[Music] this is a G6 torpedo it is 50 cm or 19.7 in in diameter and longer than a truck its wet heater engine uses compressed air mixed with decahydronaphthalene hour through the water at its forward end a 353 lb 160 kg TNT hexite explosive charge this could punch a hole through solid concrete it was made in Germany and this G6 torpedo has just been fired at a Target it Roars through the water progress watch from a nearby Periscope Closer Closer the crew of the submarine that has just fired it hold their breath the pocket watch seconds tick by and then [Music] impact 160 kg of hexite detonates against the hull of a mighty ship this is not solid concrete but still plating not an inch thick the result is devastating a gaping Mo that allows tons of water to Surge in for the nearly 2,000 people on board a timer has just been started because their ship doesn't even have 20 minutes to live the crew of the German submarine watch appalled at their handiwork what plays out before their eyes will haunt them on the ship's bow plates picked out in Golden letters is the name Lucitania it glistens brightly perversely in the sunshine in her time the ship was a celebrity a household name the pride of her owners and her Nation she was built in peace but now she is to become a casualty of war and as that gleaming golden name plate disappears beneath the waves and the shouts and screams of her passengers fill the air there could be no doubt that the world has entered a new era of unrestricted Total War and things will never be the same again [Applause] [Music] [Music] Lucitania one of the card lies finest ships she is a household name but this is not one of Lucitania famed peacetime voyagers the ship is sailing into a war zone her cheerful kunard red funnels have been painted over with a thick layer of dark paint on Saturday May 1st 1915 the ship had left New York bound for Liverpool but to get there she would need to steam straight through the waters that the German government had just declared to be a zone of unrestricted submarine warfare any British ship caught there would be sunk without warning but Lucitania had an ace up her sleeve speed she was the second fastest ship in the world because of this her owners Cunard had agreed to keep her running a regular passenger service across the Atlantic providing a vital seink between Britain and the then neutral United States of America that Saturday in May 1915 when Lucitania had sat out an onymous warning had appeared reminding passengers that Germany would offer No Quarter to any British flagged ships some had canceled their bookings but Lucitania Gruff Captain William Turner had laughed the warnings off why it's the best joke I've heard in many days this talk of torpedoing he told anxious reporters Germany can concentrate her entire fleet of submarines on our track and we would elude them but soon too soon he would be proved [Music] wrong Lucitania departed New York 2 hours later than expected and as she rounded Breezy Point and made for the open Atlantic her passengers began to settle into their home for the next few days aboard the ship were around 1,960 people below her maximum capacity but impressively well booked for a wartime Voyage even though it was wartime her passenger list still featured a few luminaries and celebrities of the day Chief among these was Alfred Vanderbilt Bound for Britain with his valet on business the Vanderbilt family had established a railroad Empire and Alfred even by age 37 had proved an Adept businessman and real estate Tycoon he' apparently received a telegram from home which read have it on definite Authority that the Lucitania is to be torpedoed you would better cancel passage immediately he gave it no serious heed and boarded anyway to make the trip he'd made dozens of times before then there was Albert hubard and his wife Alice hubard was a renowned writer and The Eccentric founder of the Roy coft arts and crafts Society based in East Aurora New York when speaking to reporters after boarding Lucitania with Alice Hubbard had said speaking from a strictly personal point of view I would not mind if they did sing the ship it might be a good thing for me I'd be a regular hero and go ride to the bottom then with some seriousness he added I shall make no effort to get into the lifeboats unless there is some spare room also In First Class traveled Mr Isaac Layman a New York broker Bound for Europe in the lucrative wartime contracts there he traveled everywhere with a small revolver and this Voyage would be no exception then there was Charles Fran legendary theater manager and Broadway producer he'd worked his way up from the very bottom to become one of the big players in entertainment on both sides of the Atlantic despite the bombastic industry he was in Fran was reserved and private person he was traveling to London to oversee a production which had so far been bombing at the box office but his many friends were deeply concerned one sent him a telegram which read I'll never forgive you if you get blown up by a submarine it didn't deaden his spirits or his Wicked wit to one friend he said Al if you want to write to me just address the letter care of the German submarine u4 another friend saw him off from the key as Lucitania departed aren't you afraid of OTS he had asked Fran smiled no he said I'm only afraid of the I Fran was joined by menty actress Rita jol who acted in one of his shows the parot met a few familiar faces on board actors singers and playwrights who all rubbed elbows and would be firm denim mates as Froman and the others relaxed into the comfortable surrounds of the lounge and smoking rooms Up In First Class and given the fact the first class was severely under booked at just over half capacity there was plenty of space to do so beneath their feet the 601 second-class passengers wandered through the ship in awe at her luxury Avis dolphin 12 was one of dozens of children on board she was traveling with two nurses to start school in Britain and and any excitement about traveling one of the world's most famous ships was tempered by her terrible seasickness as the ler swayed and pitched gently around her Chrissy Atkin was another young passenger in second class just 16 years old she was aboard with her family including her Father James