Lusitania: Is This The Last Footage?

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Hi everyone! I made a mistake in this video - my poor jetlagged brain said Imperator when I meant Vaterland, the sister ship. Vaterland was interned at Hoboken through the war while Imperator was not. My apologies for the mix up!

[@HereticalKitsune]

Thanks for the correction, appreciated.

[@jeebusk]

it's ok, 24/35k views saw this disclaimer 😅

[@jeremychamberland7712]

Will you do a video, or have you of the recent news about Harland & Wolff's insolvency?

[@theBlankScroll]

Could you do a story on the Adrias? Apparently english/greek destroyer that had its front blown off but still steamed 700+ miles missing like the front third of the boat. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_destroyer_Adrias_(L67)

[@elliottjames8020]

Quick question: If oceanliners were popular subjects for early film, what about warships? Were would one go looking for that?

[@ryana3298]

Was having a crappy day until I saw our friend Mike Brady uploaded a new video.

[@tturi2]

I've had a pretty long day and feel pretty down rn, but videos help with getting through the slump

[@Mogamishu]

@@tturi2girlfriend broke up with you?

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Life can be exhausting, but make sure to make time for yourselves.

[@TVonthePorch]

I always really enjoy...I always Really enjoy...I always really Enjoy his takes! Even the alternate takes.

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

wise up you do not know him and never will. plus he is a youtuber. won't be long until he is in a video exposing him. seems to be the way these days

[@E9Project]

My family immigrated to the US on the last safe voyage. If it had been sunk on its way to the US, there is a high chance I would not be here to type this message. Thank you for the wonderful work you do, I really enjoy your channel!

[@christopherstephenjenksbsg4944]

I grew up in Chelsea in the 1960s, and the Chelsea piers were still being used by ocean liners, at least early in the 60s. I remember going down to the piers to see them docking. The one that sticks in my mind the most is the SS France, with her deep, sonorous horn. It's weird to think that at the time only 45-to-50 years had passed since the Lusitania had left on her final voyage. Nearly 70 years have passed since then. In other words, I'm OLD!

[@3UZFE]

Old perhaps but you got to witness things that are long gone, so theres certainly a silver lining to that

[@j_taylor]

Thank you for sharing your experiences here. You bring the rest of us a little closer to these events. Not that you're old, I mean. 😅

[@roguetheotter]

i can't even begin imagine the majesty of it all. there's definitely a beauty to the 'liners that i feel like we've lost.

[@giggiddy]

You lived through some of the worlds worst and best days. These days are mostly crap and people are not the same anymore. Be happy you lived when you did. Young people will not grow up with the same wonderful things you saw. Old isn't always a negative. Cheers and God bless. 😊

[@glennrishton5679]

I'm nearly old myself and I have a similar feeling when I think of joining the Navy in 1970. WWII had only been over 25 years and I served with a few WWII veterans.

[@Maritime_History]

I have watched this footage hundreds of times and can't believe that I have missed so many details all this time. Thank you for sharing so much interesting information!

[@R.M.S_Titanic1912]

MARITIME, I know about the live stream on Historic travels...you have won the battle, BUT NOT THE WAR!! WE WILL RISE AGAINST YOU IN THE NEXT HISTORIC TRAVELS Q&A! (Also to anyone who doesn't know, Historic travels chat (me including) and Maritime have some warfare.)

[@Brock_Landers]

​@@R.M.S_Titanic1912What? That is so petty...KZbin beef? Wow...

[@R.M.S_Titanic1912]

@Brock_Landers go watch historic travels channel live streams (specifically the end) you'll see what I mean.

[@davidberriman5903]

A contribution from our friend Mike Brady always means we are in for a treat.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

It's also very poignant seeing all those people out on deck and wondering who survived and those souls who unfortunately didn't.

[@DDG-121]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this. Any ships who have sunk with footage before hand make me wonder, what were all of those people thinking in their final moments?

[@tylermarier2034]

Honestly, everyone who is born has already beaten the odds. Considering war, disease, and poverty, I’m happy to be alive. Life’s not always easy, but I’m happy to be a part of it!

[@bryanewyatt]

​@@DDG-121also thinking that none of them could have guessed what would happen.

[@Timberwolf69]

@@bryanewyatt This might be true for many passengers on other ships, back then. But the passengers of the Lusitania had a hunch what might happen, thanks to the newspaper ad posted by the germans.

[@belindaf8821]

I was thinking the same thing as well.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

A priceless piece of film! And it's a bit like looking at ghosts, isn't it? Even the survivors have all passed away. Thanks Mike!

[@matthewcox6615]

It was a long time ago.

[@SummitHill79]

My dumb Dad Joke to the kids: What do all the people in this film have in common? They’re all dead.

