The century-old mystery of the Lusitania

Beneath the waves off the Irish coast, the remains of a luxury liner rest on the ocean floor. The Lusitania was sunk by a German torpedo during World War I, killing nearly 1,200 people. But details surrounding the ship's demise remain murky. Martha Teichner re-examines the deadly catastrophe.

[@NickelCityPixels]

There's no mystery here and CBS is doing a poor job of trying to manufacture one. In 1982 the British admitted that the Lusitania was carrying a "large amount of... highly dangerous ammunition" above and beyond what was accounted for in the manifest. The Lusitania was simply a human shield for munitions that did the double duty of rallying the US to war.

[@alexocasio-gomez5267]

The Germans paid for full page ads in the New York newspapers warning people not to get on the Lusitania.

[@rsattahip]

NickelCityPixels Maybe in 100 years we'll get the truth about 9-11.

[@russedav5]

It's typical lamestream media fake news. It wasn't just Trump Derangement Syndrome that infected them almost a year later than this; Rathergate shows the mendacity had been around for a long time.

[@robertkreutzer4107]

Jaque Custeau explored the wreck back in the 1970s. I was young at the time, but recall that he found munitions, in the form of artillery shells, inside the wreck. It was a big deal at the time due to the Official Secrets Act. Also, the most likely theory now, due to the reported location of the torpedo hit, is that a coal bunker that had been empty was the source of the secondary explosion. The impact of the torpedo threw coal dust into the air in the enclosed bunker. An ignition source - a flame, spark, etc. - then turned that dust into a fuel-air-explosion that did far more damage than the single torpedo strike. Munitions in a hold found by Custeau were still intact...but other munitions may have been detonated as well. The 18 minute sinking and the 10 degree list within seconds can only be explained by such a scenario. Captain Turner also tried to turn the ship (in part to correct the list) to get the vessel closer to land and perhaps beach her. This had the effect of forcing water into the hull at a greater rate, hastening the sinking. If he had known the full extent of the damage, Turner probably would have ordered full stop, giving the passengers a bit more time. 20/20 hindsight and all.

[@footlover9416]

he don't miss

[@devbrew935]

I’m with Robert Ballard. I have his book about the Lusitania and he’s even stated that the munitions were left untouched and that coal dust ignited

[@Jack-sf9zo]

While I do agree it is one of the better theory if the coal dust did explode it would just blow off the bunker doors on the exterior of the hull since that would be above where the explosion would have occurred and one of the most direct routes for the explosion to take and with the doors to the second skin closed it shouldn't have damaged the inner skin of the ship based on tests, but I guess it will never be definitively proved either way

[@MultiSmartass1]

I agree with the diver. In my examination of this tragedy , the explosions were highly suspicious including the second one. Whatever was stored on this ship ultimately helped doom it.

[@neutronshiva2498]

Millions pieces of ammunition. The ship was purposefully led into waters that were known uboat territory. It was false flag operation. Thousands of passengers sacrificed on altar to the JP Morgan and Rothschilds.

[@rinabea3863]

damn to cancel the ticket for Titanic only to board another disaster.....

[@giovannirastrelli9821]

rina Bea Sometimes you just can’t cheat fate.

[@Ashokkumar31082]

And one of the biggest of the time,Luxouries,fastest and the deadliest

[@SeaMonkey137]

That's Wile E. Coyote level

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

Or survive the Titanic and later ride the Lusitania.

[@acricucci6188]

I read Erik Larson's book "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania" about 5 years ago. Larson is known to be a great storyteller, and this book is well researched & well written, in some places more like a novel. The book is an excellent read if you like history.

[@christinebiada1292]

Thank you! I’ll have to add it to my list of books to read. 😊

[@JanetMarieRose73]

I remember seeing some of the memorials and things related to the Lusitania in Cobh earlier this year during a Titanic / Cobh walking tour. I didn't know much about it til the tour guide provided details I never knew of. I learned a lot about it that day.

[@mcmxli-by1tj]

"Moments later there was a second explosion." Un-huh. And what caused that?