older brother Javy and his young 2-year-old son the Atkins were returning to their native Scotland after javy's wife Grace had died unexpectedly the year before Chrissy's own mother had passed away in 1908 so the bed family decided to return home they originally booked passage aboard the cata cameronia but at the last minute the ship had been requisitioned by the admiralty and they were transferred to the much larger Lucitania instead then there was Ian hurn a professor and lecturer he had done a tour of the US trying to get a manuscript published and was returning to his home in Scotland on an expedition to Iceland in 1900 he had fallen in love with a little Scottish aisle he encountered along the way he bought it first chance he got and the locals treated him like a dignitary he and his wife had eventually moved to London with hbin lecturing at colleges on classical history poetry and social matters with the outbreak of War he and his wife had moved back to their Scottish Island but then he had written his book and he was Keen to see it printed his trip in America was a success with the manuscripts slated for publishing sometime the next year and after a few months abroad the 43-year-old was ready to come home to his wife and beloved Island Home in third class Lucitania steerage held only 370 passengers despite the fact she was designed to carry more than 1,100 aside from the state of war the simple truth was that the majority of people traveling aboard Lucitania that spring were mostly business people and middle class the migrant trade was immensely popular in the Years leading up to the war but Crossings going back the other way back to Britain and Europe were always quieter these 370 men women and children were mostly originally from Britain Ireland or Europe and they were heading back home either to stay with their families while the war played out or to convince loved ones to come back with them to the safety of America Lucitania four propellers churned through the ocean but she wasn't moving as fast as she normally would on an Atlantic Crossing if this fact was apparent to passengers on board then it was painfully obvious to her Captain William Turner Turner had been at Sea since the tender age of eight starting as a cabin boy on a sailing bark before moving his way from ship to ship ship posting to posting always in the hopes of one day commanding a vessel of his own once he joined the kunard line in 1878 he took him 25 full years of dedicated service to finally see himself in command of Aer Turner went on to Skipper some of the most well-known kunard liners like Carpathia morania and then the newer aquitania Turner also knew Lucitania well he'd been in command the night sh copped a devastating Rogue Wave over her nose he was a Gruff old salt a man known for for his antisocial demeanor avoiding the usual social duties captains were expected to perform and referring to his passengers once as a load of bloody monkeys who were constantly chattering on one particular Crossing aboard morania a female passenger asked Turner If She Could remain on the bridge as the ship steamed down the mercy out to open Waters Turner replied that it wasn't allowed the passenger coily pressed him by asking well what if a lady happened to insist but Turner simply replied flatly Madam do you think that would be a lady he rarely joined his passengers for dinner and found the idea of small talk and mingling to be deeply upsetting but humorously passengers only seemed to enjoy his mystique and it made him very popular it helped that he was a fine Captain too and one of cunard's most experienced men with Lucitania on the wartime transatlantic service he could leave the pleasantries to his staff captain and focus on the conduct of the ship under his command the role of Staff Captain was a relatively new one it had been introduced in the wake of the Titanic tragedy when it was thought that ship's captains might have had too much on their plate in between running the vessel and associating with the passengers James jock Anderson 48 was second in command of the ship and Turner's right-hand man he'd been with Cunard for nearly two decades and had even held his own command with the company but to serve in such a senior role aboard as famous a vessel as Lucitania was an honor while Turner and his six other deck officers focused on navigation and the ship's progress and intended to the needs of the passengers and oversaw some of of the more Administration heavy aspects of the ship's operation it was not an easy job under he and Turner's watchful eye were around 690 men and women tasked with keeping the ship humming along down in the engine room chief engineer archal Bryce and his men kept the turbines roaring and the ship speed a steady constant in the boiler rooms more than 160 men like leading fireman James Breen and David Evans toiled to feed the furnaces tons of coal Around the Clock hurrying through the labyrinthine corridors more than 100 stewards and stewardesses like John Valentine and Marian May bird tended to passengers every need and in the enormous kitchens and GS dozens of cooks like Henry Becket and George win worked to feed hundreds of mouths Lucitania was running like a well-oiled machine a floating town she may have had her happy peacetime funnel colors darkened but she was still providing a service as good as a passenger might expect from any Crossing during her Heyday the lounges sounded with happy chatter and after shuffleboard weights rattled across the deck beams here was a happy reprieve from the terrible War news coming out of Europe a self-contained world where all that seemed to exist was the rushing sea a the rolling waves and the gentle pitching of the mighty ship for the roughly 1,260 passengers on board life began to take on a simple leisurely routine largely sented around dining times on the surface there seemed to be very little out of the ordinary but to those familiar with Loc atania and the transatlantic Crossing there were signs that not all was as it seemed they' become accustomed to her flying across the ocean at cracking speeds but this time they were surprised instead to find the ship angling along at far below her top speed this wouldn't do Lucitania speed was her best defense passengers weren't to know