[@HereticalKitsune]

Hey Mike Brady, my friend from oceanliner Designs! Thanks for bringing us this footage and commenting on it!

[@julieputney4317]

This is so fascinating and thought provoking . It's eerie to imagine we're watching people from over a century ago sailing to their doom.

[@RobertCraft-re5sf]

Thanks for always qualifying the reality of Lusitania being a valid war target and that people were at least aware of the danger. Important to get history right.

[@miapdx503]

Yes, a lot people like to think that everyone was a victim. The passengers were aware of everything going on. They took a chance...and it didn't go well.

[@notsureyou]

@@miapdx503 Using civilians as a shield is considered a war crime these days.

[@Timberwolf69]

@@notsureyou Uhm, why d you consider this as "using civilians as a shield"? The Lusitania was an ocaen liner, not a warship. But attacking civilian targets should be a war crime.

[@NashmanNash]

@@Timberwolf69 Technically,Lusitania was still in Janes fighting ships listed as an auxilliary cruiser,she was carrying cargo that can easily be considered contraband,she did not even sail with civilian colors...

[@notsureyou]

@@Timberwolf69 Because they used this Ocean liner which was carrying civilians, During war to carry ammunition, and not simple "a couple rounds".

[@Coco2128]

Great video Mike but there’s one mistake you made. The three stacker seen in the background of the Lusitania was not the Imperator but the Vaterland. The Imperator was in Germany when war broke out and was thus laid up in Hamburg while the Vaterland was trapped in the US when war broke out and was thus laid up in Hoboken until 1917 when America entered the war.

[@johnv7317]

The four funnel ocean liner next to the SS Vaterland could possibly be either SS Kronprinz Wilhelm, SS Kaiser Wilhelm II or the SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie. Those three liners were in New York when World War I started.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Yes! Thanks. I swear my brain said Vaterland but my mouth said Imperator! I blame jet lag from having come back from overseas. :)

[@jonathandewar4707]

Captain Dow took command in the early war crossings He resigned due to fear of Submarine attack and lack of escort ships to protect her Bill turner took command close to when she sank so probably last voyage or very near Seeing him in footage confirms it Vaterland became leviathan Named by Roosevelt Mo ster of the deep lol It's in the bible he said A ship ahead and behind of her time

[@bellemeri8155]

Based on the women's attire at the beginning of the footage and a look at historic weather data, I'd put the odds at 80% of this being the final voyage. The ladies are wearing car coats, fur stoles, and hats but not heavier weight coats or capes. The high temperature on departure day was 60, so a medium weight coat for traveling from home or hotel to the ship would make sense. I suspect a lot of the ladies traveling then went to their staterooms to unpack and prepare for the trip. Women's fashion changes quickly enough that you can narrow down dates based on it.

[@TheSaneHatter]

Elementary. 🕵

[@FireMageLayn]

And it could probably be cross referenced further, because while Hubbard was also a passenger on previous crossings, was he a passenger on previous crossings, where the tide would've been high, after those last modifications were made, when women would've worn these coats?

[@elizabethjones9781]

I love the outfit of the woman who bustles past at 2:52 holding something under her left arm. She looks fabulous and a little bit formidable.

[@belindaf8821]

@@FireMageLayn I commented saying basically the same thing. It might be possible to find out what other voyages he was on, and work backwards from there. If he didn't do another trip in the same year or so, or at least during the war, then you know that this is the final voyage. Your way could work just as well!

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

There's supporting evidence in the men's hats, too. In 'Dead Wake', Erik Larson wrote that although temperatures were unseasonably warm that weekend, men were still wearing their winter hats, as it was not yet the socially acceptable date to switch to lighter spring hats. Those are definitely winter wool or felt hats in the film, rather than the lighter weight and lighter coloured straw and covered buckrham that would be worn in spring and summer.

[@RaeCarson]

14:50 While the stories of the people are definitely what I tend to be most interested in, there's many aspects of history that catch my eye. As one example, I thank you for using the proper term for this type of photography!! I'd heard it years and years ago and couldn't recall what it was. Orthochromatic film is definitely different than just the garden-variety black-and-white films that our parents and grandparents were familiar with in the 40s-70s. I'm a dabbling film nerd and I appreciate it that much more when you're able to use found footage within your already excellent videos, footage analyses, and blueprint-graphic-reconstructions. Fun historical fact for fellow viewers: For a clue that even later film types still had difficulty with color saturation even in b&w....film makers were well-aware of that fact and when making fictional movies, they used it to their advantage. For example, earlier Alfred Hitchcock films often used black- or dark brown-colorized things in order to represent blood. In the shower scene during the movie Psycho, Hershey's syrup was used as a blood substitute.

