Sinking of the Lusitania
By: Jonathon
On May 7, 1915 the RMS Lusitania was struck by a torpedo in the hull and sank off the south coast of Ireland in the Celtic sea. The ship sank in just under 20 minutes. 2000 passengers and crew were on board. 850 of those were crew members. 1198 passengers and crew drowned and 128 of those were Americans.
Lusitania
The Lusitania had four stacks but one didn't work, it was for show because It would have been more expensive.
Captain William Turner
William Thomas Turner was the captain for the 1915 voyage from New York to Liverpool, England.
Walter Schwieger
Walter Schwieger was the captain of the U-Boat U-20 which sunk the mighty ship.
What caused the ship to sink and why?
Within 18 minutes the Lusitania was under the surface of the Celtic sea. The ship sank because a torpedo had hit it in the hull and then another mysterious explosion ripped the liner apart. The captain of the German U-Boat U-20 was Walter Schwieger, who told his crew to fire the torpedo. The reason he wanted to stop the ship was because it was carrying 173 tonnes of war munitions for Britain.
How Long was the lusitania in service?
The Lusitania had many more trips before this but this was thelast. In 1906 she was launched by a company called Cunard Line and it was in service from 1906 to 1915. Her maiden voyage, from Liverpool, England to New York, was September 7, 1907. Her last departure was May 1, 1915 from New York to Liverpool, England.