that for reasons of economy and shortages the ship's speed had been greatly reduced in fact one of her cavernous boiler rooms had been closed entirely its boilers sitting cold and unused the fact was that Lucitania burned through a Monumental amount of coal that Cunard line and the British admiralty didn't have to spare instead she would do this Voyage far below her top speed aboard liners it had become tradition that the run or the number of miles covered over a 24-hour period would be posted for passengers to see every morning it even became a source of betting on board but when details of the ship's run were posted the morning of the second day out of New York York it became clear that it would take a little bit longer than the passengers had hoped to see their way safely through the war zone many still held out hope that the crew was holding off on pushing Lucitania engines until the ship was closer to the war zone itself but each time the ship's run was posted Lucitania could never seem to break an average of 21 knots this was still a good clip in fact it was the top speed of most British liners serving his troop ships and auxiliary cruisers at the time but still it began to create an air of anxiety on board Isaac Layman the New York broker caught up to the ship's first officer and challenged him on Lucitania slow progress he was told erroneously that it was thanks to crew shortages the mood of unease pervaded the entire ship at night passengers slept fully clothed with lifeboats at Arms Reach some slept in the public rooms high up in the ship for fear of being caught Far Below in their state rooms and drowned it was said that one man even snuck into a Lifeboat to sleep there captain Turner and his officers reassured passengers as best they could that all was well but hundreds of overactive imaginations saw a periscope behind every wave a torpedo strike at every moment their worry was not baseless the Atlantic Ocean was not a friendly [Music] place hundreds of miles away off the coast of Ireland a submarine moted ahead and slip through the ocean waves like some kind of giant gray metal dagger the day Lucitania had departed New York the submarine had been patrolling off the coast of Ireland now its Commander Walter Scher was beginning to feel lucky under his command the u20 had been responsible for sinking six British vessels since the beginning of his Patrol in January but the pace had quickly picked up since the Declaration of the war zone encircling the British Isles then were in an ideal position to patrol the busy waterways leading to crucial ports like Liverpool on the 5th 4 days after Lucitania had left u20 caught and sank a small fishing boat off the coast of Ireland the next day a 2,000 ton steam ship Sher had been a uboat man since 1911 and he had begun to form the reputation as something of a renegade earlier that same Patrol Shiga had attacked a hospital ship HMHS Asus the torpedo hit but it failed to detonate the German Embassy announced the attack had been a mistake and that Sher had disengaged afterward but it was clear that he had no quals with attacking British ships military or civilian he knew the Waters of Ireland would bring many targets his way he probably also knew Lucitania was to be expected off this stretch of Coast as she maintained her regular schedule from the conning Tower u20s men peered at the Horizon with their binoculars looking for The Telltale sign of smoke all they had to do was wait [Music] aboard Lucitania a Lifeboat drill was held largely for the benefit of crew the passengers were not impressed George Kesler a wine merchant traveling In First Class approached Captain Turner himself and suggested passengers should also receive a drill and tickets with designated Lifeboat numbers Turner brushed him off and that was the end of it the demonstration did very little to quell the nervous Travelers whose trepidation only grew as the ship inched closer and closer to the war zone the passengers weren't the only ones concerned by the Lucitania precarious position during the voyage Alfred Booth the chairman of Cunard line appealed to the British admiralty themselves to ensure all precautions were in place to ensure the safe passage of the liner multiple warnings had been sent via telegram to all inbound ships Crossing through the war zone with two in particular meant for Lucitania specifically the messages were very clear increased submarine activity had been detected in the waters of Ireland and any inbound ships were urged to take extra precautions captains were advised but not ordered to maintain full speed and a mid-channel course avoiding coastlines and where possible making a zigzag course that would confuse submarines trying to get a bearing on their target Turner knew these Waters and his ship very well and he had ultimate Authority on board he kept that advice in mind but trusted his own Instinct soon his ship would be off land and the familiar Coastline would be in sight it would guide him and his ship home still he decided to take some precautions early in the afternoon of the 6th the final day before Lucitania made landfall he ordered 22 of the ship's boats uncovered and swung out ready for launching at a moment's notice [Music] as Lucitania headed into her final night the ship was alive with activity in first class parties were held by the more illustrious passengers in their cabins and in the lounge a Seaman's charity concert was held a tradition in the Cunard and other lines for the final night of a ship's Voyage passengers mustered the courage to get on stage and perform singing juggling joking it was all on display and laughter filled the air despite the general feeling of unease first class passenger and act R Rita jol declined to perform along with the other show business Talent at intermission there was a stark reminder of the situation Turner got up on stage to relay the latest news on entering the war zone tomorrow he said we shall be securely in the care of the royal Navy and of course there is no need for alarm he reminded passengers not to light cigarettes on deck and then he let the show go on Turner was built like a barrel he was Gruff but in an authoritative way it gave him an air of abs absolute certainty he had even swung the boats out so passengers