These were all written out for presentation to the inquiry on standard forms in identical handwriting with similar phrasing. The Lusitania sank on May 7, 1915. Last heard of twenty miles south of Coningbeg Light Vessel". Some of the passengers were disturbed that the ship appeared to be advertising her presence. U-20's torpedo officer, Raimund Weisbach, viewed the destruction through the vessel's periscope and felt the explosion was unusually severe. Mayer's judgement was that "the cause of the sinking was the illegal act of the Imperial German Government", that two torpedoes had been involved, that the captain had acted properly and emergency procedures had been up to the standard then expected. During the ship's first eastbound crossing after the war started, she was painted in a drab grey colour scheme in an attempt to mask her identity and make her more difficult to detect visually. [128], This article is about the historical event. In Schwieger's own words, recorded in the log of U-20: Torpedo hits starboard side right behind the bridge. The ship sank within 20 minutes of being hit by a German torpedo. The British public, press, and government in general were upset at Wilson's actions not realising it reflected general US opinion at the time. [35], German drawing of Lusitania being torpedoed which incorrectly depicts the torpedo hitting the port side of ship, British drawing of Lusitania being torpedoed; shows disputed "second torpedo", Lusitania is shown sinking as Irish fishermen race to the rescue. A cash bonus had been offered for any that were sunk, though the advice was carefully worded so as not to amount to an order to ram. [88] Barbara died on 12 April 2008 in Wallingford, Connecticut, at the age of 95.[89]. An unusually heavy detonation takes place with a very strong explosive cloud. with a dot behind the numeral; the English version was altered to read 'May' rather than 'Mai'. Two days before, U-20 had sunk Earl of Lathom, but first allowed the crew to escape in boats. William Jennings Bryan considered Wilson's second note too provocative and resigned in protest after failing to moderate it, to be replaced by Robert Lansing who later said in his memoirs that following the tragedy he always had the "conviction that we [the United States] would ultimately become the ally of Britain". This note and two following ones constituted the immediate limit of U.S. reaction to the Lusitania incident. At the time she entered service the Lusitania was Cunard's largestvessel to date. At 2:10 p.m., a torpedo plowed into the ship and exploded. In 1993, Dr. Robert Ballard, the famous explorer who discovered Titanic and Bismarck, conducted an in-depth exploration of the wreck of Lusitania. Most of the sessions were public but two on 15 and 18 June were held in camera when evidence regarding navigation of the ship was presented. phenol-formaldehyde resin is known as bakelite. [2]:367369, Captain Turner, the Cunard Company, and the Royal Navy were absolved of any negligence, and all blame was placed on the German government. Half an hour after the inquest had concluded and its results given to the press, the Crown Solicitor for Cork, Harry Wynne, arrived with instructions to halt it. When it turned out that the German Navy was kept in check by the Royal Navy, and their commerce threat almost entirely evaporated, it very soon seemed that the Atlantic was safe for ships like Lusitania, if the bookings justified the expense of keeping them in service. The Cunard liner was attacked by U-20 commanded by Kapitnleutnant Walther Schwieger. [28], Captain Turner of Lusitania was given a warning message twice on the evening of 6 May, and took what he felt were prudent precautions. [3] The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany. 1967: Light buys the wreck of the Lusitania from the British War Risks Association. 1,193 of the 1,960 people aboard killed, leaving 761 survivors. At first, the Germans used them only to attack naval vessels, and they achieved only occasionalbut sometimes spectacularsuccesses. Lusitania, British ocean liner, the sinking of which by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, contributed indirectly to the entry of the United States into World War I. Lusitania The Lusitania, which was owned by the Cunard Line, was built to compete for the highly lucrative transatlantic passenger trade. The Lusitania was a British passenger ship that was owned by the Cunard Line and was first launched in 1906. - The wreck was destroyed because there was a blunder and somebody reported the radar signal for a U-boat