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Who was the captain of the German U-boat that sank the Lusitania?

Who was the captain of the German U-boat that sank the Lusitania?

Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger
Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger was the thirty-year-old commander of the submarine U-20 that sank the Lusitania. His war diary describes the attack and the rapid sinking of the great liner as he viewed it through his periscope.

What happened to the sub that sank the Lusitania?

On the afternoon of May 7, 1915, the British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed without warning by a German submarine off the south coast of Ireland. Within 20 minutes, the vessel sank into the Celtic Sea. Of 1,959 passengers and crew, 1,198 people were drowned, including 128 Americans.

What year did they sink the Lusitania?

1915
On May 7, 1915, the German submarine (U-boat) U-20 torpedoed and sank the Lusitania, a swift-moving British cruise liner traveling from New York to Liverpool, England.

Why did the Lusitania sink so quickly?

The ship sank within 20 minutes of being hit by a German torpedo. There has been much speculation about its quick demise, many pointing to the second explosion that occurred after the initial torpedo strike. Some believe damage to the steam room and pipes caused the latter blast, hastening the Lusitania’s sinking.

Has the wreck of the Lusitania been found?

Last week, the Irish Ministry of Culture and Heritage confirmed that divers have recovered the main ship’s telegraph from the RMS Lusitania, the Cunard ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915. Another telegraph from the ship was recovered in October 2016. …

How many survived the Lusitania sinking?

761 people
Only 761 people survived out of the 1,266 passengers and 696 crew aboard, and many of the casualties were American citizens….Sinking of the RMS Lusitania.

Painting of the sinking
Date 7 May 1915
Outcome 1,193 of the 1,960 people aboard killed, leaving 761 survivors. Turned international opinion against Germany.

Who rescued the Lusitania survivors?

RMS Carpathia
Lifeboat 13 was rescued by RMS Carpathia, a passenger steamship that braved treacherous conditions to rescue 705 people from the Titanic. His family also believe he was on board RMS Lusitania when it was sunk during the First World War.

Was Lusitania bigger than Titanic?

Both British ocean liners had been the largest ships in the world when first launched (the Lusitania at 787 feet in 1906, and the Titanic at 883 feet in 1911). …

Are there any Lusitania survivors still alive?

The last known survivor from the Lusitania ocean liner that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915 has died. Audrey Lawson-Johnston from Melchbourne in Bedfordshire died in the early hours of Tuesday aged 95.

Are there still bodies on the Lusitania?

65 LUSITANIA DEAD ARE NOW IDENTIFIED; And Also 22 Members of the Crew from the Bodies Recovered from Sea. MANY ARE STILL UNKNOWN Names of the Dead Passengers Now Identified as Furnished by Cunard Line and Consul.

What speed was the Titanic going when it hit the iceberg?

23 knots
6 – the number of ice warnings the Titanic received before the collision. 22.5 – the ship’s speed in knots whilst traveling amid iceberg laden waters, just . 5 knots below the top speed of 23 knots. 30 seconds – the length of time between the first sighting of the iceberg to the crash.

What did Walther Schwieger do in World War 1?

Walther Schwieger (7 April 1885, Berlin – 5 September 1917, North Sea) was an officer of the Imperial German Navy ( Kaiserliche Marine) and a U-boat commander during World War I, noted for his role in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania . In 1903 he joined the Imperial German Navy and from 1911 onwards he served with the U-boat Service.

How old was Walther Schwieger when he died?

Walther Schwieger was seven months short of his 33rd birthday when his worst nightmare became a reality. There were no survivors from the U88, whose last recorded resting place is 53,57N – 04,55E . At the time of his death, Schwieger ranked 6th in the league table of top-scoring U-boat commanders and was therefore officially a U-boat “Ace”.

When did Walther Schwieger become a Kapitan Leutnant?

In 1911, he transferred from SMS Stettin to the U-boote waffe (U-boat arm). After serving as a Flaggleutnant on U14, Schwieger was promoted to the rank of Kapitan-Leutnant on September 19th, 1914. He took command of U20 at the end of December that year, and soon proved to be a popular commander.

How old was Walther Schwieger when he sank the Lusitania?

After serving as a Flaggleutnant on U14, Schwieger was promoted to the rank of Kapitan-Leutnant on September 19th, 1914. He took command of U20 at the end of December that year, and soon proved to be a popular commander. At the time he infamously sank the Lusitania on May 7th 1915, Schwieger was 30 years old.