knew he was taking the threat seriously all of this put many Minds at ease but just shortly after a message came through on the telegraph that read to all British ships take Liverpool pilot at bar and avoid Headlands pass Harbors at full speed steer mid Channel course submarines off fastnet as the hours grew later Captain Turner ordered a blackout all outboard lights on the ship were extinguished all Port holes and skylights were covered Lucitania would steam through the night under the cover of Blackness and her Captain stayed up until Daybreak to peer into the inky Horizon this would be Luc satania's final night early the next morning Lucitania was approaching Ireland about 100 Mil west southwest of the coast when she had to slow down yet again Turner was being especially cautious navigating Lucitania through a thick murky fog her speed had been at the maximum allow 21 knots but now it had fallen off significantly despite having officially crossed over into the patch of sea designated by Germany as an unrestricted war zone Turner didn't want to run the risk of colliding with another vessel in the fog Lucitania lumbered along at 18 and then just 15 knots her fog horn booming out into the Mist Margaret macworth a first class passenger a notable suffragette was traveling with her father and the two were at lunch home tomorrow she had said aren't you pleased father I would be more pleased my dear he replied if I believe that wretched siren hasn't given our whereabouts away he wasn't alone in thinking so many passengers were alarmed that Lucitania would advertise her position like this but Turner was no full a ship cloaked in fog is essentially invisible to a submarine the hours ticked by and by 10:00 a.m. the blanket of fog at last lifted to reveal far off in the distance the Irish Coast in a Bright Beautiful Sun Land was in sight and for a moment it seemed that maybe just maybe they were in the clear on the bridge Captain Turner had decisions to make warnings had been coming in from the British admiralty via Wireless every hour on the hour throughout the night he had Lucitania on a straight course headed right towards the Irish Coast rather than remaining far out to sea the admiralty had advised against this and recommended that he make some kind of zigzag course but it presented him with problems the course he maintained was carefully plan to bring Lucitania into Liverpool at high tide making it much quicker to pick up the harbor pilot who'd be waiting there and then proceed toward the dock without stopping if they came in too early it would make the ship a Sitting Duck but to make it to the Mery bar at high tide at all the ship would be unable to make a zigzag course and instead needed to make straight for land essentially everything had been warned specifically not to do the latest warning to come in from the admiralty gave him pause submarines fire miles south of Cape clear proceeding West when sided at 10:00 a.m. if this was true by Turner's Reckoning Lucitania had somehow skirted the OTS without realizing having already passed Cape clear in the cover of the fog the horrifying truth was that since the day of Lucitania departure less than a week prior some 23 vessels had been torpedoed in the very Waters through which the liner now sailed at 1:20 p.m. u20 was motoring on the surface maintaining her usual watchful Patrol when smoke was spotted on the horizon Sher entered into the uo's log ahead and stared four funnels and two MKS of a steamer with course triangular to us comes into sight ship is made out to be a large passenger steamer he knew that there was only one liner it could possibly be on Lucitania no one could have asked for finer weather passengers gathered on the decks to take in the scenery of the Irish Coastline participate in deck games or simply stretch out in deck chairs to read and enjoy this final stretch of their Voyage Bel Nash who had been caring for her seasick husband Theodore stepped away for a few moments and took in the sights a Lovel day Cannot Be Imagined she later said the air was warm no wind bright Sun smooth sea they were very nearly home on the bridge Turner was beginning to realize his plan of reaching Mery bar at high tide could very well be flawed at his current speed Lucitania would steam into Liverpool far too early to meet the tide meaning she would need to wait it out in the Irish sea her billowing smoke visible for miles around in order to prevent this the first task was to determine the ship's exact location relative to the shore since thanks to the fog it wasn't fully yet clear Turner ordered a four-point bearing a procedure used by SE farit to pinpoint their position by remaining on the same dead straight course for a total of 40 minutes while the ship's position was marked relative to a stationary object in this case the old head of kale There Rose from there a tall black and white Lighthouse that looked out over the sea after taking four of these bearings Turner would be able to determine their exact position after this he hoped to set a course to arrive in Liverpool the next morning he ordered the ship make a turn to starboard so that the first officer could begin collecting the first of the bearings passengers watched with some disappointment as the Lush Irish Coast Line drifted out of view the ship's bow now pointed towards the open ocean again many assumed Turner was beginning to zigzag the ship to avoid detection by OTS but no one on board could have known that this simple maneuver had just done the exact opposite Lucitania fate was sealed aboard u20 Captain Sher stood amazed the unmistakable form of the Great British liner RMS Lucitania had now changed course and landed herself directly in his crosshairs she could not have steered he said a more perfect course if she had deliberately tried to give us a dead shot for the next 25 minutes the ubot secretly gave chase the liner came nearer and nearer with no escorts in sight no change in course and no Lookouts catching sight of the submarine's Periscope if shrier was ever handed a golden opportunity in his life it was right now and he was not keen to let it slip away he ordered a single G6 torpedo arm armed and the tube made ready u20 inched her way closer and closer to her Target and finally upon coming within a