The RMS Lusitania set sail from New York on April 30th, 1915 carrying passengers and supplies for Britain, though it was secretly transporting munitions. That same day, a German U-boat was ordered to destroy ships in the Irish Channel. On May 7th, the U-boat fired a torpedo that struck the Lusitania, causing a second explosion from the munitions. Within 20 minutes, the ship sank, killing 1,119 of the 1,924 aboard, including 114 Americans. While Germany claimed the Lusitania was a military target, the sinking outraged Americans and contributed to the U.S. declaring war on Germany two years later.

1. World War I: RMS Lusitania
- The Fateful Voyage –
On April 30th 1915, Lusitania was ready to sail from New York, it had
been loaded with meat, medical supplies, copper, cheese, oil and machinery, but secretly loaded
with munitions for Britain for the war. That same day, in Germany, captain Schwieger was ordered
to sail to the Irish Channel with his U-boat-20 German submarine to destroy ships going to and
from Liverpool, England.
On May 7th, the ship neared the coast of Ireland and at 2:10 in the afternoon was fired into her
side by the German submarine U 20. Then, a mysterious second explosion occurred. The ship
listed so badly and quickly that life boats crashed into
passengers crowded on deck. In less than 20 minutes,
Lusitania has sunk in the sea. One thousand one
hundred nineteen of the one thousand nine hundred
twenty four aboard died. The dead included 114
Americans.
The German government attempted to justify the sinking by stating that Lusitania was an
auxiliary cruiser and was carrying military cargo, but this excuse didn’t change the Americans idea
of turning up against Germany and her allies. Two years later, U.S.A. President Woodrow Wilson, a
peaceful man, was forced by his nation to declare War against Germany
People who had been travelling by the moment that Lusitania was fired, were obliged to read a
note to be aware of the dangers. Nevertheless, passengers didn’t take seriously and signed
without even reading it. The content of the note expressed:
NOTICE!
Travellers intending to embark on the Atlantic Voyage are
reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her
allies and Great Britain and her allies; that the zone of war
includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles; that, in
accordance with formal notice given by the Imperial German
Government, vessels flying the flag of Great Britain, or any of
her allies, are liable to destruction in those waters and that
travellers sailing in the war zone on ships of Great Britain or
her allies do so at their own risk.
IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 22th, 1915.