RMS Lusitania

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The sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a German U-Boat in 1915 was at the time a very controversial event. It, along with the Zimmerman Note, paved the way for the entry of the United States into the First World War. Even today, there is debate over the event, specifically about what exactly the ship was carrying (besides some 128 Americans), possible foreknowledge, and the alleged destruction of the wreck.

Contents

[edit] Background

The Lusitania was built and launched as an ocean liner in the year 1907. During the time of her sinking, the North Sea and the area around the British Isles was declared a war zone. Ships in that area were subject to being torpedoed if the U-boat crews were bored if they were determined to be non-neutral vessels, and the German Embassy in the U.S. published notices in major American newspapers warning potential passengers of this fact. As the ship was supposed to head to Liverpool, the crew was given instructions on how to avoid being sunk by German subs. When the Lusitania left New York with her passengers, she was in fact, also carrying ammunition.[1]. This, as the Germans insisted, made the ship a legitimate target under the laws of war.

[edit] Sinking

On 7th May, 1915, the Lusitania, by coincidence[2] crossed in front of a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland. The captain of the U-boat decided to give the order to fire a torpedo at the Lusitania, which struck the hull and caused a second explosion, sinking the ship and killing 1,195 people.

[edit] Controversy and conspiracy

[edit] Foreknowledge

The sinking of the Lusitania is viewed by conspiracy theorists similarly to the Pearl Harbor attack. It is their belief that the ship was meant to be sunk in order to bring the United States into the war. One of the main pieces of evidence cited is found in a letter to the British Board of trade from Winston Churchill reading,

"It is most important to attract neutral shipping to our shores in the hope especially of embroiling the United States with Germany . . . . For our part we want the traffic — the more the better; and if some of it gets into trouble, better still.[3]
This might sound like a smoking gun, but the Lusitania was hardly "neutral shipping". Another trope of this brand of conspiracy is to point to the lack of protection the vessel had during this voyage, as the Lusitania was heavily escorted into Liverpool bay. [4] The first thing to consider is that governments cock up sometimes, and Britain during World War I is definitely no exception. The government would have had to have known the positions and bearings of the U-boats in the area almost constantly to ensure such an event would happen, which, considering the range of the torpedo and the accuracy of British intelligence at the time, would be impossible. The U-boat crew would have to be relied on to make the decision to fire on the Lusitania in the first place and not miss[5] There is no evidence to suggest that there was a government conspiracy; it would have required impossibly elaborate planning and foresight. Since World War I was going on at the time, the government probably was not prioritizing the protection of a faster unarmed vessel like the Lusitania, anyway.

[edit] Destruction of the wreck

Divers examining the wreck have reported that it appears to have been depth charged and mined, with some unexploded ordnance also found.[6] Conspiracy theorists say this is evidence of a cover-up by the British Government. This is ridiculous. The wreckage was likely bombarded to reduce its signature as a reference point for German subs, as well as to destroy a potential hiding place for them.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. New York Times, 1915. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E0CE4DE1F3EE733A0575AC0A9639C946496D6CF
  2. OR WAS IT??????
  3. Thomas, Andy. Conspiracies: The Facts, the Theories, the Evidence. London: Watkins, 2013. Print. Conspiracies: The Facts. The Theories. The Evidence
  4. Layton, J. Kent (2010). Lusitania: an illustrated biography. Amberley Books. ISBN 978-1-84868-834-6.
  5. The Lusitania was faster than the U20 by a good 15 knots. see here and here for specifications
  6. As seen on this show: http://tv.yahoo.com/shows/treasure-quest/
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