[@ShadowDragon8685]

I thought I recalled reasung something about modern computing power being able to pull true color out of monochrome film. Would that work on film this old? Was it real at all? If so, could this film be true colorized so we could see what she actually looked like?

[@RaeCarson]

@@ShadowDragon8685 If so, that would be remarkable. I wonder how that type of algorithm would even be developed. Fascinating!!

[@captainwolfe1147]

I'm so glad the folks at the National Archives were able to digitize this piece of footage for us to see, I can only imagine the backlog of unprocessed items they have! It also looks like the record of the film in the archives catalog has some interesting ephemera that goes along with the film print as well, worth a look! Thanks for a nice quick video to watch on a day I'm feeling under the weather :)

[@waynejohnson-i8f]

Mike, I’ve been having a really rough time. Between death in the family, my Volvo being totaled, and my phone being stolen, I have been just sad. Any time you put out a video though, it really cheers me up. Thank you for that!

[@jonathanberner5501]

I had never realized that the perfect impression of an old timey American broadcaster accent is identical to an Aussie impersonating an American accent with a nasal tone. Well done!

[@DDG-121]

I first learned about the Lusitiana in school, and I love learning even more about it. I have thalassophobia and meglaphobia, which isn't a great mix, but recently I've taken a huge intrest in ships, oceanliners, warships, aircraft carriers, icebreakers, ANY ship! I live very close to a retired battleship that was turned into a museum, my fiancé has stayed the night on it and i'm hoping we can go see it together, and maybe it can help me overcome my fears! Thank you for slowly helping me overcome my fears Mike!

[@drewintampa]

Thank you Mike for another outstanding video. AS FAR AS THE FILM GOES, I am no rocket scientist, but I highly doubt there would be news crews filming an 8 year old liner that has come and gone from this pier a million times unless there was a reason. I think that reason is absolutely because of the warning given to her passengers. I greatly appreciate you bringing my hobby to life. I always walk away feeling as though I had just sailed on one of these magnificent liners.

[@leefromoakville3810]

Mike, your early-1900s American newsreel voice was impeccable!

[@dufushead]

Good work, love it. My old man was a Cunard Yank circa 1941-55, so it's facinating to see the other end of the journey, Pier 54, the start being the Pier Head in Liverpool. I've tons of his old stuff, he kept everything. He loved the Edwardian liners, thought they were a class above the rest, more sturdy and that mattered to him on the North Atlantic troopships during the war. I like your style, thanks.

[@htos1av]

I hope you get to scan everything and post for us!

[@fyrequeene]

Short, yes, but very very sweet. Thank you, Mr. Brady, for such a poignant glimpse into an era long gone.

[@NikkiKuehnemund]

Wow, this is amazing.. Not only because it's a film of Lusitania, but all the other things happening during this film. All the people, cars, just life happening. It was just a "normal" day in the early 1900.. Another thing that just entered my mind was that not one of the people you see in this film is alive today.. This is history, both at its most beautiful and sad at the same time.. Thank you, Mike😊

[@michaelsommers5503]

Thanks, Mike! It's incredible footage of the Lusitania and your comments are typically observant. It gives one pause to realize the majority of those people buzzing around the decks are in the final week of their lives.

[@arronjones6985]

Mike, your videos are absolute gold. Iv watched pretty much all your channel has to offer. Your new stuff is good enough for tv and im amazed you haven't been snapped up. One ship iv always wondered about is the herald of free enterprise. In 1987 a week or so before she sank/capsized I was on board returning from a skiing trip in Austria with my cousin and grandparents. I vividly remember my mum waking me up the morning of the disaster. I was only 7 at the time. It sat heavy on my mind for what seemed like months afterwards. A video on this would be great. I have watched videos on it but, your videos are easy to take in and make sense of.

[@wendlebury8802]

I remember this too we were at some sort of function and the news came thro , not sure how , whilst we were eating I remember how shocked everyone was

[@lina_gioia]

I have watched the RMS Lusitania departure video many times lately, it magnetizes every time, thank you for details about it, Mike! it's so interesting! What a great ship! Also, I really like her interior design.

[@jackystan6241]

Ocean liner designs is my comfort channel I was having a hard time today but watching this really helps keep up the great work!!

[@SherwoodHicks]

I really enjoy all your videos. Your hard work is evident in each one of them and your friendly personality makes it so much more than just a documentary. Keep up the great work it is very much appreciated. Greetings from the USA.

[@rebeccaranda2278]

I’m from Upstate New York , I’ve spent some time in New York City , and I gotta say you definitely know your way around The City, you’ve been naming the correct names of the locations and the names of the places that you would be going through and looking at with incredible accuracy and depth. Thank You , If You Were Not Obviously An Australian Man, I Swear You Would Be A Good Old American Man, A Yankee Or A Yank As I’m sure You Folks Call Us .. lol .. Thank You.

