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====Last voyage====
====Last voyage====
On April 30th, 1915, ''Lusitania'' was being loaded in New York with supplies. Over on the other side of the Atlantic in Germany, Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger was ordered to take his U-20 German submarine on patrol. ''Lusitania'' started its trip to Britain on May 1st, 1915, carrying 1257 passengers and 702 crew members under the command of Captain William Turner. The same day she sailed, the ''New York Times'' ran its shipping schedules; business was normal as far as the neutral United States was concerned. On the same page below the Cunard advertisement for ''Lusitania'', the German embassy ran a printed add of its own:
On April 30, 1915, ''Lusitania'' was being loaded in New York with supplies. Over on the other side of the Atlantic in Germany, Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger was ordered to take his U-20 German submarine on patrol. ''Lusitania'' started its trip to Britain on May 1, 1915, carrying 1257 passengers and 702 crew members under the command of Captain William Turner. The same day she sailed, the ''New York Times'' ran its shipping schedules; business was normal as far as the neutral United States was concerned. On the same page below the Cunard advertisement for ''Lusitania'', the German embassy ran a printed add of its own:
:'''''NOTICE!'''''
:'''''NOTICE!'''''
:''IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY, Washington, D.C. April 22, 1915''
:''IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY, Washington, D.C. April 22, 1915''
On May 7th, ''Lusitania'' and the German submarine both entered the Irish Channel.
On May 7, ''Lusitania'' and the German submarine both entered the Irish Channel.
Running low on fuel Kapitänleutnant Schwieger was on his way back to Germany when by chance he crossed paths with the ''Lusitania.'' He immediately recognized the huge ship as an unarmed passenger liner, later writing in his war diary:<ref> Quoted in Bailey (1935), p. 55</ref>
Running low on fuel Kapitänleutnant Schwieger was on his way back to Germany when by chance he crossed paths with the ''Lusitania.'' He immediately recognized the huge ship as an unarmed passenger liner, later writing in his war diary:<ref>Quoted in Bailey (1935), p. 55</ref>
:"Ahead and to starboard four funnels and two masts of a steamer with course perpendicular to us come into sight (coming from SSW it steered toward Galley Head). Ship is made out to be large passenger steamer. [We] submerged to a depth of eleven meters and went ahead at full speed, taking a course converging with the one of the steamer, hoping it might change its course to starboard along the Irish coast. The steamer turns to starboard, takes course to Queenstown thus making possible an approach for a shot. Until 3 P. M. we ran at high speed in order to gain position directly ahead. Clean bow shot at a distance of 700 meters (G-torpedo, three meters depth adjustment); angle 90°, estimated speed twenty-two knots. Torpedo hits starboard side right behind the bridge. An unusually heavy explosion takes place with a very strong explosion cloud (cloud reaches far beyond front funnel). The explosion of the torpedo must have been followed by a second one (boiler or coal or powder?). The superstructure right above the point of impact and the bridge are torn asunder, fire breaks out, and smoke envelops the high bridge. The ship stops immediately and heels over to starboard very quickly, immersing simultaneously at the bow. It appears as if the ship were going to capsize very shortly. Great confusion ensues on board; the boats are made clear and some of them are lowered to the water. In doing so great confusion must have reigned; some boats, full to capacity, are lowered, rushed from above, touch the water with either stem or stern first and founder immediately. On the port side fewer boats are made clear than on the starboard side on account of the ship's list. The ship blows off [steam]; painted black, no flag was set astern. Ship was running twenty knots. Since it seems as if the steamer will keep above water only a short time, we dived to a depth of twenty-four meters and ran out to sea. It would have been impossible for me, anyhow, to fire a second torpedo into this crowd of people struggling to save their lives."
:"Ahead and to starboard four funnels and two masts of a steamer with course perpendicular to us come into sight (coming from SSW it steered toward Galley Head). Ship is made out to be large passenger steamer. [We] submerged to a depth of eleven meters and went ahead at full speed, taking a course converging with the one of the steamer, hoping it might change its course to starboard along the Irish coast. The steamer turns to starboard, takes course to Queenstown thus making possible an approach for a shot. Until 3 P. M. we ran at high speed in order to gain position directly ahead. Clean bow shot at a distance of 700 meters (G-torpedo, three meters depth adjustment); angle 90°, estimated speed twenty-two knots. Torpedo hits starboard side right behind the bridge. An unusually heavy explosion takes place with a very strong explosion cloud (cloud reaches far beyond front funnel). The explosion of the torpedo must have been followed by a second one (boiler or coal or powder?). The superstructure right above the point of impact and the bridge are torn asunder, fire breaks out, and smoke envelops the high bridge. The ship stops immediately and heels over to starboard very quickly, immersing simultaneously at the bow. It appears as if the ship were going to capsize very shortly. Great confusion ensues on board; the boats are made clear and some of them are lowered to the water. In doing so great confusion must have reigned; some boats, full to capacity, are lowered, rushed from above, touch the water with either stem or stern first and founder immediately. On the port side fewer boats are made clear than on the starboard side on account of the ship's list. The ship blows off [steam]; painted black, no flag was set astern. Ship was running twenty knots. Since it seems as if the steamer will keep above water only a short time, we dived to a depth of twenty-four meters and ran out to sea. It would have been impossible for me, anyhow, to fire a second torpedo into this crowd of people struggling to save their lives."