[@nigtcreature1837]

Honestly it's a mystery. But it is mostly believed that the second explosion was from the munitions exploding.

[@hmhsbritannic7765]

Nigtcreature18 I think it was one of her boilers

[@martyzielinski2469]

Coal dust explosion. Common occurrence in such cases.

[@cezarysztolc6856]

I heart the munitions caught fire and the sub shot at it with its gun as they got closer

[@oatmeal813]

@blackkey1976 Comment of the year!

[@philfrancis6238]

Colin Simpson's book on the Lusitania has convincing arguments that the space forward of the first boiler room was converted to cargo space, an area where quantities of questionable freight was stowed. The torpedo allowed the ultimate enemy, the sea, into the interior of the ship where some of the cargo reacted chemically with the invading salt water which generated the second explosion which did enough damage to cause the vessel to sink in 18 minutes.

[@origdirtyoldman]

There has always been three theories. Munitions (but the munitions are still there. If they blew, they would be gone). Coal dust (doesn't match time delay). Or steam line (doesn't match damage). Let me throw in a fourth. Most liners left the front boilers down during the crossing to save coal. Wanting extra speed in the troubled waters, what if the Captain had the front boilers fired up prior to sun rise. At the torpedoing, the boilers would be hot but not uniform (hotter at the bottom), the steam line would not have been open to the main, meaning steam in the boilers would have been trapped. If the boilers blew, they would probably vent their power downward through the double bottom.

[@AvengerII]

Wouldn't they have SEEN the damage in the double bottom during one of the expeditions over the decades? Ballard did as thorough a job as he could. It doesn't help that large areas of the hull are STILL closed off and that the wreck has just accordioned over the years complicating the situation far more. I dunno... Part of the problem is that it's SO DARK down there and you can see very little of the hull at any time. It's like looking through a straw, literally. That's how they missed seeing the starboard AND port side propellers were still in place on the stern of the Titanic! I think the Lusitania may be TOO FAR gone for any kind of expedition like that to do much good. I mean they really couldn't tell what was iceberg damage and not on Titanic's hull because it slammed into the bottom with terrific force. The cracks and alleged rivet popping (and seam breaks) were more likely from the impact with the bottom than any iceberg collision. They allegedly sonar-imaged the "iceberg damage" in a 1990s expedition but the guy who did that survey later admitted there was as much damage on the other side of the ship and we know Titanic didn't hit icebergs on both sides!

[@TheTrueAdept]

The British Admiralty has come clean a few years ago, they used the RMS ships as war material transports and used the passengers as human shields.

[@Jack-sf9zo]

@@TheTrueAdept while true as op said the munitions are untouched in the cargo holds still in their storage crates so unless they were storing munitions in the boiler rooms where the torpedo struck its unlikely but either way its unlikely any theory will be proved

[@TheTrueAdept]

@@Jack-sf9zo actually the theory has been proven thanks to the British Admiralty coming clean a few years back. I distinctly remember an article a while back to that effect.

[@lewesleyacklin1408]

New world order illuminati agenda!!!!!

[@lindat5784]

i would love to see the interview also with Kate Winslet, i overslept and only caught the last 3 minutes of it

[@Darthtaterize]

Well, History is like an uncomplete puzzle and gets added to overtime. There is a warning to the ship captain via telegraphed says there are possibilities of U-boats in the area. The Smithsonian had uncovered this and has a video on it now. On April 25th, 2015 found this information.

[@matthewmann8969]

One of the greatest tragedies in the seas

[@mike_oxlong4387]

My great great great uncle was on that ship , reast in peace Mr Arthur Richard Foley he died aged 51 leaving behind a wife and three kids

[@skywings7528]

may he rip, one question though how do you know he was your great great great uncle, I wish I knew my family history... I have no pics or anything

[@Nerotheraccoon]

Liessssssss

[@PandaPowerable]

How terrible letting so many people get on a ship carrying so much ammunition....suicide mission!

[@markharrison2544]

It was what Churchill wanted.

[@CaptainBones]

There wasn't any ammunition. The Germans thought there were. But they were wrong. It was just a normal cruise ship. The attack led the USA to world war 1 as the British allies. And we the USA won the war.