[@40ounce58]

Very cool video. I’ve always been fascinated with the liners of that time period. (I loved the old time voice you did )!

[@seraph_prime]

Absolutely love this content! Learning about other ships besides Titanic is so fascinating. Don’t get me wrong Titanic is still my favorite, but it’s cool learning about other ship history.

[@deepseadirt1]

sometimes the Chelsea Piers scenes are used in Titanic/White Star Line Offices footage; that is people going to the White Star Line Offices to inquire about loved ones ie one lady wiping her teary face with her apron. But most of this footage is the May 1, 1915 final voyage start --- the fact that Captain Turner is on the bridge,(previously it was Daniel Dow) . Turner had been on the Aquitania in 1914, as with that insert pic 11:10. This was Turner's first or second voyage on Lusitania since coming back and taking over from Dow and after the war started. He was ticked at how much of the ship was in disrepair. Some of the Chelsea footage appears in the CBS television program "WORLD WAR ONE: They Sank The Lusitania"(1964) and one shot shows 4 funnels up over the Pier buildings with taller vent vappings meaning that it is Mauretania in that particular shot. 16:48 The large ship with 3 funnels in the background is Vaterland, rather than Imperator, after the US internment of her in Hoboken. Imperator's funnels were cut by 15 feet in her first year of service because of stability issues and she was in Germany at the time. Some of the footage shows the coils of docking rope covering the gun mounts that had been installed in 1913. The men who shot the footage(I forget their names) made a point of heading down there and the intertitle states they were the only film people who were allowed to the dock to film. As the ship was sunk the footage immediately became valuable. The 1918 silent film LEST WE FORGET which starred survivor & actress Rita Jolivet may or may not have used some of this footage; the film survives but in fragments.

[@rrice1705]

Such a seemingly simple bit of film, it's remarkable how much it has to tell us. Looking at the scale of the passengers vs their surroundings, I get the impression that, for all her size, Lusitania would have felt a bit cramped, for lack of a better word, in comparison to a modern cruise liner. Thank you much for the analysis, Mike!

[@cunard61]

At 13:16, you get a view of the focsle deck, and you can see one of the forward cargo booms (derricks) angled downward toward the deck. There used to be two forward booms there but one is missing for some reason. Those two booms used to be stowed on a cradle until 1911, when the cradle was lost in a very powerful storm, and the cradle ended up never being replaced. This same storm damaged the ship's bridge face as well, knocking it backward about 3 inches from its original location, and smashing all the bridge windows.

[@DaystromDataConcepts]

Did I detect a catch in your voice at one point? Your love of these beautiful old ships is palpable.

[@c-man7740]

Such a haunting piece of film, combined with your never ending well of knowledge this made for an amazing video!!

[@Th.G.M.]

Whenever you put up a new video I know it will be fascinating! There never was one boring. You are doing such a great job narrating! Thank you!

[@worldwarIIstori]

Fascinating video! The historical footage and insights into the Lusitania's story are captivating. Excellent work bringing this piece of history to life!

[@jaynorris3722]

Mike, you make life happier. Thank you

[@ozziemederos]

Awesome video Mike brady well done

[@briangarvey6895]

A thoughtful and appreciated analysis of the details of this bit of film.

[@roadweary5252]

Just sat down to fold laundry and what pops up? A Mike Brady upload to help pass the time 👍

[@noodlethesnake6927]

Mike bradys videos always manages to cheer us all up

[@CollinCat100]

I know this comment will most definitely get buried, but I am learning "Lusitania Intermezzo" on the flute!

[@jeffpotipco736]

Lusitania is what the Romans called Portugal.

[@jericho86]

Bump

[@meeseification]

I'm going to try to find it, and give it a listen. 😊

[@davew5383]

It's amazing that this footage of the Lusitania still exists, especially if it is actually from its last voyage, which also makes it kind of sad to see, when you think about what was soon going to happen to it. Kind of wishing that you could yell out and warn them. But unfortunately they were warned of the danger and the ship sailed anyway. Very sad, but extremely interesting to see such old footage of the ship and the people and the taxi's on the street with the hustle and bustle of the people on the street getting ready for their voyage. As always, I learn so much from your great and very interesting documentaries Mike Brady, I always enjoy them Very Much👍🙂

[@SanktaLo]

There must be some way to cross check Hubbard’s trips on Lusitania and the other info we have. The woman next to him does look a great deal like his wife, Alice. I tried looking for passenger manifestos for voyages other than May 1, but had a hard time finding any. Maybe some of the historical dress aficionados can help date the clothing we see (though it might be difficult with so few women clearly seen). Great video! I always love a good mystery. I think if it’s not the final trip, it’s one of the last for sure

[@RhodesyYT]

A new chopin waltz was found today now this video of lusitania? Oh boy this is brilliant

[@marshaprice8226]

Thanks so much, Mike, for a fascinating analysis of this intriguing film! Thanks also for bringing us one of my favorite KZbin channels!

