The Lusitania: Murder on The High Seas

In May, 1915, the RMS Lusitania, known affectionately as the Lucy, was one of the most elegant and beautiful Ocean going liners. She had only made her maiden voyage in 1907, and had since made the trans-Atlantic crossing between Liverpool and New York more than 200 times. She had previously been a Blue Riband winner for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing and even in an age of elegance she was viewed as special, even third class passengers travelled in some luxury. But all this changed in August, 1914, with the outbreak of World War One. The Lusitania was now fitted out for war and reclassified as an armed merchant cruiser and gun decks were fitted. Though the guns were never installed and the luxury remained she would from now on carry war materiel. Since February, 1914, with the German announcement of unrestricted submarine warfare, the journey to America and back had been fraught with danger. But the Lucy was fast, she had made the crossing before and had remained unscathed, there was no reason to believe that she could not continue to do so in the future.

The Lusitania, under full-steam

The Lusitania arrived in New York on 27 April, 1915, and immediately began making preparations for her return journey. In the meantime, her regular Captain, Daniel Dow, was relieved of his command, it was said for a rest because of the stress of sailing the ship during wartime, and William Turner, Cunard’s most experienced Captain was put in command. Among the ships manifest were 4,200,000 rounds of ammunition, 1,250 empty shell cases, and 18 non-explosive fuses. At least, that was the official cargo. Even so, it was enough for the Germans to consider it contraband of war. Some passengers concerned that such a cargo would make the Lusitania a target for German submarines approached the German Embassy for clarification. As a result the German Embassy published a notice that would appear beneath posters advertising the Lusitania’s return journey. It read: ” Travellers intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and Great Britain and that the zone of war includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles, in accordance with formal notice given by the German Imperial Government vessels flying the flag of Great Britain are liable to destruction in those waters and that travellers sailing in those waters on British ships do so at their own risk.”