half mile of the Grand and Powerful cata at 2:10 p.m. Sher gave the order to fire [Music] in the dining saloons the second lunch sitting had been served and now coffee and tea were being poured out on Deck passengers strolled and smoked cigars Seaman Leslie Morton was scanning the waters off Lucitania starboard bow his eyes had been playing tricks on him that day and he'd been seeing disturbances in the water where there weren't any he kept his eyes trained on the sea ahead when suddenly an unmistakable track of white foam began streaking its way towards the liner Morton's eyes widened he fumbled for his megaphone and bellowed Torpedoes coming on the starboard side Second Officer heord repeated the warning to Captain Turner but there was no time to respond in just 35 seconds the torpedo met its [Music] mark for the briefest of moments silence hung in the air there was a fleeting almost imperceptible pause between the torpedo striking the ship and all hell breaking loose Captain Turner took one step toward the starboard Bridge wing and in that moment 350 lb of explosives ripped through Lucitania Hull like tissue paper shrapnel debris and sea spray rain from the sky and a massive geyser onto the decks below the spray and the force of the explosion had lifted one of Lucitania 5ton lifeboats clean into the air as if it was a toy down below the waterline the hexite Warhead had left a hole in the ship's side some 40 ft wide the ocean roared in flooding her Co bunkers and Boiler Room one rushing in at some 100 tons per second it was so much that Lucitania suddenly listed hard over to starboard it caught many off guard and swept them off their feet in the Dining Saloon Professor Ian hurn had been at lunch and watched as dishes crashed to the floor while Lucitania lurched amazingly in some parts of the ship there was absolute calm the passengers simply got up and made for the stairs to the boat deck the days of anxiety had meant that many of Lucitania passengers were resigned to the idea that their ship would be hit and now the expected had simply happened elsewhere closer to the blast there was a rush to get topside in the immediate wake of the torpedo strike Captain Turner knew he needed to make a move and fast he had scarcely regained his bearings though when a second deep explosion rattled The Vessel under his feet had it been another strike when Turner once again regained his composure he noticed that the old head of canale was after starbard seemingly just close enough to make him consider making a run to beach his vessel it was a gamble but maybe just maybe they could make it the impact of the torpedo had caused immense damage to the ship's starboard bow but passengers far enough away in the stern section only reported hearing a dull thud one passenger designer Oliver Bernard thought to himself well that wasn't so bad at the same time passengers who had been swept off their feet and thrown into the bulkheads by the blast were coming to terms it seemed as if she were going down at once said book seller Charles laurat but then she stopped suddenly as if the sea had met the watertight bulkheads and she seemed to write herself and even raise her bow a little this gave me a feeling of security and I at first thought that she would stay afloat but then that second explosion was heard from deep within the belly of the ship Charles lauriat described it as very muffled more like an explosion of a boiler any complacency was violently shaken out of passengers as the ship began to take on a heavier list from 15° that quickly Rose towards 20 Margaret macworth having just finished lunch with her father heard the explosions and rushed to her cabin to retrieve life jackets for the two of them after wasting a minute or so making polite apologies after almost running into a stewardess she made her way up to the boat deck and met her friend Dorothy Connor the two looked around at the chaos surrounding them and after a moment Margaret remarked I always thought a shipwreck was a well organized Affair Dorothy replied so did I but I've learned a devil of a lot in the last 5 minutes down in the main stairs leading to the boat decks a dense crowd blocked the exits as dozens of people all rushed for the boat deck at the same time the ship's electric lifts were one of her most modern and impressive features it seems likely the passengers fed up with the crush and worried to get up on the boat deck as soon as possible took over the lifts for themselves and began to make for the deck up on the bridge Turner kept his sights on the old head of canale as he ordered the helm put hard over veering from his straight course to one headed right for the coast but then his ship began to overcorrect turning to port and Turner ordered the helm to starbard but the helm and the telegraphs failed to respond in all likelihood the second explosion he'd heard had been the bursting and rupturing of steam pipes deep down in the ship's bowels Lucitania Mighty power plant was failing she traced a wide slow Circle through the ocean Marone operator Robert leth was also realizing he was running out of time the moment the ship's lights began to flicker he raced to the Marone room praying the power help called out and quickly tapped out come at once big list 10 Mi South old head of canale Turner soon realized that he would not be able to beach his ship he had ordered the watertight doors closed and the Lifeboat swung out to the rails but now he was faced with another issue the ship was still making around 18 knots for momentum alone it was too dangerous to launch any boats until she hadd been stopped and with the reversing turbines unresponsive it was now up to the sea to slow her Lucitania continued forward with no way to control her course or reduce her speed that forward motion of the ship caused only more water to Roar in through the gaping hole left in her side her bow dipped lower her list grew more severe the Clock Was ticking precious minutes slipped away as passengers began to assemble on Deck clamoring for information no one knew the extent of the damage or if the ship had been mortally wounded one woman approached Captain Turner directly asking what do you wish for us to do the captain replied stay right where you are Madam she's all right the woman was not