[@anormalcommentor9452]

@@CaptainBones should i trust someone who calls an ocean liner a cruishe ship?

[@srccde]

@@CaptainBones If they had been wrong, the ship wouldn't have sunk in 18 minutes. There was a crap load of ammunition on that ship and all it took was one torpedo to blow it all up.

[@fartherstill]

@@CaptainBones The USA didn't enter the war until 1917, two years after the Lusitania was torpedoed after a telegram from the German high command to Mexico was intercepted by the US. In it an offer was made that if Mexico were to assist Germany in the war effort the Germans would help Mexico take back Texas, Arizona and New Mexico when the war was won.

[@abbrag1]

How about a man that cancelled Titanic in last minute and went on board into Luistania?

[@someonesomewhere1600]

Funny thing is, he had an advance ticket for the Hindenburg too.

[@acricucci6188]

@@someonesomewhere1600 How could he have had an advance ticket in 1915 for the Hindenburg when the idea for this airship didn't happen until 1929 and construction didn't start until 1931? It wasn't even ready for a test flight until 1936!

[@captainedwardjoelrmstitani9325]

Lusitania was my favorite Ship

[@dillonmcannnell]

Beautiful liner four stacked large and awesome. She was cunards titanic in some ways just a little smaller . She sank so fast 18 minutes just unbelievable must have been a huge hole from the second blast.

[@Quibblet]

Yes, it's very intriguing that a similar fate would happen to one of Cunard's ships as it did to White Star Line's three years earlier. The oldest sister of each company was even decommissioned together (Olympic and Mauretania).

[@dillonmcannnell]

@@Quibblet yes odd in many ways. But those to beautiful ships made hundreds of crossings! both old faithful in there respective own ways. both ships and crews are legand.

[@jamesporter6288]

How could think that it couldn't be torpedoed because of being TOO BIG??

[@anormalcommentor9452]

It was very fast

[@Jack-sf9zo]

The idea was that if it was torpedoed its size and strength should have meant it wouldnt sink since it had a double skin allong the entire ship and had twice as many rivets as the Olympic class and far more water tight compartments than other ships of its size would have, since lusitania was built to be a auxiliary cruiser if war occurred

[@kaydenchan7093]

Charles Frohman also died on the Lusitania.

[@theluckyone3212]

Kayden Chan “why fear death, it’s one of life’s greatest adventure.”

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

My great great grandfather was one of the engineers of that ship.

[@Nerotheraccoon]

Sure

[@BriFiConnections]

Tell his corpse he began the military industrial complex by creating a military boat disguised as a civilian boat. If a Disney cruise has nukes, it's not a cruise anymore regardless if civilians are on board.

[@BriFiConnections]

The lusitanua was British propaganda to convince the usa to join ww1 which made us join every other conflict in the future seeing how there's profit to be made.

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

@@BriFiConnections He actually tried to warn many people that the Lusitania was really a war vessel disguised as an extremely luxurious civilian liner and that many of her parts were in bad shape and insignificantly repaired which made that ship a death trap, but unfortunately, not enough listened to him.

[@giovannirastrelli9821]

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt’s death is the original “Final Destination.”

[@Justyourlocalgamer]

I can tell you this my great uncle was on the Lusitania and he was on crew when it was sinking Captain Turner ordered him to get on 1 of the 6 lifeboats that were safely launched. He was ordered to get on because the crew member on the lifeboat was crazy and could not control himself and he died but my great uncle survived.

[@Nerotheraccoon]

What????

[@SirenaWomanWarrior]

Imagine cancelling your voyage on the Titanic, being relieved you did not go, book a ticket on this one only to get torpedoed.

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

Or being a surviving crew member of the Titanic who thinks the Titanic disaster was the only tragedy they would have to deal with only to end up dealing with the Lusitania’s tragedy too.

[@harlandted]

I may receive negatives. I would like to see a factual big budget film about the ship and it’s last voyage.

[@austindreyer2930]

Wrong CBS at the time the sister Mauritania had the Blue Riband. At the time.

