What happened to the Lusitania on May 7 1915?

What happened to the Lusitania on May 7 1915?

On the afternoon of May 7, 1915, the British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed without warning by a German submarine off the south coast of Ireland. Within 20 minutes, the vessel sank into the Celtic Sea. Of 1,959 passengers and crew, 1,198 people were drowned, including 128 Americans.

What caused the 2nd explosion on the Lusitania?

Aluminum powder explosion, advanced by Patrick O’Sullivan. A torpedo hitting the magazine could have kicked the stored aluminum powder into the air. As the powder settled, it would have reached explosive concentrations, triggering the second explosion.

Was Lusitania bigger than Titanic?

Both British ocean liners had been the largest ships in the world when first launched (the Lusitania at 787 feet in 1906, and the Titanic at 883 feet in 1911). …

Was the Lusitania a sister ship to the Titanic?

Were Lusitania and Titanic sister ships? A: No. Lusitania was operated by the Cunard Line, and Titanic was operated by the White Star Line. Lusitania’s sister ship was Mauretania, and they had a “half sister” or “cousin” named Aquitania.

What really sank the Lusitania?

One hundred years ago, on May 7, 1915, the Cunard luxury liner Lusitania was sunk by a German torpedo off the Irish coast. It was the fastest, most luxurious passenger ship ever to have sailed the seas and, like the Titanic, was believed to be invulnerable.

How cold was the water when the Lusitania sank?

52 °F
Lusitania sank in only 18 minutes, at a distance of 11.5 miles (19 km) off the Old Head of Kinsale. Despite being relatively close to shore, it took several hours for help to arrive from the Irish coast. By the time help arrived, however, many in the 52 °F (11 °C) water had succumbed to the cold.

What famous person died on the Lusitania?

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, once one of the richest men in the US, who died on board the Lusitania. The family fortune was founded by Cornelius Vanderbilt, known as the Commodore, a rough-hewn steamboat captain who left school at 11 and made a fortune in shipping and railway in the first half of the 19th century.

Who is to blame for the sinking of the Lusitania?

A German U-boat torpedoed the British-owned steamship Lusitania, killing 1,195 people including 128 Americans, on May 7, 1915. The disaster set off a chain of events that led to the U.S. entering World War I.

What ship was built at the same time as Titanic?

The first ships ordered were the Olympic and Titanic; the Britannic was added later. The Belfast firm of Harland and Wolff began construction of the Olympic on December 16, 1908, with the laying of the keel. After work finished on the hull and main superstructure, the Olympic was launched on October 20, 1910.

Are any survivors of the Lusitania still alive?

The last known survivor from the Lusitania ocean liner that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915 has died. Audrey Lawson-Johnston from Melchbourne in Bedfordshire died in the early hours of Tuesday aged 95. She was three months old when the liner bound for Liverpool from New York sank off the Irish coast on 7 May.

Where was the Lusitania when it was sunk?

OVER one thousand people died when the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed off the Old Head of Kinsale in Co. Cork on May 7, 1915. The British ocean liner, which was once the world’s biggest ever passenger ship, was sunk by a German submarine as it came towards the end of its voyage from New York to Liverpool during World War I.

How many people died on the RMS Lusitania?

The RMS Lusitania was sunk on 7 May 1915 by a torpedo fired without warning from a German submarine just off the Irish coast with the loss of 1,198 lives, including 128 American civilians. The liner went down in just 18 minutes and the loss of civilian life enraged US public opinion and hastened American’s entry into the first world war.

Why was there high explosives on the Lusitania?

Foreign Office officials also voiced serious concerns that a final British admission that there were high explosives on the Lusitania could still trigger serious political repercussions with America even though it was nearly 70 years after the event.

Who was the Cunard Line that ran the Lusitania?

The Cunard Line, who operated the Lusitania, denied the charge in The New York Times on May 10, 1915: “The United States authorities would not permit us to carry ammunition, classified as such by the military authorities, on a passenger liner,” they said.

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