wolf pack when it was simply the wreck of the Lusitania and they blew it up. The attack took place in the declared maritime war-zone around the UK, shortly after unrestricted submarine warfare against the ships of the United Kingdom had been announced by Germany following the Allied powers' implementation of a naval blockade against it and the other Central Powers. But getting a definitive answer has been difficult. The Lusitania was carrying a cargo of rifle ammunition and shells (together about 173 tons), and the Germans, who had circulated warnings that the ship would be sunk, felt themselves fully justified in attacking a vessel that was furthering the war aims of their enemy. Despite being sympathetic to Bryan's antiwar feelings, Wilson insisted that the German government must apologise for the sinking, compensate US victims, and promise to avoid any similar occurrence in the future.[71]. Some believe damage to the steam room and pipes caused the latter blast, hastening the Lusitanias sinking. [25], On 5 May, U-20 stopped a merchant schooner, Earl of Lathom, off the Old Head of Kinsale, examined her papers, then ordered her crew to leave before sinking the schooner with gunfire. Testimony varied on how many torpedoes there had been, and whether the strike occurred between the first and second funnel, or third and fourth. Shells that did not explode at the front were called "Wilsons". Captain Webb, Director of the Trade Division, began to prepare a dossier of signals sent to Lusitania which Turner may have failed to observe. [2]:415416. She departed Pier 54 in New York on 1 May 1915 on her return trip to Liverpool with 1,959 people aboard. Leading Fireman Albert Martin later testified he thought the torpedo entered the boiler room and exploded between a group of boilers, which was a physical impossibility. A lifeboat davit and some other artefacts are displayed at the Lusitania Museum & Old Head Signal Tower on Old Head of Kinsale. [2]:497503, The contemporary investigations in both the United Kingdom and the United States into the precise causes of the ship's loss were obstructed by the needs of wartime secrecy and a propaganda campaign to ensure all blame fell upon Germany. Hugh was Sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1961. Several attempts have been made over the years since the sinking to dive to the wreck seeking information about how the ship sank, and military ammunition has been discovered in the wreck. As was typical for the period, the hull plates of Lusitania were riveted, and as the lifeboats were lowered they dragged on the inch-high rivets, which threatened to seriously damage the boats before they landed in the water. Assistant Manager of the Cunard Line, Herman Winter, denied the charge that she carried munitions: She had aboard 4,200 cases of cartridges, but they were cartridges for small arms, packed in separate cases they certainly do not come under the classification of ammunition. Later, in 1917, however, the United States did cite German submarine warfare as a justification for American entry into the war. On 6 May, U-20 fired a torpedo at Cayo Romano from Cuba, a British steamer flying a neutral flag, off Fastnet Rock narrowly missing by a few feet. Previously, this had only been an offence if the information was collected to aid the enemy. [74], Emile Henry Lacombe wrote a letter to the New York Times advancing a conspiracy theory about the German sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. He submerged at 11:00 after sighting a fishing boat which he believed might be a British patrol and shortly after was passed while still submerged by a ship at high speed. Originals usually have "KGoetz" on the edge. [2]:228 At 14:14, electrical power failed, plunging the cavernous interior of the ship into darkness. Statements had been collected in Queenstown after the sinking by the American Consul, Wesley Frost, but these were not produced. On May 7, 1915, Lusitania was torpedoed by German submarine U-20 off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland. [2]:413414. In their opinion this, rather than the munitions, the nonexistent armament, or any other suggested reason, is the best rationale for the Germans' actions in the sinking. [70], During the weeks after the sinking, the issue was hotly debated within the administration. The Admiralty considered these old cruisers highly vulnerable to submarines, and indeed Schwieger attempted to target the ship. Schwieger's log entries attest that he launched only one torpedo. 