Spotlight On

The Lusitania

The Lusitania had a secret meaning to it in that the British Admiralty had constructed this boat for the outbreak of war the ship would be at the service of the government. When World War I broke out the Lusitania was ready for its service in the war. The boat was installed with ammunition magazines and gun mounts on the decks. On May 1, 1915 the ship left New York City heading for Liverpool. All of the hidden cargo on the boat contained ammuntion for the British war effort. On May 7 the ship was near the coast of Ireland and was hit by a torpedo fired by a German submarine. Within 18 minutes the giant ship had sunk, and most of the passangers never had a chance. 1,119 people out of the 1,924 people aboard the ship died. About 114 Americans were dead. The sinking of the Lusitania enraged Americans and their opinion towards the war had changed.