satisfied where do you get your information Turner responded from the engine room Madam but Turner certainly knew things were far from all right and if the engine room had told him anything it couldn't be reassuring his Focus now was on crowd control ensuring chaos didn't ensue in a Mad Dash for lifeboats the reassuring words of the captain spread among some of the passengers who were at first relieved to hear the good news cheers were even heard among those who'd been waiting by the lifeboats and the crowd began to thin many passengers simply wanted to go back to enjoying the splendid weather of course Lucitania couldn't be in real danger they reckoned she had been engineered with all the safety and strength you could ever need but then there came a sure sign of impending doom Lucitania lights gave out as her power completely died her steam pressure gone the outside of the ship was bathed in brilliant Sunshine but the inside now became a maze of corridors cloaked in darkness those who had relied on the ship's electric lifts to take them up to the boat deck were now trapped with their lift cars stuck between two decks water began to rush in through dozens of open port holes throughout the ship at a rate of 260 tons per minute up on the boat deck passengers and crew had waited about 10 minutes since the torpedo strike for the ship to lose her momentum now that her speed was no longer an issue the boats could at last be got away a much larger problem loomed Lucitania list to starboard had become so severe that her starboard lifeboats now Hung Far outboard precariously swaying Over the Sea while the lifeboats on the other side had swung inward so far that they were virtually unable to be launched without bumping their way down the ship's Hull those that decided to take their chances on the starboard boats were faced with the paralyzing notion of jumping into a Lifeboat swinging as much as 8 ft away from the edge of the deck with the ocean some six stories beneath them some officers used deck chairs as a bridge to help passengers into the boats but many opted to take a leap of faith on the port side staff Captain jock Anderson was doing his best to reassure the passengers and crew as they struggled to swing the boats out against the list of the ship he saw how precarious an attempt would be at launching he ordered all the women and children who boarded some of the boats all ready to get out then there was a dull boom as some of the Machinery astried the third funnel possibly one or more of the thermo tanks that moderated air temperature within the ship detonated with a rush of steam and smoke third funnel five or six stories tall was knocked out of true and caned ominously over the shrouds and stays which connected it to the deck held tort but frightened passengers got the impression it could topple at any minute the situation on the port side of the ship was Dire lifted High into the air by the list the danger was less apparent than on the other side where the ocean now seemed just feet away despite Anderson's efforts crewman had managed to load and lower Portside boats as concern began to mount among the passengers boat 12 was being lowered when it was rushed by passengers and one end Broke Free of its Falls it dropped and dumped its human cargo into the ocean before the remaining fall snapped and it slammed down on top of them boat 8 struggled down the ship's Hull bumping and grinding along the rivet heads and plates the whole way before it finally snagged Broke Free from its lines and smashed into the ocean with its entire complement of passengers survivors came up gasping for air but then from far above them there came another crashing sound and screams Lifeboat 10 had suffered the same fate but now it and its occupants Came Crashing Down onto the heads of boat a people still in the water meanwhile boat number 20 was being loaded when first class passenger and businessman Ogden Hammond and his wife Mary came across a crowd waiting to board at first they were hesitant to step in but once the boat had filled up the Hammond finally boarded and it began to lower away the boat lowered steadily at first until the Sailor Manning the falls at the bow lost control of his line Ogden attempted to take hold of it but it slipped through his hands fast enough to tear the skin from his palms the boat Dove forward spilling all of its passengers 60 ft into the sea below Mary did not resurface Luc satania's name plate had once towered proudly over the Atlantic but now it was submerged as the ships bow began to plunge towards the sea floor on the starboard side the same list which had swung the Portside lifeboats in was causing the starboard boats to swing further out Lifeboat 17 was filling up quickly with passengers and third class passenger Elizabeth Duckworth had just got her friend Alice Scott's son away in another boat but there wasn't room for the two women to join him instead they climbed into boat 17 they were joined by Professor Ian hurn on the voyage he had befriended 12-year-old Avis dolphin and helped her overcome her crippling seasickness he saw to it that she and the two nurses she was traveling with were put safely into the boat telling Avis to find his wife and children and kiss them goodbye for him 17 began to be lowered away and at first all seemed well but then the crew had trouble with the boat's launching tackle Elizabeth Duckworth got spooked and at the last second she jumped out of the boat and back onto the deck the Lifeboat lowered away but just before it reached the water it capsized and spill its entire complement out into the ocean many couldn't swim and they were dragged down by the weight of their heavy Woolen clothes Professor hurn had watched in horror then without thinking he dived into the ocean to try to get to Avis Commander Sher watched the disaster play out it seemed even he was shocked at the chaos and Carnage they had Unleashed saying it was the most terrible sight I've ever seen it was impossible for me to give any help I could only have saved a handful assuming a nearby Cruiser would be along to assist the foundering liner Sher gave the order to dive his submarine and withdraw with one single torpedo he had sunk more tonnage than he had for the rest of U2's Patrol combined the mood in the