[@MrWill1985]

Germany faced severe backlash over the sinking of the lusitania. And America joined Britain and U20s captain got hounded at the naval headquarters

[@user-wn7cw6le8v]

Backlit 1:20

[@someonesomewhere1600]

I have no desire to go on an ocean-going ship even now. Not the way I'd like to go out.

[@i.gillette845]

I think, without a good reason, the Germans would never have sunk the ship.

[@johngillespie3409]

it's not a mystery to people who pay attention in history class

[@iHeartfluffyDogs]

Terrifying!

[@patstevens7159]

"The truth only becomes more elusive". Who writes this stuff?

[@Finn-de9ue]

0:12 is not Lusitania

[@matthewmann8969]

This would of been far worse if it was night time

[@gangfire5932]

I don't believe I've seen anything about Cunard warning its passengers that they were boarding a subsidized merchant -- officially a warship -- and that Germany could legally attack and sink _Lusitania_ . It seems that Britain didn't do wrong by carrying munitions aboard a passenger ship, which in this case was perfectly legal; they did wrong by not warning _Lusitania's_ passengers of the danger and why it was so dangerous.

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

TORPEDO CLOSING ON THE STARBOARD BOW! HARD TO STARBOARD!

[@Robslednecks5]

This is so cool this is like the Britannic but it the Britannic hit the mine but this one got hit by torpedo

[@mariebalou33]

are you also going to upload the interview with Kate Winslet? it would be amazing if you do so because it would make a lot people really really happy.

[@barbaralatham5107]

Kate Winslet Fan Yeah cuz Kate Winslet was actually aboard the Lusitania. I think she swam to shore.

[@joelbizzell1386]

What did she have to do with anything?

[@joelbizzell1386]

@@barbaralatham5107 The actress? You know this happened years before she was born? Or are you just being a wiseass?

[@hidde-xiix-5774]

The most luxurious ships afloat was the R.M.S Olympic!

[@nigtcreature1837]

Olympic wasn't an ocean liner at the time Lusitania sank. It was turned into a troopship. It became HMT Olympic. Or another nickname, Old Reliable. They took out all the luxurious stuff Olympic had during the war. And Lusitania's two sister ships, Mauretania and Aquitania were turned into Hospital Ships. It pretty much left Lusitania one of the most luxurious Ocean Liner's afloat during that time.

[@hmhsbritannic7765]

Nigtcreature18 I also got turned into a hospital ship

[@kaydenchan7093]

Hidde -XIIX- Lusitania was the most luxurious in 1907

[@Jack-sf9zo]

@@nigtcreature1837 yes though aquatania was not lusitania's sister ship as she was of the aquatania class not lusitania class though for a short while they were running mates

[@giovannirastrelli9821]

Actually, at the time of Lusitania’s sinking, the largest and most luxurious ships afloat were the German Imperator and Vaterland.

[@thepurge5661]

But no ship can beat the titanic's luxury

[@chrysler238]

Normandie and Queen Mary did

[@giovannirastrelli9821]

kurt barlongo Lusitania was built 5 years prior to Titanic and at the time for her maiden voyage was the biggest, most high tech, and luxurious liner afloat. Even after Olympic and Titanic were built, Lusitania and Mauretania were still more technologically advanced in regards to their engines and power plant.

[@anormalcommentor9452]

I think Lusitania's dining saloon was more luxurious than Titanic's

[@teolbz]

*Laughs in SS Paquebot Normandie*

[@devbrew935]

If her contraband had exploded wouldn’t the bow have been blown off like the USS Arizona?

[@Steelersblues]

Eleven hundred ninety eight people of the nearly two thousand people died?? That doesn’t make sense….!

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

Well, the Lusitania took only 18 minutes to completely sink after it was torpedoed and only 6 of its lifeboats were successfully launched and made it safely away from the ship. There were many people who fell off the ship and drowned before they could get their life jackets on and had many of the lifeboats just fall on them and the Lusitania lost power so fast that a majority of the people couldn’t find their way to the exits due to the darkness and its elevators got completely stuck and wouldn’t open which trapped many people inside.