That ''Lusitania'' transported military small arms material is clear; what was never clear was how much more, if indeed she covertly carried more, and where it was stored onboard. The ship currently lies in a severely-degraded condition on her starboard side, preventing any inspection of her holds and torpedo damage.<ref>http://www.archaeology.org/0901/trenches/lusitania.html</ref>
That ''Lusitania'' transported military small arms material is clear; what was never clear was how much more, if indeed she covertly carried more, and where it was stored onboard. The ship currently lies in a severely-degraded condition on her starboard side, preventing any inspection of her holds and torpedo damage.<ref>http://www.archaeology.org/0901/trenches/lusitania.html</ref>
Among the dead were 128 Americans. Coming on the heels of German atrocities against civilians in Belgium, the episode permanently ruined Germany's reputation and alienated American public opinion. President [[Woodrow Wilson]], saying America was too proud to fight, demanded promises that Germany would never again sink unarmed passenger liners.<ref> See Wilson's first note [http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson's_First_Lusitania_Note_to_Germany May 13, 1915 online] and his [http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson%27s_Protest_to_the_Germans second note, sent July 21, 1915]</ref> Germany so promised but a few weeks later sank another passenger ship, the [[Arabic attack|''Arabic'']] with more innocent Americans killed. Finally the Germans backed away from attacks on civilian ships. When they resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 their goal was to defeat Britain quickly, knowing full well that Americans would go to war when American ships started going down; this, combined with the separate revelation of the [[Zimmermann Telegram]] to [[Mexico]], ensured U.S. entry into the war.
Among the dead were 128 Americans. Coming on the heels of German atrocities against civilians in Belgium, the episode permanently ruined Germany's reputation and alienated American public opinion. President [[Woodrow Wilson]], saying America was too proud to fight, demanded promises that Germany would never again sink unarmed passenger liners.<ref>See Wilson's first note [http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson's_First_Lusitania_Note_to_Germany May 13, 1915 online] and his [http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson%27s_Protest_to_the_Germans second note, sent July 21, 1915]</ref> Germany so promised but a few weeks later sank another passenger ship, the [[Arabic attack|''Arabic'']] with more innocent Americans killed. Finally the Germans backed away from attacks on civilian ships. When they resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 their goal was to defeat Britain quickly, knowing full well that Americans would go to war when American ships started going down; this, combined with the separate revelation of the [[Zimmermann Telegram]] to [[Mexico]], ensured U.S. entry into the war.
==Investigation into Sinking==
==Investigation into Sinking==
==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* [[Thomas Bailey|Bailey, Thomas]]. "The Sinking of the Lusitania." ''American Historical Review,'' Vol. 41, No. 1 (Oct., 1935), pp. 54-73 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762%28193510%2941%3A1%3C54%3ATSOTL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K in JSTOR]
* [[Thomas Bailey|Bailey, Thomas]]. "The Sinking of the Lusitania." ''American Historical Review,'' Vol. 41, No. 1 (Oct., 1935), pp. 54–73 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762%28193510%2941%3A1%3C54%3ATSOTL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K in JSTOR]
* Bailey, Thomas A. and Paul B. Ryan. ''The Lusitania Disaster: An Episode in Modern Warfare and Diplomacy'' (1975), the standard scholarly history
* Bailey, Thomas A. and Paul B. Ryan. ''The Lusitania Disaster: An Episode in Modern Warfare and Diplomacy'' (1975), the standard scholarly history
* Ballard, Robert. ''Robert Ballard's Lusitania: Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking That Changed History'' (2007), on recent underwater archaeology [http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Ballards-Lusitania-Probing-Mysteries/dp/0785822070/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245602652&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search]
* Ballard, Robert. ''Robert Ballard's Lusitania: Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking That Changed History'' (2007), on recent underwater archaeology [http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Ballards-Lusitania-Probing-Mysteries/dp/0785822070/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245602652&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search]
===Primary Sources===
===Primary Sources===
* Bailey, Thomas A. "German Documents Relating to the 'Lusitania'", ''The Journal of Modern History'', Vol. 8, No. 3 (Sep., 1936), pp. 320-337 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2801(193609)8%3A3%3C320%3AGDRTT%22%3E2.0.CO%3B2-2 in JSTOR]
* Bailey, Thomas A. "German Documents Relating to the 'Lusitania'", ''The Journal of Modern History'', Vol. 8, No. 3 (Sep., 1936), pp. 320–337 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2801(193609)8%3A3%3C320%3AGDRTT%22%3E2.0.CO%3B2-2 in JSTOR]
*[http://rmslusitania.info/pages/timeline.html The Lusitania Resource - Timeline]
*[http://rmslusitania.info/pages/timeline.html The Lusitania Resource - Timeline]
*[http://rmslusitania.info/pages/figures.html The Lusitania Resource - Facts and Figures]
*[http://rmslusitania.info/pages/figures.html The Lusitania Resource - Facts and Figures]
====references====
====References====
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[[Category:Terrorism]]
[[Category:Terrorism]]
[[Category:World War I]]
[[Category:World War I]]