Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea 2007

In May 1915, the RMS Lusitania leaves New York for Liverpool, carrying a mix of passengers including American publisher Charles Lauriat, wealthy art collector and nationalist Sir Hugh Lane, and socialite Theodate Pope with her companion Edwin Friend. The liner is commanded by Captain Turner, Kenneth Cranham. Amid rising wartime tensions, warnings of German submarine activity off the Irish coast shadow the voyage.

Near the coast of County Cork, the ship is spotted by U-20, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger, Florian Panzner. A torpedo strikes the Lusitania on the starboard side, followed moments later by a second, more powerful explosion that floods compartments and fans chaos across the decks. Passengers scramble for lifeboats, many of which are launched improperly or capsize.

Theodate Pope and her companion Edwin Friend fall into the sea; Friend drowns, while Pope clings to wreckage and survives. Lauriat makes a narrow escape in a lifeboat, while Lane is lost to the Atlantic. Captain Turner remains at his post on the bridge until he is washed into the sea, later rescued by fishermen. In about 18 minutes, the ship sinks, taking nearly 1,200 lives with it, including 128 Americans.

The aftermath brings international outrage that echoes across headlines, fueling debate about wartime conduct at sea. The disaster becomes a pivotal moment in public opinion in the United States, helping push the country toward entry into World War I, a trajectory remembered in history and highlighted by portrayals such as Martin Le Maitre as Winston Churchill.