submarine was jubilant despite the death toll climbing by the minute nearby at 2:25 p.m. Sher entered into his log it would have been impossible for me anyhow to fire a second torpedo into this crushing crowd of humanity trying to save their lives some passengers reported u20s crew actually watched the events unfold from the surface their men lining the deck as the liner died in the end sha knew he and his men could do little to help the submarine u20 left the scene of devast station behind her back on Lucitania the ship had assumed a 25 Dee list to starboard and for those in the Wheelhouse there was no more question as to Lucitania fate Marone operator leth working at the wireless set using an emergency Dynamo tapped out again and again his desperate cries for help the sharp tilt of the ship made it impossible to accurately tap out his messages but finally his desperation reached its peak and he simply sent send help quickly and listing badly as the ship continued to list it became clear he had done all he could do rising from his swivel chair balancing half on the bulkhead on his knees he took out his camera snapping a photo of the ship looking towards a submerged bow what a snap this will make he commented to Oliver Bernard who was nearby and he Bernard along with the chief electrician Hutchinson then made their way down the starboard railing and headed for a Lifeboat floating nearby somehow in the chaos and the confusion some lifeboats got away on the starboard side boats one and then 13 had been lowered remarkably one Portside boat 14 was even successfully launched against the list but the drainage hole designed to let rainwater out hadn't been plugged the boat was swamped and capsized meanwhile book seller Charles lauriat had become keenly aware of the real and present danger he was in after emerging from his cabin to retrieve his life jacket in complete darkness the ship's list forced him to walk partly on the wall glor emerged on the boat deck and made his way to boat 7 on the ship's starboard side the sea was rapidly rising to the level of the Lifeboat which was already filled with women and children lauriat and a steward set about attempting to free the boat with one man working to cut through the tethers on each end Lucitania massive funnels loomed overhead inching closer and closer with each degree of list after fumbling to release the boat it was clear the ship was sinking too quickly lauriat abandoned the Lifeboat and pleaded with the other passengers to follow him but most felt they were safer in the Lifeboat than in the open ocean and he watched with horror as the Lifeboat was dragged underwater taking with it most of the women and children who had hoped by entering the Lifeboat that they'd be spared Sean Leslie Morton was scrambling to help launch as many lifeboats as possible Lucitania was by then listing a full 30° to starboard and he knew they were all quickly running out of time he set about helping passengers across the gap between the ship and boat 9 and a total of 60 people managed to make the leap Mabel leid along with her husband Charles attempted to board the Lifeboat but doing so would be no easy task thanks to the ship's heavy list they needed to rush into the boat while also clinging onto the vessel's railing tumbling more than stepping aboard the boat immediately began to be lowered but in that same moment Panic ensued Leslie Morton and a petty officer managed to lower boat nine into the sea but just as it hit the surface Morton noticed the men lowering the next boat ared but quickly the process was going arai before Morton could react the men lost control of the falls and Lifeboat 11 dropped 30 ft to land directly on top of boat 9 the boat's passengers spilled into the sea and Mabel leoy and her husband were separated underwater Mabel surfaced confused disoriented and desperately searching for Charles but he was nowhere to be seen Morton looked on appalled there was no time to dive in and attempt a valiant rescue instead he rushed to another boat and found his brother the two men worked to lower it away as quickly as possible but once the boat hit the water passengers began clinging onto whatever parts of the ship that they could from rails to ropes believing in their Panic that they were safer hanging onto the sinking ship than floating off in a Lifeboat Morton noticed the boat begin to tip inward towards Lucitania Hull he realized was too late that the gunnel of the boat had got snagged on the ship there was no time to try to write it both brothers decided to jump into the sea into that swirling chaos of debris and bodies and when Morton surfaced he suddenly remembered his brother never knew how to swim as he looked up to see the massive liner begin to take her last violent gasps he knew there was no time left he began to swim as hard as he could away from the ship but for one brief moment he stopped and stole a final glance at the sinking ship with Captain Turner still on the bridge the ocean rising to meet him Panic was beginning to spread as more passengers started to realize that time was running out boat 18 now high up on the port side was being loaded with passengers but the sailor in charge of the boat was waiting for direct orders before lowering Isaac Layman the stock broker armed with his revolver was not about to wait for formalities the Sailor told him yet again that the captain had ordered no boats launched yet and Layman it seemed reached his breaking point to hell with the captain he roared don't you see this boat is sinking in desperation he then drew his weapon on the Sailor the first man that disobeys my order to launch this boat he said I shoot to kill fearing for his life the Sailor knocked out the lifeboats restraining pin with an axe and the Lifeboat already under the influence of the ship's list and now carrying the weight of its entire load of passengers swung wildly inward its 5ton weight smashed straight into a small group of passengers who'd been waiting in to board Charles lauriat having narrowly escaped disaster during a failed Lifeboat launch was now swimming for his life away from the ship he turned back around and looked at the horrific scene playing out before him Lucitania was now completely down by the head with their Stone Rising High into the air