Post by Administrator on Sept 26, 2013 17:08:25 GMT
Was she a Warship In Disguise ?
Divers Find Military Cargo In The Lusitania’s Hold
A century-old controversy over the reasons a German U-boat torpedoed and sunk the Cunard liner Lusitania on May 7, 1915 was partly solved when an Irish dive team recovered samples of a cargo of military rifle shells from the wreck.
The team, led by Eoin McGarry, was guided by a remote-controlled vehicle to reach the Lusitania which lies about 300 feet deep just 12 miles off the coast of Ireland. Recovered were Remington .303s, the official military rifle cartridge of the British military in 1915.
Captain William Thomas Turner, the master of the Lusitania for that final trip, assured anxious passengers that they were not to worry. He reminded everyone that the Lusitania was among the fastest ships afloat and could easily outrun any attempted attacks by U-boats.
What the passengers did not know, but the Germans obviously did, was that the Lusitania was built with the financial assistance from the British Admiralty, and was built to specifications that allowed for the quick refitting of the steamer for service as a navy cruiser. She was fitted with gun mounts concealed under the teak decks, all ready for the addition of the guns when needed.
What the passengers also were not told was that the Lusitania was carrying a secret cargo of war material including munitions for the English war effort. The ship’s manifest included 4,300 cases of cartridges “for small arms” that were not for the military. The recent findings by the Irish dive team, however, have proven otherwise.
Not my thoughts or words, just interesting and may be of interest to others ?
LINK
Divers Find Military Cargo In The Lusitania’s Hold
A century-old controversy over the reasons a German U-boat torpedoed and sunk the Cunard liner Lusitania on May 7, 1915 was partly solved when an Irish dive team recovered samples of a cargo of military rifle shells from the wreck.
The team, led by Eoin McGarry, was guided by a remote-controlled vehicle to reach the Lusitania which lies about 300 feet deep just 12 miles off the coast of Ireland. Recovered were Remington .303s, the official military rifle cartridge of the British military in 1915.
Captain William Thomas Turner, the master of the Lusitania for that final trip, assured anxious passengers that they were not to worry. He reminded everyone that the Lusitania was among the fastest ships afloat and could easily outrun any attempted attacks by U-boats.
What the passengers did not know, but the Germans obviously did, was that the Lusitania was built with the financial assistance from the British Admiralty, and was built to specifications that allowed for the quick refitting of the steamer for service as a navy cruiser. She was fitted with gun mounts concealed under the teak decks, all ready for the addition of the guns when needed.
What the passengers also were not told was that the Lusitania was carrying a secret cargo of war material including munitions for the English war effort. The ship’s manifest included 4,300 cases of cartridges “for small arms” that were not for the military. The recent findings by the Irish dive team, however, have proven otherwise.
Not my thoughts or words, just interesting and may be of interest to others ?
LINK