-
Design of the Lusitania
Construction of the Lusitania was laid down on June 16th 1904 by the shipping company Curnad. The Lusitania was designed by Leonard Peskett who designed her sister ships the Mauritania and Aquitania, the Lusitania and Aquitania were built by John Brown and Company while the Mauritania was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson. -
The RMS Lustiania
The RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner that travel from Liverpool to New York. Construction of the Lusitania began on the June 16th 1904 and finished on June 7th 1906. It was considered the fastest ship of its time, capable of sustaining a speed of 25 knots. Its maiden voyage was on September 7th 1907 from Liverpool and arrived in New York on September 13th 1907. -
The Lusitania's Route
The Lusitania would travel from Liverpool to New York, her maiden voyage began on September 7th 1907 in Liverpool and ending on September 13th 1907 taking a total of 5 days and 54 minutes, 30 minutes off the then record for fastest crossing set by th Kaiser Wilhelm II. Her second voyage faired better, arriving in Sandy Hook in a record time of 4 days 19 hours and 53 minutes. She received the Blue Riband (unofficial title given to a record breaking ship) for that journey. -
Lusitania vs the Olympic class
4 years after the launch of the Lusitania, White Star Line released its competition, the Olympic. The Olympic was the first of White Star's 3 ocean liners followed by the famous Titanic and the Brittanica. The Olympic class ships were slower than the Lusitania but could more passangers and was considered more luxurious than the Lusitania and her sisters. -
World War 1
After the assination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, war soon broke out. The RMS Lustiania was commandeered by the Admiralty (British Royal Navy) as an armed merchant crusier. Proving unsuitable the RMS Lusitania continued as a passanger cruiser, now carrying government cargo. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
On route to Liverpool, the Lusitania was attacked by the U-20 German U-Boat, 11 miles off the south coast of Ireland. One torpedo was fired that hit the starborad bow, an explosion went off where the torpedo had struck, causing the ship to sink faster. The bow hit the seabed in 18 minutes with the stern still above the water. 1195 of the 1959 passangers died, including 128 US citizens. -
U-20 and its Captain
Walther Schwieger was the captain of the U-20, the U-Boat that sank the Lusitania. The British Navy declared him a possible war criminal, which was common for a successful officer, the British nicknamed him "The Baby Killer". He first commanded the U-14 from August 1st 1914 to December 15th 1914, he was transferred to the U-20 on December 16th 1914 until its destruction in November 4th 1916, he was then assigned to the U-88 from May 18th 1917 until its destruction on September 5th 1917. -
Sinking of the Lusitania to Australia
The sinking of Lusitania had no direct impact on Australia, but the German's following restriction on passanger ship attacks allowed Australian troops safer access to Europe. The Lusitania's sister ships the RMS Mauritania and RMS Aquitania were used as troop ships at the Dardanelles Campaign (Part of which was the Gallipoli battle). -
Australia during May 1915
May 1915 for Australian troops was spent fighting at Gallipoli. The week the Lusitania was sunk was also the week when John Simpson Kirkpatrick also known as Simpson and his donkey were killed. April 25th is when Australia in Gallipoli, December 18th, after 8 months of fighting Australia withdrew from Gallipoli. -
US reaction to the sinking
128 of the 1195 killed in the sinking of the Lusitania, they were burried at Queenstown, Ireland on May the 25th 1915. This infuriated the American's, President Woodrow Wilson was adamant about not overracting.The German's from then on would only attack British ships, no passanger liners and neutral ships would be subjected to Prize Law rules. Germany renounced the restrictions on the ship targets. This caused the US to declare war on Germany. -
US Declares War
January 1917, Germany resumed its unrestricted submarine attacks on passanger liners. This aggravated the US who up until then considered themselves neutral. April 6th 1917, the US congress voted on the declaration of war on Germany. -
War Ends
On the 11th minute of the 11th hours of the 11th day of the 11th month all fronts layed down arms (an armistice), although World War 1 was not officially over until July 28th 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles. The US did not agree with the Treaty of Versailles due to the League of Nations (a organisation to maintain peace), the US did not offically end war until 1921 with the Knox-Porter Resolution.