[@AricBolf]

To find the angle at which the Lusitania was positioned when the bow hit the sea floor, we can use some basic trigonometry. Given that: * The length of the ship, L=787 feet * The depth of the sea floor, D=305 feet We can picture the scenario as a right triangle, where: * The hypotenuse is the length of the ship (L). * The vertical side is the depth of the sea floor (D). The angle θ between the ship and the sea floor is given by the sine function: sin(θ)=D/L Then, solving for θ: θ=arcsin(D/L) The angle of the Lusitania when the bow touched the sea floor was approximately 22.8∘

[@SaanviWadhwa-g4d]

Thanks for posting this! Lusitania is one of my favorite oceanliner!

[@jakemaynard9445]

hey mike jake here from gold coast qld firstly i would just like to say i am a huge fan of yours i have been a titanic /trans Atlantic enthusiast since i was 5 going on 36 now and i greatly appreciate your tremendous dedication to keeping these stories still alive as long as your doing these videos youll alway keep the memories of what was once such beautiful and majestic ocean liners keep up the fantastic work mate your work is much loved for some many people i was also going to suggest and i sure youve already heard about the ss united states it would be great if you could do a piece on her before she is turned into an artificial reef thanks again mate cheer

[@ailsasublett9885]

I loved you doing the voice-over in the old style announcer patter.

[@sooz1999]

Enjoyable video Mike. I am a massive Titanic fan, but have not been as hugely interested in the Lusitania. I looked up Elbert Hubbard and it seems he and his wife died very similarly to the Strauss's. However, it seems they could have saved themselves, but chose to die instead of being seperated in the water. Very sad!

[@phaasch]

Thank you for this, Mike - it's a grey day here in England, the hour has just gone back to GMT, and it all feels a bit below the waterline. So this cheered me up no end, despite it's sombre overtones. It all points to the final departure, as you say, with the meticulous recording of what would otherwise be very everyday scenes of a ship's departure. The perhaps defiant showing of the Stars and Stripes over the rail, lots of little details adding up. The Chelsea Piers was a construction on a heroic scale, and it's heartbreaking that none of it could be repurposed for anything. Tbh, I'd put it on a par with the loss of Penn Station.

[@MoodusOperandi]

Well, it was very sunny here in London. 🙂

[@miapdx503]

I'm in the Pacific Northwest, Portland Oregon. Of course it's raining, it rains nine months of the year. But that's why we have beautiful rain forests. Cheers! 🌹

[@Verdi.and.violet]

I LOVED this! Always down to watch you analyze old ship footage!

[@mmusser62]

Love your videos! Fascinating information on the Lusitania sailing.

[@patcraft508]

Small correction, the three-funneled liner described as Imperator in this video is actually her sister the Vaterland, as the Imperator was laid up in Hamburg at that time. Otherwise its an amazing video as always. :) Best regards Pat.

[@R.M.S_Titanic1912]

2:04 most authentic genuine footage experience of Michael Brady Oceanliner designs. Approved by the white star line and other brands that have no links to this topic and just want a bit of the funds.

[@DookieMcPoo]

If Mike Brady wasnt my friend, i dont think i could bear it.

[@Onceayoungidiot]

Been watching Tombstone again, huh? 😉

[@DookieMcPoo]

@@Onceayoungidiot lol, once every couple of years. Its a great movie😄

[@Onceayoungidiot]

@@DookieMcPoo Yeah. Val Kilmer played an amazing part as Doc Holliday.

[@towgod7985]

13,366 views in 4 hours! Mike, you're doing something right! Cheers.

[@KXXULADavidOC]

Really enjoyed this video, this footage is all just amazing, from all the arriving on the street to Lusitania departing, its just beautiful footage Its quite haunting to think that if this is the last footage its also the last image of many of those people and they are so clear too. Would love to see more videos of period footage of ocean liners like this

[@PromusKaa]

Hey Mike! Great video, as always, but I’d like to make a positive correction: not all the piers were torn down!! The White Star piers 59, 60, and 61 (notably used by the Olympic) are still intact! Pier 59 has been partially converted to a golf putting zone (and appears in the Will Ferrell film “The Other Guys”), but the other piers are 100% intact and are used for parking, a fitness center, and a bowling alley/activity center. Since they’re accessible to the public, anyone can walk into them and admire the steelwork of the beams, and even stand at the point between 59 and 60 where you would have been looking right at the mighty prow of the Olympic! I highly recommend a visit next time you’re in New York!

