The Lusitania is and always will be remembered in Liverpool, the reason is it belonged to Liverpool built for the Cunard Line, and crewed by many Liverpool men and women, and it is the Liverpool families who hold the memory of the Lusitania close to their hearts for the terrible event which to place on 7th May 1915, when the Grand Lady was torpedoed.
This section is to take a look back at the liner that ruled the waves from its creation to the fateful day when it was lost. There are many books and web pages dedicated to the Lusitania which are all excellent points of research also the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website lists the casualties who were lost on the Lusitania and this can be searched at their website www.cwgc.org
The Beginning
The contract to build the Lusitania was awarded to John Brown & Co, Ltd, Clydebank, during the construct of the ship the company was photographing the progress.
This section is to take a look back at the liner that ruled the waves from its creation to the fateful day when it was lost. There are many books and web pages dedicated to the Lusitania which are all excellent points of research also the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website lists the casualties who were lost on the Lusitania and this can be searched at their website www.cwgc.org
The Beginning
The contract to build the Lusitania was awarded to John Brown & Co, Ltd, Clydebank, during the construct of the ship the company was photographing the progress.
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The Launch
With the construction of the Lusitania complete it was time for the official launch which took place on the 7th June 1906, at 12.30pm at the Lusitania was officially named by Mary Lady Inverclyde, for John Brown & Co.Ltd this was a proud day and to try and show the size of the Lusitania it made a diagram of the ship set against Liverpool's St George's Hall.
With the construction of the Lusitania complete it was time for the official launch which took place on the 7th June 1906, at 12.30pm at the Lusitania was officially named by Mary Lady Inverclyde, for John Brown & Co.Ltd this was a proud day and to try and show the size of the Lusitania it made a diagram of the ship set against Liverpool's St George's Hall.
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Thousands gathered at the launching of the Lusitania, as the picture above shows, and after the sea trials the ship was breaking records and pulling in crowds were ever she docked, It wasn't long before the Cunard Co with the Lusitania and her sister ship the Mauretania regained the fastest crossing of the Atlantic, between the two ships they would each out do each other for the record.
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The Sinking
After the Lusitania was hit by the torpedo it sunk within 18 minutes, for the passengers and crew there was very little they could do to save themselves, in all a total of 1,198 souls where lost.
7th May 1915
The fateful day that has gone down in history, The Lusitania had reached the coast of Ireland and was nearing the end of it's voyage bound for Liverpool, when it left New York on the 1st May 1915, the German government had placed adds in the newspapers stating that all ships entering the war zone would be classed as a targets and would be torpedoed.
As the fog had lifted from the morning of the 7th, Captain Turner onboard the Lusitania could get his bearings and soon recognised a familiar site the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, also patrolling the sea on the lookout for merchant ships was the German U.Boat, U20 Captained by Walter Schwieger.
Captain Schwieger had been patrolling the Irish Sea since two days earlier and had sunk three ships.
Unknown to Captain Turner the U-20 Captain had spotted the Lusitania, and was heading straight for her, with the time approaching 2.o'clock Captain Schwieger gave the command to fire.
Below is the actual entry from Captain Schwieger from his own diary of the events of that day. the images are in German with a translation below:
After the Lusitania was hit by the torpedo it sunk within 18 minutes, for the passengers and crew there was very little they could do to save themselves, in all a total of 1,198 souls where lost.
7th May 1915
The fateful day that has gone down in history, The Lusitania had reached the coast of Ireland and was nearing the end of it's voyage bound for Liverpool, when it left New York on the 1st May 1915, the German government had placed adds in the newspapers stating that all ships entering the war zone would be classed as a targets and would be torpedoed.
As the fog had lifted from the morning of the 7th, Captain Turner onboard the Lusitania could get his bearings and soon recognised a familiar site the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, also patrolling the sea on the lookout for merchant ships was the German U.Boat, U20 Captained by Walter Schwieger.
Captain Schwieger had been patrolling the Irish Sea since two days earlier and had sunk three ships.
Unknown to Captain Turner the U-20 Captain had spotted the Lusitania, and was heading straight for her, with the time approaching 2.o'clock Captain Schwieger gave the command to fire.
Below is the actual entry from Captain Schwieger from his own diary of the events of that day. the images are in German with a translation below:
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The translation reads as follows:
Lusitania
"2 pm Straight ahead the 4 funnels and 3 masts of a steamer with a course at right angles to ours, Ship is made out to be a large passenger liner.
3:05 pm Went to 11m and ran at high speed on a course converging with that of the steamer, in hopes that it would change course to starboard along the Irish Coast. The steamer turned to starboard, headed for Queenstown and thus made it possible to approach for a shot. Ran at high speed till 3 pm in order to secure an advantageous position.
