In 1941, the Estonian steamship "Eestirand" was shipwrecked off the coast of Prangli Island after a German air attack. The "Eestirand" was part of a fleet of ships carrying Soviet troops to Leningrad during the Soviet evacuation of Tallinn. The Estonian crew and conscripts managed to disarm Soviet military personnel aboard the ship and take control of the island, hoisting the flag of the Estonian Republic up a tall pine tree. The revolt saved approximately 2,700 conscripts, most of which were Estonian, from being mobilized to Leningrad. After the war, a memorial was placed on the island in honor of those who lost their lives in the tragedy.