[@cheesyllama]

Mike, you could honestly upload basically anything dealing with ocean liners, and we, your fans would just eat it up and enjoy the heck out of it.

[@james5460]

Elbert Hubbard didn't even have a passport during WWI (he was "cancelled" in the contemporary sense in 1913 due to writing "objectionable material" about the Kaiser - good thing that doesn't happen any longer lol). But then President Woodrow Wilson personally intervened to grant his passport early in 1915, shortly before this voyage (which is why he was on this particular trip, somewhat ironically). The odds of Hubbard being on the ship with all its WWI accouterments and it not being that particular voyage are vanishingly small if not entirely impossible. In fact, out of everything you discussed (the tides? really?), his presence combined with the ship's late alterations is the most convincing evidence it was the last departure.

[@SeaTravelr123]

this was wonderful... and I see you caught your error on the Ballin ship... The other detail, that probably means very little to most is that we used to just call it the Narrows, between Staten Island and Brooklyn. The Verrazano was built in the 60s, so our lovely Lusitania didn't get to sail under the bridge... ;-( . Your videos, as always are a nice departure from world events and we in the USA are on eggshells awaiting tues and the results of our Presidential elections... thank you for the respite.... Keep up the good work Mate...

[@michaelmagnus9]

Great stuff as always. Might not the four funnels to the right of Vaterland (not Imperator as others have pointed out) belong to the interned NDL liner Kaiser Wilhelm II? The distinctive 2 funnels - gap - 2 funnels stands out.

[@cyberfutur5000]

Beautiful footage love watching videos of this time, even just random streets in random cities, but when the show at least a thing of historic relevance, if not even a relevant moment, it's even better. Bonus points for it having this slight bit of uncertainty and riddle factor, together with great commentary. With my limited knowledge I would also argue that when there is a 50/50 chance, that would only exist in an historical vacuum. But given the (incomplete) context I have, there would be a heavy weighting towards it being the last voyage, due to the fact, that that was the one with the media attention. I still wouldn't say it's 100% obvious, but it seems very likely to be the real deal. But even if not, it's amazing to watch. It's important to check these things and calm down sensationalists and all that, but a part of me is just happy to see a grainy video of a big boat (or airplane, race car, zeppelin, whatever) :D

[@Feline_Frenzy53]

Fantastic video, Mike. Great detective work, too. Thank you.

[@legiran9564]

Vaterland was interned in New York. Imperator was moored in Hamburg.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Yes thanks. I have been a bit fatigued of late having come back from international travel and my brain switched the two names in my head!

[@wendlebury8802]

Thanks as always for another interesting post. It all started with Titanic and I can't believe how I've become interested in "ships" of all types ...who'd have thought lol

[@lynners42]

Hello from Michigan, Mike! Love the channel 😄

[@Hairnicks]

Superb bit of film and a lovely presentation.

[@nikospapageorgiou57]

Dear Mike, would it be possible for you to cover the liners of the US Great lakes? It is a subject rarely mentioned, that I find it to be extremely interesting! Thank you very much in advance and keep up the amazing work!

[@RG-Models86]

I agree with you, Mike. This is very likely the last footage of Lusitania filmed. If it is, then it's very sad when you stop and realise that she only had a week left before her tragic demise.

[@rvx5818]

Here within the first 5 minutes of posting! This is a new record even for the chronically online me! 😆 Love your work! ♥

[@artswri]

Great narration and presentation of a historic period. Thanks for this!

[@stephenpresdorf8923]

There is no smoke coming out of the 4th stack, which collates with the fact that to save coal the fourth boiler room was shut down on that final voyage.

[@DistractedGlobeGuy]

It does, though it also aligns with the fact that she wouldn't be under full power while taxiing on the river. In fact, she wouldn't completely open up until she passed the Nantucket Sound lightboat.

[@jtmschneider]

One of the things I noticed was the clothing the passengers were wearing when they boarded the ship and on deck; they certainly were not bundled up for a winter crossing and their coats seemed more appropriate for an early spring. the other thing I thought when I bean seeing this, and Mike affirmed it, was the news crew would want to rush down there and get footage after the threat in the papers. They would want to see if there was any panic. And on a more macabre note, if anything happened then they would have the "last" footage to capitalize - they had "learned"from not having Titanic footage 3 years before.

[@itsjohndell]

I was born, almost to the minute, 40 years after Lusitania sank so of course this fascinated me. I ad that coincidentally the hospital in Jersey cIity had a clear sight of the Cunard pier across the river. My uncle was Chief Engineer on SS United States so got to be aboard all the remaining liners of the 50-60's, even the cargo ship NUSS Savannah, even had a tour of the reactor room where they had a small hatch lined with heavy lead-glass where you could see into the reactor vessel. Happy to see the new hopes for Queen Mary but alas United States is doomed. So thankful for your channel!