3:10 pm Clear bow shot at 700 m. . . angle of intersection 90 [degrees] estimated speed 22 nautical miles. Shot struck starboard side close behind the bridge. An extraordinary heavy detonation followed, with a very large cloud of smoke (far above the front funnel). A second explosion must have followed that of the torpedo (boiler or coal or powder?). The superstructure above the point of impact and the bridge were torn apart; fire broke out; light smoke veiled the high bridge. The ship stopped immediately and quickly listed sharply to starboard, sinking deeper by the head at the same time.
Great confusion arose on the ship; some of the boats were swung clear and lowered into the water. Many people must have lost their heads; several boats loaded with people rushed downward, struck the water bow or stern first and filled at once.On the port side, because of the sloping position, fewer boats were swung clear than on the starboard side.The ship blew off steam; at the bow the name “Lusitania” in golden letters was visible. It was running 20 nautical miles.
3:25 pm Since it seemed as if the steamer could only remain above water for a short time, went to 24m. and ran toward the Sea. Nor could I have fired a second torpedo into this swarm of people who were trying to save themselves.
4:15 pm Went to 11m and took a look around. In the distance straight ahead a number of life-boats were moving; nothing more was to be seen of the Lusitania. The wreck must lie 14 nautical miles from the Old Head of Kinsale light-house, at an angle of 358 degrees to the right of it, in 90m of water (27 nautical miles from Queenstown) 51 degrees 22’ 6” N and 8 degrees 31’ W. The land and the lighthouse could be seen very plainly.
4:20 pm When taking a look around, a large steamer was in sight ahead on the port side, with course laid for Fastnet Rock. Tried to get ahead at high speed, so as to get a stern shot.
5:08 pm Conditions for shot very favorable: no possibility of missing if torpedo kept its course. Torpedo did not strike. Since the telescope was cut off for some time after this shot the cause of failure could not be determined. The steamer or freighter was of the Cunard Line.
6:15 pm . . . It is remarkable that there is so much traffic on this particular day, although two large steamers were sunk the day before south of George’s Channel. It is also inexplicable that the Lusitania was not sent through the North Channel."
Lusitania
"2 pm Straight ahead the 4 funnels and 3 masts of a steamer with a course at right angles to ours, Ship is made out to be a large passenger liner.
3:05 pm Went to 11m and ran at high speed on a course converging with that of the steamer, in hopes that it would change course to starboard along the Irish Coast. The steamer turned to starboard, headed for Queenstown and thus made it possible to approach for a shot. Ran at high speed till 3 pm in order to secure an advantageous position.
3:10 pm Clear bow shot at 700 m. . . angle of intersection 90 [degrees] estimated speed 22 nautical miles. Shot struck starboard side close behind the bridge. An extraordinary heavy detonation followed, with a very large cloud of smoke (far above the front funnel). A second explosion must have followed that of the torpedo (boiler or coal or powder?). The superstructure above the point of impact and the bridge were torn apart; fire broke out; light smoke veiled the high bridge. The ship stopped immediately and quickly listed sharply to starboard, sinking deeper by the head at the same time.
Great confusion arose on the ship; some of the boats were swung clear and lowered into the water. Many people must have lost their heads; several boats loaded with people rushed downward, struck the water bow or stern first and filled at once.On the port side, because of the sloping position, fewer boats were swung clear than on the starboard side.The ship blew off steam; at the bow the name “Lusitania” in golden letters was visible. It was running 20 nautical miles.
3:25 pm Since it seemed as if the steamer could only remain above water for a short time, went to 24m. and ran toward the Sea. Nor could I have fired a second torpedo into this swarm of people who were trying to save themselves.
4:15 pm Went to 11m and took a look around. In the distance straight ahead a number of life-boats were moving; nothing more was to be seen of the Lusitania. The wreck must lie 14 nautical miles from the Old Head of Kinsale light-house, at an angle of 358 degrees to the right of it, in 90m of water (27 nautical miles from Queenstown) 51 degrees 22’ 6” N and 8 degrees 31’ W. The land and the lighthouse could be seen very plainly.
4:20 pm When taking a look around, a large steamer was in sight ahead on the port side, with course laid for Fastnet Rock. Tried to get ahead at high speed, so as to get a stern shot.
5:08 pm Conditions for shot very favorable: no possibility of missing if torpedo kept its course. Torpedo did not strike. Since the telescope was cut off for some time after this shot the cause of failure could not be determined. The steamer or freighter was of the Cunard Line.
6:15 pm . . . It is remarkable that there is so much traffic on this particular day, although two large steamers were sunk the day before south of George’s Channel. It is also inexplicable that the Lusitania was not sent through the North Channel."
BBC World War One At Home Commemorating the Lusitania
We were asked to be in the BBC World at War tent during the Liverpool Water Festival, 14th - 15th June 2014 talking about the sinking of the Lusitania.
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