Findings of The Court Transcipt
When the "Lusitania" left New York on May 1st, 1915, a, What was the total number of passengers on board, and how many were women and children? b, Were there any troops on board? c, What was the total number of her crew and their respective ratings? d, What cargo had she aboard and where was it stowed? |
a, See p.5 of Annex (1,257, consisting of 290 saloon, 600 second, 367 third cabin passengers. 944 were British and Canadian of which 584 perished, 159 were American of which 124 perished, and of the remainder 77 perished. It is not recorded that three captured Germans also perished.). b, No. c, See p.5 of Annex (Total crew 702, 77 deck department, 314 in the Engineering department, 306 in the stewards department and 5 musicians. 677 males and 25 females. 397 males were lost and 16 females, 413 crew were lost.). d. See p.6 of Annex. ( The cargo was of a general nature with a number of cartridge cases, about 5,000 which was stored well forward in the ship on the orlop deck and lower decks, well away from where the TORPEDOES struck. - We know that only one torpedo struck the ship and that it hit forward of the 1st funnel and that it struck the forward cargo hold). |
Did the "Lusitania" before leaving New York comply with the requirements of the merchant shipping act, 1894 to 1906, and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder? |
Yes |
| Were any instructions received by the Master of the "Lusitania" from the owners or the Admiralty before or during the voyage from New York as to the navigation or management of the vessel on the voyage in question? Did the master carry out such instructions? | Yes, No, but see p.9 of Annex (Part of the enquiry which looked into the ship's navigation took place in camera for obvious reasons. The Admiralty sent out many advices to many ships and were quite often confusing. "SUBMARINES ACTIVE OFF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF IRELAND" How far out? how many submarines? All too often the advices were vague. The Admiralty signals record book for the first world war shows that only one page is missing, that page shows that Captain Turner received instructions to divert the Lusitania into Queenstown). |
| Were any messages sent or received by the "Lusitania" with reference to enemy submarines during the voyage? | Yes |
| What was the state of the weather and sea on 7th May, 1915? Was the position, course, and speed of the "Lusitania" on that day in any way affected by the weather? | Fine and Calm, See p.7 of Annex. (The 7th May saw Lusitania enter the danger zone. All watertight doors that would not affect the running of the ship were closed and all life boats were swung out on their davits. Look outs were doubled and eyes were doubled on the bridge. At 8 a.m the speed was reduced to 15 knots due to thick fog. After the fog lifted the speed was increased back to 18 knots. The object was to arrive at Liverpool at 04.00 the following morning. During the morning the ship's course altered from S 87 E to N 67E to come closer to land. Captain Turner then received the order to divert into Queenstown. When the Old Head of Kinsale was sighted the Lusitania changed course back to S 87 E. At 1.40 p.m. Captain Turner asked Junior Third Officer Albert Bestic to take a four point bearing which would take up to an hour. The only time a Captain would take a four point bearing was if he was making for Queenstown. At 14.10, U-20 put a torpedo into the Lusitania). |
| Were any submarines sighted from the "Lusitania" on or before the 7th May, 1915? If so, when and where was any submarine sighted, and what was the position, course, and speed of the "Lusitania" at such time. | None
before the attack. |
| Was the "Lusitania" attacked by a submarine on the 7th May, 1915? If so, can the submarine be identified? Did the Submarine display any, and if so, what flag? Was it a German submarine. | Yes.
