The superstructure above the point of impact and the bridge are torn apart, fire breaks out, a thick cloud of smoke envelops the upper bridge. The ship stops at once and very quickly takes on a heavy list to starboard, at the same time starting to sink by the bow. She looks like she will quickly capsize.
Much confusion on board; boats are cleared away and some of them lowered to the water. Apparently considerable panic; several boats, fully laden, are hurriedly lowered, bow or stern first and at once fill with water. . .
Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger's War Diary, 7 May 2015
Good detail.
ReplyDeleteNice pairing with this week's discovery of a sunken U-boat.
Now we know why there was a secondary explosion.
ReplyDeleteThe knew then, they just weren't saying.
DeleteNo mystery, the cargo manifest clearly showed small arms ammunition. Not adequate justification for a snot nose 27 year old U-boat skipper to sink a majestic passenger liner of Lusitania's stature with great loss of civilian life in my opinion. But then it was an easy target and an easy shot so why not and return to Germany a big hero.
DeleteOh, pleazzze. Of course it was completely justified. The British and American governments completely ignored the rules which allowed civilian ships immunity, so the German unrestricted warfare was the result.
ReplyDeleteTo borrow from the Manchurian Candidate..."the Germans are the kindest, most magnanimous, fairest, in sum, the best people in all the world".
ReplyDelete