[@marlontellez7732]

Here's a thought for identifying ships: Look at the safety valve pipes/vents. All steamships in the early 1800s going through 1940 had uniquely designed safety valve pipes based on preference of design or shipping line style. I know that the Collins Line and Pacific Mail steamship companies both had either pipes with bulbous tips where the steam came out or straight ends with no bulbous tip at all. However with Cunard, they did use steam safety valve pipes with bulbous tips in the early 1800's, but by 1906-08 they had shipped with either steam vents with straight tips apart from a slight rim to vents with a flute similar to a greek /roman column by now it opens up like a bowl or trumpet end. More importantly, look at how many single funnel ships Cunard had in 1915 and cross-reference it with shipping schedules in April or May.

[@htos1av]

Nice forensics work! Good stuff!

[@WhiteArrow76]

I did some looking into Lusitania's last westbound crossing from Liverpool. Interestingly enough I found some striking parallels between that crossing and her final voyage. She departed Liverpool for the last time on April 17, arriving in New York on April 24. She hadn't made any calls at Queenstown since October 1913. She sailed with 1,109 passengers. Just like on her final crossing, Second Class was HEAVILY overbooked at 617 passengers, including 67 children. First Class had 183 and Third Class had 309.

[@StarLightStudioYT]

Look it's our friend Mike Bradey and I love his videos!

[@WayneSmall-bn6tu]

And his haircut.

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

wise up and grow up

[@StarLightStudioYT]

@JohnKobaRuddy Keep your opinion to yourself

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

@@StarLightStudioYT and yours is better and allowed is it? go get excited over your almost invisible friend you will never meet. sad af.

[@average.6079]

@@JohnKobaRuddy Why are you upset about people being happy?

[@retro_451]

Love your videos, Mike! Keep em coming.

[@mbvoelker8448]

That was much more than I expected. Even my husband, who doesn't share my interest in shipwrecks, found it interesting.

[@quechvermont1279]

Maybe she's riding lower in the water full of munitions she was carrying lol I do not think 219 tons would show up that much on the water line but there may have been a lot more in raw chemicals and materials: There was also 46 tons of aluminum powder on board. I can tell you first hand from working with the stuff if that stuff broke out of its crates and dusted the hold that ship was going to be in a bad way. Any rust it landed on in the hold would have created thermite as well. I would not be surprised is there was at least 500 tons of war material on board. At the time of the sinking...what we know of today that were complete assembled munitions: "The ship's manifest listed 4,200 cases of Remington rifle cartridges, 1,250 cases of shrapnel shells, and 3,240 brass percussion fuses. This amounted to about 173 tons of war supplies"

[@panthera8286]

At 16:15 it looks like the line on her port side is just barely above the water. She could be listing very slightly to starboard, hiding the line on that side. (I agree, she looks loaded.)

[@wrichard11]

@@quechvermont1279 I doubt any of the war materiel would have been listed on the cargo manifest. Such carriage was against the law particularly on civilian ships from non combatant countries.

[@rodatteberry]

Shoutout to Samuel Plimsoll and the Unseaworthy Ships Bill in 1876 for the implementation of the Plimsoll Line to more accurately reflect and display ship overloading. The Boot Stripe at the waterline is disappearing, but I didn't see a Plimsoll Line in the visuals. Were they removed during war time?

[@mikeprevost8650]

The presence of Turner on the bridge is a huge clue because he had relieved Daniel "Paddy" Dow as the ship's Master sometime in March or April of 1915. The stress of wartime crossings with the U-boat threat caused Dow to request being relieved of the command, as his nerves had become frazzled. On a prior crossing he ordered the US flag to be flown at the stern as the ship neared the Irish coast.

[@soonguy]