[@Robslednecks5]

This is like the Britannic but the Britannic got hit by a mine in this guided by torpedo

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

And the Britannic’s death toll wasn’t nearly as high the Lusitania’s.

[@darkone_2013]

Ahhm she was at that thime not the biggest ships britannic and olypic where

[@AvengerII]

No... There might have been a German ship that was bigger. During that period, they were so competitive with ship building that titles for "biggest" typically didn't last for more than 2-3 years tops. The Mauretania WAS the largest ship in the world (5 ft longer than her sister ship, Lusitania) from roughly 1908 to 1911 when Olympic entered service. Titanic was the same dimensions as Olympic but 1,000 tons heavier because of all the additional luxuries added to her. There were ships technically longer than others but graded as SMALLER because the tonnage was less. I'm pretty sure that by 1916 the largest ship (by foot length) was a German ship. As far as ships go, tonnage counts more for size. They had an aircraft carrier in service for 51 years that was LONGER than any other warship built by AT LEAST 20 ft. It's still smaller than 10 other aircraft carriers which all outgross it by at least 7,000 tons each.

[@Jack-sf9zo]

She was the largest ocean liner in service at the time as olympic, britannic, Mauritania and aquatania were requisitioned by the admiralty and the largest ships that were in service pre war were the German imperator and vaterland but because of the war they were not sailing and eventually the US would take the vaterland and re name it the leviathan then imperator would become berengeria after the war as she was awarded to cunard due to the loss of the lusitania and the Bismarck the third ship in the imperator class would become the majestic and be awarded to white star as they lost britannic

[@nicklikesradio]

Arrogance is a killer.

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

So are improper preparations.

[@korbyntaylor8089]

Once torpedoed not twice. Oh they thought the second explosion was caused by another torpedo but in reality the munitions caused the second explosion.

[@jimmyboy2242]

"mystery"

[@markmcgee2369]

Like "Titanic", Maybe a movie "Lusitania"!

[@DetTigerFan]

It's odd that Hollywood hasn't latched onto that idea for a movie.

[@tinytim2263]

Call James Cameron.

[@giovannitanner5982]

Don't worry, I'm working on it. It will be out in..... 18 years 😀

[@steveturner609]

Maybe Some background Politics at play here with Hollywood “ politely “ being asked not to make a movie of Lusitania??

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

Well, there is the 2007 movie “Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea” which I think is as big of a masterpiece as “Titanic”!

[@skywings7528]

Titanic ; April 14, 1912 Lusitania ; January 1916

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

Lusitania was actually May 7, 1915.

[@stevedotson1001]

Churchill pulls a Bismarck.

[@phillipgarrow2297]

It brought the UnitedStates into the war. They had munitions in her hold. They were warned it's still a tragedy. A lot of blame to go around

[@Mente_Universal]

And built by Tartarian and was fully powered by electricity from the AETHER .

[@dustingriffith7399]

LUSITANIA was our new Titanic ship disaster of the First World War, believe me both ships of TITANIC and LUSITANIA share a place together as sunken ships on the Atlantic and god save the innocent souls of both ships.

[@stephenbyrne2170]

Why does this ship look like the Titanic?

[@chadreece4231]

Because they were ocean liners of that time

[@johnmcentegart007]

Thank you guys. The Schripols know what happened. lol 😝

[@vintageceilingfans]

They can't rasie the Titanic due to it being so far down and it being in two pieces doesn't help, but why don't they raise this one?

[@srccde]

Because they don't want new evidence to be brought up with it.

[@tom-ch5ii]

have u seen the state of the wreck

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

Just because of how large that ship is. At least they’ve raised the remnants of the military hardware the Lusitania was carrying.

[@chancesareshewears]

Word to the wise...always scroll to the last two minutes of these things..you'll save hundreds of hours of your life...

[@BriFiConnections]

So I can put a nuclear warheads on a boat and having civilians on board makes it a civilian ship.

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

That actually makes it a war vessel disguised as an extremely luxurious civilian liner.

[@keslarsvc]

Yo tucker

[@sadeshharischandra5192]

She was not the luxurious ship at the time of her sinking

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

She was right before she started sinking, though.