It was not identified. It displayed no flag. It was a German submarine. |
| When and how and in what circumstances was the attack made by the submarine on the "Lusitania"? | See p. 7 of Annex (U-20 attacked the Lusitania after identifying her as an armed merchant cruiser and fired one torpedo which struck the Lusitania at 14.10. The court decided that two torpedoes were fired against the Lusitania. The Lusitania's last change of course gave Kapitan-Leutnant Walther Schwieger an easy target. The court recorded that a torpedo from another submarine was fired from the port side but missed the Lusitania, thus implying that two submarines attacked the Lusitania. The court held that this was in direct contravention of international law and the usages of war). |
Before and at the time "Lusitania" was attacked, a, What was her position? b, Was such position, course, and speed proper in the circumstances? c, Was the Master in charge of her? d, Had a proper look-out been set, and was it being kept? e, What flag was the "Lusitania" flying? |
a, See p. 7 of Annex. b, See p.9 of Annex. c, Yes. d, Yes. e, None. ( We know her position to have been 14 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale at the time of the attack, the court recorded her position as being ten to fifteen miles from the Old Head of Kinsale. The Admiralty, even today, prefer to state that she was only 8 miles offshore. The position of the wreck is 11.2 miles offshore). |
Before the submarine made the attack, a, Was any, and if so, what warning given to the "Lusitania" by the submarine of her presence or intention to attack, or was any, and if so, what signal given or communication made by the submarine to the "Lusitania"? b, Was any, and if so, what request made upon by the submarine to the "Lusitania" to stop? c, Was any, and if so, What opportunity given to any persons on board the "Lusitania" to leave? |
a, No.
b, No.
c, No |
Was any, and if so, what action taken by those on board the "Lusitania" before she was attacked - 1, To escape from the submarine? 2, To resist visit or search? 3, To avoid capture? 4, Or otherwise in reference to the submarine? |
No
such action was taken. |
| Was the "Lusitania" armed? If so, how was she armed? | no |
| Was the "Lusitania" struck by one or more torpedoes? Where was she struck? What interval was there between the time the "Lusitania" sighted the submarine and the time she was struck? | By two practically simultaneously. The ship did not sight the Submarine. |
| What was the effect on the "Lusitania" of being struck by the torpedo or torpedoes? Did any cargo on board the "Lusitania" explode or ignite or increase the damage caused by the torpedo? Did the "Lusitania" take any and what list? If so, what caused the list? How long after the "Lusitania" was struck did she sink, and what caused her to sink? | See p. 7 of Annex. No cargo or other exploded or ignited. Yes, a heavy list to starboard. The inrush of water. About 20 minutes: the inrush of water through holes made by the torpedoes. |
| What measures were taken on the "Lusitania" after she was struck to save her or the lives of those on board of her? Were such measures reasonable and proper or otherwise? Was the proper discipline maintained on board the "Lusitania" after she was struck? | See pp. 8,9 of Annex. Reasonable and proper. Yes, see pp. 5, 6 of Annex. |
| How many persons on board the "Lusitania" were saved, and by what means, and how many were lost? What was the number of passengers, distinguishable between men and women and adults and children, who were save? What was the number of the crew, discriminating their ratings and sexes, who were saved. | See
pp 5,6 of Annex. (See Q 1) |
| Was any loss of life due to any neglect by the master of the "Lusitania to take proper precautions or give proper orders with regard to swinging out of boats, or getting them ready for use, clearing away the portable skids from the pontoon decked life-boats, releasing the gripes of such life boats, closing of watertight bulkheads or portholes, or otherwise before or after the "Lusitania" was attacked? | No (Much has been written about Captain Turner's role in the sinking of the Lusitania, mostly agreeing with the Admiralty's intended line that Captain Turner was negligent. However, it should be noted that Captain Turner was completely, and quite rightly, exonerated during this inquiry). |
| Were any other vessels in sight at the time the "Lusitania" was attacked or before she sank? If so, what vessels were they and what were their relative positions to the "Lusitania"? Did they render any, and if so, what assistance to the "Lusitania" or any of her passengers or crew. | No other vessels in sight. (It must be recorded that HMS Juno, the Lusitania's proposed escort, had been recalled to Queenstown. After the Lusitania sank she was sent to her aid only to be recalled again when in sight of survivors). |
| What was the cause of the loss of the "Lusitania"? What caused the loss of life? | The loss of the "Lusitania" and the loss of life was caused by the sinking of the ship by torpedoes from the submarine. |
| Was the loss of the "Lusitania" and/or loss of life caused by the wrongful act or default of the master of the "Lusitania" or does any blame attach to him for such loss? | No. |
| Does any blame attach to the owners of the steamship "Lusitania". | No |
Click to go the official annex to Lord Mersey's report.