Loved your clear analysis. Two or three possible pointers in the film which could confirm the date: 1) The day of the film looks overcast - there are no signficant shadows of people or equipment. And from the stacks, no significant breeze. Do any still photos of the final voyage commencement (thar likely were in the US press, or by others) confirm similar weather conditions? 2) On the assumption that the passengers arriving by taxi was the same day, which seems reasonable, there are just visible some advertising hoardings visible in the background. One is almost readable and maybe with enhancement and contrast may become sharper. Comparison with contemporaneous photos and public events (in newspapers) particularly in theatreland, may or may not give a sense of date if that poster can be identified. 3) You referred to Vaterland, but did not reference specifically in the commentary (if I remember) to the other ship on the right of the frame, which must surely be one of the four NDL liners with the four stacks irregularly spaced. Wikipedia, if correct, says which were roughly where during the war. One was being refitted by US for war service. So again, there could be confirmatory evidence here, including any press/other photos of the German vessels in NY. Fascinating to see Captain Turner on the bridge wing. Two years earlier, he had commanded Mauretania at the time of the royal visit to Liverpool. The royals spent an hour on board, conducted around by Captain Turner, other officers and a couple of Cunard highups. I have written up the story of the royal visit, and the amazing flotilla the royals inspected on the river. Arguably one of three Mersey spectaculars - this, the visit of the Channel Fleet in 1907, and the three Cunard Queens a few years back. I have some personal connections here. At this time, by great-grandfather-in-law Richard Crafter was harbourmaster of Liverpool. After a long career as dockmaster and then assistant harbourmaster, he would have got to know many of the ships masters and officers, Turner and Captains Smith and Lord among them. His department would likely have been just about the first to hear, both of Titanic, and Lusitania.. A second connection is my historical research into a woman, Edith Hawkins, who lived in our Derbyshire village. She ended up in Crosby with her husband, who ran a small boys school in Blundellsands. They knew Turner and his partner Mabel Every, who also lived in Crosby. Mabel was a cousin of Edith Hawkins. At some point, Turner gave his camera to Edith's son William, and his daughter has them still. I can send you a photo, should you be interested. Turner's dislike of schmoozing the passengers led to Cunard appointing a 'staff captain' to do the socialising. Not sure how much else he did. Though I do not that later Cunard ships also had Staff Captains, so it must have become a defined position. The port of Liverpool was along with London a vital port for imports. And the port had to do far more, with far less staff, as many went to war. It also became a navy base, both for antisubmarine warfare and the convoy system. Vice Admiral Stileman was recalled from retirement to command the Navy in Liverpool, which he did from his flagship, an old 19th century timber naval vessel moored up and before the war used for RNR training and the like. Stileman would have worked closely with Harboumaster Crafter, who was awarded the OBE after the war, for his efforts in keeping the port running. The loss of Liverpool-based vessels to torpedo attack was widespread, and many of those lost would have been personally known to Crafter.

[@AshBrockFanGaming]

Hey, Nice Video! Made my day better.

[@siddyis3989]

Hey Mike, the Imperator was layed off in Hamburg during the war. The three funnels belong to the Vaterland, her sister ship, which became later on the Leviathan. The four funnel liner in the background should be either Kronprinzessin Cecilie or Kaiser Wilhelm II

[@mk-jf1ux]

yes do more of these. this was cool

[@cunard61]

The "Imperator" was laid up in Germany, not the US. The 3 funneled ship seen in the background is the German liner "Vaterland" which was laid up in Hoboken since the start of the war in August, 1914. This ship was seized by America following America's entry into the war in 1917 and was renamed "Leviathan".

[@randa200771]

Hi Mike You are often asking about what ships your viewers would like to see, well i have a suggestion. HMS Lion. I believe it was the flagship in the battle of Jutland and was the ship that my grandfather served on. I have a chart somewhere of the battle which was drawn up on the ship, indicating the position of the ships just prior to the engagement. Im sure that Lion also had a catapulted biplane launched from one of its gun turrets for reconnaissance purposes and was recovered by crane. An important ship, long forgotten. Thank you. Rob Watts

[@fairestofthemalllocomotive4802]

The breakdown of this video was awesome Mike!

[@ianmc87]

Couple of things: 1) A single funnel and a four-mast Cunard vessel? 20:07 Did you mean a single funnel and a two mast vessel? I'm just not seeing four masts there. That would strike me as being an odd configuration. How many single funnel and four masted vessels existed during this time? 2) Is there any way of identifying the tugboats in this film? There might be records of which tugs were used to help the Lusitania leave the pier on her final voyage.

[@drscopeify]

Fascinating footage I have somehow never seen it before. One item that might help identify the age is any buildings or advertisements like at 3:27 of the area near the piers that were captured and that had changed from year to year. Maybe compare to other footage or pictures, I might actually give that a try. Well I just noticed that is not in the actual film, but there are a few buildings and billboards at the street level outside of the peers, I am checking some footage of that area by year to see if anything stands out. I am sure it was done before but why not.

[@mattcharles1505]

It's so sad. I feel so empathic about seeing those people who were hoping to reach dry land, but never did!

[@meyer412]

Really interesting! Awesome video, Mike.

[@MattAShine]

If this is the May 1 footage, it’s kind of eerie to see all those people on her decks. It’s like the Browne photos of the Titanic where you see nameless passengers and crew, knowing that in less than a week many of them would be dead.

[@bmused55]

Strikes me that the easiest way to confirm this is to cross reference the occasions when a 4 masted, single funneled, ship was docked beside Lusitania when she departed New York, then narrow down the occasions that match the visible configuration of Lusitania and the high tide.