[@deimantassidorenko3386]

Nuo. Vienos. Torpedos

[@sadeshharischandra5192]

Titanic and her sisters are far more luxurious than Lusitania

[@greenseaships]

"Greatest"? probably not. "Fastest"? No. "Most luxurious"? No. Telling a story through rose colored glasses by a correspondent who will be talking about the dangers of household appliances as soon as she's done recording this.

[@epochhistory9285]

totaly agree

[@eimimat8698]

I hope you know that it was the fastest ship at the time

[@kaydenchan7093]

It was the fastest, largest, and most luxurious during 1907.

[@giovannirastrelli9821]

greenseaships Lusitania was a very respected and famous ship for its time. Second fastest, seventh in the top ten largest ships up to 1915. Her passenger accommodations were on par with most of her rivals. The tv segment somewhat exaggerated her qualities, but not by much.

[@kaydenchan7093]

Evgueni Mlodik it was actually believed she can go up to 28.67 knots, Mauretania’s top speed is only 27.97 knots. Lusitania had a faster service speed but with a slower record voyage.

[@campcoy51]

The British did it.

[@jaysilverheals4445]

they were using human shields

[@seeker4trvth]

I can't decide whether the narrator is a young male adult or an old lady 😂

[@user-wn7cw6le8v]

VIA 0:44

[@PIXEL3D_WorldofMagic]

The second explosion was actually weapons they had on board They were allowed to carry weapons

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

It was more likely a boiler room explosion because the second explosion happened pretty quickly after the torpedo hit and that military hardware wasn’t being kept where it would be effected by the torpedo.

[@stargo2931]

War Mongers

[@BenjaminGarrett-sb7un]

heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[@deimantassidorenko3386]

Toj. Luzitanija. Tapo. Nelaime. Žmonijos

[@9nq711]

how do you know this exists? what are you an ancient artifact?

[@9nq711]

@Railfan 765 wow i guess it's true. people like you just don't know what a joke is!

[@deimantassidorenko3386]

Pervežė. Sprogmenis. Kad. Denio. Gabalai. Nulėkė. Y. Dangų

[@rsattahip]

America fell for it and got suckered into an European war.

[@Shrpdrt]

USA didn't get suckered. who do you think loaded the Munitions into the ship?

[@rsattahip]

Tony Geranian Politely Yes we did, what did we get out if WW1 besides WW2 and the 1918 Pandemic? We never should have been involved in WW1.

[@sagnikmondal4058]

They didn't, genius. Lusitania was not the trigger. It sunk in May 1915. US joined in April 1917. Atleast look at the timeline, if you don't want to research it properly.

[@markharrison2544]

The US had loaned so much money to the Entente Powers that it could not allow the Central Powers to win.

[@sagnikmondal4058]

@@markharrison2544 Indeed

[@riccardosmirnov5063]

There's no mystery here. The Lusitania was on the Royal Navy register from 1914. So, she turned out like a military naval unit and, because of this, she was a legitimate target. I bet this wasn't made clear to civil passengers. The only real mystery, IMO, is: how did the U20 know where and when the Lusitania would pass?

[@davidluck1678]

no mystery: Churchill had his crony @ Room 40, Admiralty Intel chief Reggie Hall, send out uncoded radio signals indicating a troop convoy assembling just south of Ireland at the time and place of Lusitania's passage. Germans intercepted these and sent 3 subs into the area....Lusitania, moving (at Admiralty orders) at half-speed and w/o zig-zag, was an easy target.

[@9nq711]

what's poppin' lo gangster

[@AnithaS-yj3cq]

If one american killed the america jump into war!

[@stuartlee6622]

How many on board were Hillary supporters?

[@anydae]

Stuart Lee 🖓🖓🖓🖓🖓

[@stuartlee6622]

Dare Jones c

[@martyzielinski2469]

Not enough.....

[@marcjones4351]

Stuart Lee What a magnificently stupid question. Zero. As you know.

[@sheilaghbrosky]

Nothing like proving you are the south end of a horse going north!