silja Europa' and the 'Mariella'. They ignore the statement of the mate of the 'Mariella' that the 'Estonia' disappeared at 01.36 hrs.
Both versions must be regarded as attempts to falsify the course of events. It seems that the Commission agreed some events but could not agree on the times. In the first attempt the list was at 01.05-01.08 hrs, but then it seems that Commission agreed that the listing must have been at 01.15 hrs, so a new sequence of events was made. Evidently there is no real evidence for any event stated.
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