 The sinking scenes were filmed on board of the former luxury liner  CAP ARCONA. This boat was later used in 1945 to evacuate thousands  of prisoners of the concentration camp Neuengamme (near Hamburg) to  Denmark. The CAP ARCONA was accidentally bombed by Allied forces in  the bay of Luebeck. Only a few prisoners survived the sinking of the  ship. Most were killed on board or shot by SS