The Juno was on it's way to protect the Lusitania but was recalled, that's more than a blunder. I have heard that the final communications between the captain and the admiralty are still classified - after 100 years. That should not be necessary or allowed. I have also heard that king George asked the American ambassador what the US might do if the Lusitania were sunk, just a few days prior to the sinking. I really think you are being too kind!

Oh, don't worry. I'm not being kind to the Churchill and his cronies. Letting a national symbol like Lusitania go unguarded was downright criminal ineptitude. And I blame Wilson's administration for not insisting on knowing how this could have been allowed to happen. One problem I have is how the conspirators could be sure a U-boat would be able to torpedo the liner. If the U-boat had been a little further away or the liner going a bit faster and not making that turn allowing a shot, the Germans couldn't have caught up with her.

Good and yes all perfectly placed, which is why, I think, the final communications between the admiralty and captain are still classified!

But how could they count on the U-Boat captain being so obliging? I think the British and their supporters in America, however, were certainly ready to act if a "suitable" torpedoing took place. I'm more inclined to go with the "little cover up" theory.

From the research i did a couple of years ago around the centenery (my grt grandfather died on the ship) the background was that The Lusitania was registered with the germans as a naval vessel (something to do with a loan agreement made by the government prior I think), so it was on the 'hit list'. In the past Germans had been warning and allowing people to get off the boats before they sank them. However Churchill was blocking german ports and food deliveries to starve them and also ordered all captains ram any Uboats on site. So effectively prohibiting the German humane behaviour. I know this does not respond to your point adequately, but the other point was King George asking the US ambassador what America might do if the Lusitania were sunk. Churchill seems to brag about the benefits of a few dying babies substituted for 100's of 1000 men in his book afterwards. I know you could dispute this as just a film but it seemed to bring in a lot of the facts that I found out online kzbin.info/www/bejne/foXTnZx7hNN0q5Y . Churchills statement at 5.14 is an actual quote I understand. Then another point above was why are the final messages still classified? The final thing I remember is that the, admiralty wanted the wreck commissioner, Lord Mersey (also oversaw the Titanic enquiry) to blame the captain. Lord Mersey however resigned his post immediately afterwards, waived his fee and said to his sons years later that the Lusitania affair was' A damned dirty business'.

Oh, but what irony is something like that had happened!

give me