Short Answer
On the morning of May 7, 1915, the RMS Lusitania, a British luxury ocean liner, steamed along the southern coast of Ireland, her passengers and crew unaware that the German submarine U-20 was stalking her. For months, Germany had declared the waters around the British Isles a war zone, and the German Embassy had placed warnings in American newspapers, yet the ship sailed with nearly 1,900 souls aboard. At 2:10 p.m., a single torpedo struck the starboard side, and within eighteen minutes the giant vessel vanished beneath the waves. The tragedy, which claimed roughly 1,200 lives, including more than a hundred Americans, would shock the world and reshape public opinion. As the first telegraph messages reached the press, newspapers scrambled to tell the story—often with incomplete, contradictory, and sensationalized accounts. This article reconstructs the event as it was experienced and reported at the time, using only primary sources: newspaper articles, eyewitness testimonies, and the personal memoir of a survivor.
What Happened?
On February 4, 1915, Germany issued a “Berlin Decree” declaring the waters around the British Isles a war zone, effective February 18, 1915. The Washington Times on February 5 reported, “America Faces Gravest Peril of War as Result of Germany’s Blockade,” and the New-York Tribune announced the decree with the headline “New ‘Berlin Decree’ Declares Waters Around British Isles War Zone On and After Feb. 18” ([1]). The German Embassy placed a warning in American newspapers on May 1, advising passengers not to travel on British ships. Nevertheless, the Lusitania departed New York on May 1 with 1,959 passengers and crew. On May 7, while off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, at 2:10 p.m., the U-20 fired a single torpedo. The ship sank in 18 minutes. The Irish Times reported that “about 1,200 people lost their lives” ([2]).
How It Was Seen at the Time
Contemporary reactions were a mixture of horror, outrage, and disbelief. The New York Times of May 10, 1915, ran a headline that captured the dramatic heroism: “VANDERBILT SAVED WOMAN; Gave Her His Life Belt, Though He Could Not Swim.” The article described how Alfred Vanderbilt, a millionaire, gave his life belt to a woman and drowned, while other passengers faced death together ([3]). The Irish Times published interviews with survivors, one of whom recalled, “Half-way through lunch, we heard a terrible crash” ([2]). The prevailing mood was moral condemnation; many saw the attack as a deliberate act against innocent civilians. The Washington Times had earlier warned of “America’s gravest peril of war,” and now that peril seemed realized.
Historical Snapshot
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | May 7, 1915 |
| Place | Off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, Atlantic Ocean |
| People | Captain William Thomas Turner; passengers including Alfred Vanderbilt; German U-boat commander Walther Schwieger |
| What Happened | The RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by German submarine U-20 and sank in 18 minutes |
| Why It Mattered | Shocked the world, fueled anti-German sentiment, and contributed to American entry into World War I |
Contemporary Newspaper Coverage
Newspapers were the primary medium of information, and their coverage was often dramatic and sensational. The Library of Congress’s Chronicling America archive contains many such articles. On February 5, 1915, The Washington Times declared “America Faces Gravest Peril of War as Result of Germany’s Blockade,” and the New-York Tribune reported the Berlin Decree with the headline “New ‘Berlin Decree’ Declares Waters Around British Isles War Zone On and After Feb. 18” ([1]). After the sinking, the New York Times of May 10, 1915, published a detailed account of the survivors’ stories, with headlines such as “VANDERBILT SAVED WOMAN; Gave Her His Life Belt, Though He Could Not Swim” and “BATES DIED AIDING OTHERS” ([3]). The Irish Times on May 8, 1915, carried the first reports and later printed interviews with survivors, including the vivid memory of a crash during lunch ([2]). The tone was accusatory and emotional, often portraying the attack as a barbaric act.
Eyewitness Accounts
Survivors’ stories were eagerly sought by the press. The New York Times article of May 10, 1915, described how Alfred Vanderbilt, though unable to swim, gave his life belt to a woman and was lost. The same article recounted that “Klein, Forman, and Miss Jolivet faced the end together on deck” ([3]). Charles E. Lauriat, Jr., a survivor, published a first-hand narrative, The Lusitania’s Last Voyage, in 1915, providing a detailed account of the torpedo strike and the sinking ([4]). The Irish Times article from 2021, which republished the 1915 interviews, includes a survivor recalling, “Half-way through lunch, we heard a terrible crash” ([2]). These accounts convey the chaos, the heroism, and the terror of the moment.
What People Knew at the Time
| What People Knew Then | What We Know Now |
|---|---|
| The Lusitania was an unarmed passenger ship attacked without warning. | The ship was carrying a substantial amount of munitions, including rifle cartridges and shell casings, which may have caused a second explosion. |
| Initial reports claimed two or three torpedoes were fired. | Only one torpedo was fired; the second explosion likely came from cargo. |
| The death toll was initially underestimated; many hoped that most passengers had been saved. | The final death toll was approximately 1,200, including 128 Americans. |
| The British government denied that the ship carried war material. | Later evidence confirmed the munitions, though the legality remains debated. |
What the Sources Got Wrong
Contemporary reporting was often confused. The New York Times on May 10, 1915, wrote that “Hope Abandoned for Those Now Missing,” indicating that the number of survivors was still uncertain ([3]). Some newspapers initially reported that two torpedoes had hit the ship, but the submarine’s log later confirmed only one. The death toll was also revised upward as more bodies were recovered. Additionally, the British government’s denial of munitions was later disproven, though at the time the public believed the ship was purely civilian. These errors were not necessarily deliberate; they reflected the chaos and limited information of the moment.
Aftermath
Immediately after the sinking, rescue operations began from Queenstown (now Cobh) and the Old Head of Kinsale. The New York Times reported that “Queenstown Still Filled with Survivors Too Ill to be Moved and Some Will Die” ([3]). The event triggered a diplomatic crisis between the United States and Germany. President Woodrow Wilson sent protest notes, and Germany eventually agreed to restrict submarine warfare in 1916. The sinking also inflamed anti-German sentiment and helped shift American public opinion toward the Allies, leading to the U.S. entry into World War I in 1917. The Lusitania became a symbol of the war’s human cost, and the primary sources of the day continue to preserve that outrage.
In the end, the primary sources—the headlines, the survivors’ words, the first-person memoir—offer a window into a world suddenly confronted by the brutality of modern warfare. They show how a single event could transform public perception, and how the press of the era both informed and inflamed. The Lusitania sinking remains a powerful reminder of the human stakes of war, and the documents of that time allow us to hear the voices of those who lived through it.
FAQ
How many people died in the Lusitania sinking?
Approximately 1,200 people lost their lives, according to the Irish Times in 2021. The New York Times in 1915 reported that hope was abandoned for those missing, and the exact toll was uncertain at the time.
Did the Lusitania carry munitions?
Yes, later evidence showed that the ship carried a significant amount of munitions, including rifle cartridges and shell casings. The British government denied this at the time, but the information became known after the war.
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