4 boiler room to conserve coal and crew costs; this reduced her maximum speed from over 25 to 21 knots (46 to 39km/h). Other witnesses who claimed that only one torpedo had been involved were refused permission to testify. Along the way, some boilers exploded. After her bow sank completely, Lusitania's stern rose out of the water, enough for her propellers to be seen, and went under. Steam turbine engines powered quadruple screws, giving a service speed of 25 knots. Goetz blamed both the British government and the Cunard Line for allowing Lusitania to sail despite the German embassy's warnings. Built for the transatlantic passenger trade, it was luxurious and noted for its speed. The wreck of Lusitania was located on 6 October 1935, 11 miles (18 km) south of the lighthouse at Kinsale. Germany's second submarine campaign against the Allies during the First World War was unrestricted in scope, as was submarine warfare during the Second World War. Lusitania: a Limited Edition set of Lusitania Legacy golf clubs", "Toronto's Lusitania model bound for Halifax", "Seven Days in May Kim Izzo Paperback", "How the sinking of the Lusitania inspired my new book", "Lest We Forget Part 2: As The Lusitania Went Down", "Lusitania Controversy: Armament and Cargo", "Shipwreck of the Cunard Line Lusitania", "British 'Not to Blame' for Rapid Sinking and Loss of Life on Liner RMS Lusitania, Find Underwater Researchers", "Lusitania Controversy: The Second Explosion", "Is The Riddle of The Lusitania About to be Solved? The loss of the liner and so many of its passengers, including 128 U.S. citizens, aroused a wave of indignation in the United States, and it was fully expected that a declaration of war would follow, but the U.S. government clung to its policy of neutrality. Commander Walther Schwieger could not believe his luck when the Lusitania sailed into view on the seventh day of its passage towards Liverpool from New York. Given the extreme vulnerability of a submarine to ramming or even small-calibre shellfire, a U-boat that surfaced and gave warning against a merchantman which had been given such instructions was putting itself in great danger. The United States authorities would not permit us to carry ammunition, classified as such by the military authorities, on a passenger liner. A debated theory assigns the blame for the second blast on Lusitania's payload. [36] While it was still possible to board the lifeboats on the port side, lowering them presented a different problem. [24], On 27 March, Room 40 had intercepted a message which clearly demonstrated that the Germans had broken the code used to pass messages to British merchant ships. (Courtesy Eoin McGarry) Lusitania was sunk off County Cork on May 7, 1915. Ballard, Robert D., & Dunmore, Spencer. The Attorney General, Sir Edward Carson, represented the Board of Trade, assisted by the Solicitor General, F. E. Smith. Doomed: A contemporary view of the sinking of the Lusitania off Ireland in May 1915. [84], The last survivor was Audrey Warren Lawson-Johnston (ne Pearl), who was born in New York City on 15 February 1915. The ship stops immediately and heels over to starboard very quickly, immersing simultaneously at the bow the name Lusitania becomes visible in golden letters.[34]. Giving evidence to the tribunal he was not asked about torpedoes. Barbara's mother died on 22 March 1917 at the age of 28. On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed the British-owned luxury steamship Lusitania, killing 1,195 people including 128 Americans, according to the Library of Congress. He said at Philadelphia on 10 May 1915: There is such a thing as a man being too proud to fight. It was in response to this, and to the British Admiralty's order of 31 January 1915 that British merchant ships should fly neutral colours as a ruse de guerre,[118] that Admiral Hugo von Pohl, commander of the German High Seas Fleet, published a warning in the Deutscher Reichsanzeiger (Imperial German Gazette) on 4 February 1915: (1) The waters around Great Britain and Ireland, including the whole of the English Channel, are hereby declared to be a War Zone. The log of U-20: torpedo hits starboard side right behind the bridge hotly within! Sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany 14:14, electrical power failed, the... 1917, however, the Germans used them only to attack naval vessels, and they achieved only sometimes... Against Germany about torpedoes entered service the Lusitania was Cunard & # x27 ; s largestvessel to.. Walther Schwieger involved were refused permission to testify being hit by a German.! 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