The Debate Who Was REALLY Responsible for Sinking the Lusitania?

The Debate – Who Was REALLY Responsible For Sinking The Lusitania? Source A

Extracts from a booklet published in October 1915 by Cunard, the company which owned the Lusitania.

On I May she left New York for Liverpool. Before sailing, threatening statements were published in the American press by the Germans foretelling the sinking of the liner. On 7 May the Irish coast was sighted ... without the slightest warning she was struck by a torpedo between the third and fourth funnels. There was evidence of perhaps a third and perhaps a fourth torpedo was fired and the great ship sank within twenty minutes. The doomed liner's SOS was answered and 764 lives were saved. This is the foulest act of wilful murder ever committed on the high seas and resulted in the loss of 1198 innocent people. It was only to be expected that the enemy would attempt to justify its evil work by proclaiming that the vessel was armed. The Lusitania was never actually in government service. Another German lie exposed!

Source B

Part of a statement issued by the German government, May 1915.

The German Ambassador warned Americans against sailing on the Lusitania. Does a pirate act thus? Does he take pains to save human lives? Nobody regrets more than we Germans the hard necessity of sending to their deaths hundreds of men. Yet the sinking was a justifiable act of war, just like the bombing of a fortress. The sinking was necessary because she was equipped for fighting, and especially because we had to protect our brave soldiers from death by war supplies from the USA. Source C

Part of a history book, Lusitania, by Colin Simpson, 1972.

He had studied the original drawings of the alterations made to the ship. Under strict secrecy the Lusitania entered dry dock on I May 1913 ... Revolving gun-rings were mounted on the rear deck so that two 6 inch guns could be installed. Other decks were adapted to take four 6 inch guns on each side.

Source D Part of a letter written by Winston Churchill in 1914.

We need to entangle neutral ships with the German submarines, and the ships we most need to involve are the Americans'.

Source E

Part of a history book, Lusitania, by Colin Simpson, 1972.

Looming large on the map in front of Churchill were the U-2o, the British cruiser Juno and the Lusitonia. Shortly after noon the Admiralty [naval headquarters] signalled the Juno to abandon her mission of escorting the Lusitonia to Liverpool. The Lusitania was not informed that she was now alone and every minute getting closer to the U-2o.

Source F Part of an article published in the Sunday Times, 15 August 1982.

The Lusitania was built for Cunard in 1906, financed by a massive government subsidy. Cunard, in return, agreed to build her so she could be converted into an armed cruiser. She had special mountings built into her decks which could take 6 inch guns. There is no available evidence that the guns were fitted. But the Germans believed they were hidden just below deck and could be brought out in a matter of minutes. During the war on almost every voyage from America she was stuffed with war materials. On her last voyage there is convincing evidence that apart from five million rounds of ammunition, she carried a large quantity of explosives.

Source G A copy of an illustration of the Lusitania being sunk as seen in The Illustrated News, London 1915 Source H From the British Newspaper ‘The Daily Mirror’ in London 1915.

Source I

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 22, 1915.