the entire ship Twisted unnaturally toward the starboard side the passengers who resolved to stay on the ship held on for dear life clustering against the railings some climbing higher towards the stern if only to delay the inevitable third off as aestic described the ship making a peculiar lurching movement as a massive wave rolled up the boat deck and swept away anything and everything in its path lauriat described hearing a gut-wrenching whale as the sea continued its violent Rampage all the despair Terror and anguish he said of hundreds of souls passing into eternity composed that awful cry as the ship's final moments approached crew worked furiously to free and lower boats 17 and all the way at the stern of the ship 21 but 17 was now directly in the path of funnel number three which loomed ominously overhead and boat 21 was being lifted up perversely High into the air water raged through the entirety of Lucitania interior momentarily writing her severe list to a mere 5° violent explosions could be heard from deep within the hull as the influx of water tore through the ship's Interiors glasswar shattered Machinery gave way and everything with then the vessel began to groan and scream as it was virtually gutted by the force of the sea just as quickly as she evened out she began to plunge first class passenger Dwight Harris said that she plunged forward like a knife blade into the water funnels masts boats all Breaking to pieces and falling about everywhere those left aboard began to instinctively run for Higher Ground Lucitania Stern now Rose High out of the water and her four gleaming bronze propellers pointed Towards the Sky passengers swarmed at top the tall second class deck house which towered above the ship's stern here were the lifeboats 21 and 22 22 was left in place lowering against the list of the ship was a clear impossibility but 21 was filled and lowered away as the ship Stern swung wildly through the air and somehow it survived its wild flight and got away safely as the dying ship began to slide under for good Lucitania was 787 ft or 240 M long but the stretch of water she was sinking in was only 93 m or 300 or so feet deep from Far Below there came a deep grinding boom and a groan as the ship's great bow hundreds of feet underwater struck the sea floor with a crunch the bow plates twisted and buckled and the ship began to drop like a stone slowly the deck houses the onate public rooms they were all consumed by boiling white water at the veranda Cafe actress Rita jol was holding onto the railing with producer Charles Fran when the surging Ocean Rose to meet them Rita described it as a green Cliff of water the group was separated and Rita pulled down violently so violently that her tightly laced boots were pulled right off of her feet she rose up but she was Pulled Under Again by the suction again and again she struggled to break the surface the story was the same for Isaac Layman he was clinging onto the railing his foot a damaged mess he'd threatened the crew working like boat 18 when it swung in board and crushed passengers nearby but it had also crushed his leg seawater roared over the deck house behind him and pulled him under but somehow he and Rita both came up to the surface for good and watched on as Lucitania began to drop straight down Charles lauriat had narrowly escaped being pulled down by Lifeboat 7 but now there was another danger headed his way the wireless antenna strung between the ship's masts and usually 180 ft or 55 meters clear above the water line now slapped down into the ocean around him some in the water were hit by the heavy steel cables and Laurette felt them clip his shoulder and spin him around upside down he struggled for his life and he broke free bursting to the surface again and swimming for a Lifeboat lauriat wasn't the only one hit as the ship went down Lifeboat 15's launch had been left to the absolute last second the boat was washed bodily across the boat deck and straight into the support cables for number three as the ship sank around them the huge funnel loomed overhead and many in the boat thought it was going to crush them a few jumped into the water to swim away but then at the last second Lucitania seemed to roll away from them and boat 15 was free seconds later the Towering funnels began to be dragged below the surface still attached to the ship they were empty inside and created a huge suction those who jumped out of boat 15 and any others unfortunate enough to be close by were pulled in by Maelstrom into the the funnel tops and dragged down below 26-year-old Margaret guire was one of those pulled down dragged deep inside thinking the end was near when at last a huge pocket of air burst from the bowels of the ship and blasted her and two other passengers nearby to the surface coughing and covered in soot with a mighty raw funnel number three which had been somehow blasted off of its base at last came down into the water with a huge splash Lucitania boats had presented a deadly chaos ironically those who stayed behind at the ship's Stern had the gentlest Escape they simply stepped off and into the water as it Rose to meet them the second class deck house tower was finally engulfed and then the fanil dropped as it did Lifeboat 22 on the port side was picked up by the water and broke free from its lines upside down passengers rushed to climb on top Lucitania did not slide quietly and gracefully beneath the waves rather an upheaval followed her described as a great swirling greenish white bubble rising from the surface spewing debris wreckage and people in all directions the final lingering moan came from the ship before she would go silent forever it had been just 18 minutes since the torpedo had struck and Lucitania was gone [Music] what was left was a horrifying scene of chaos and Desperation with many survivors left praying for rescue while clinging to debris and floating in a massive wreckage only six of Lucitania boats had been successfully launched out of the 22 she had set sail with her speed had not saved her nor had her watertight compartments or the strength of her Hull she had proved just as sinkable as Titanic did 3 years prior for the survivors clinging to life a drift in the ocean there worst fears had become a terrifying reality but now it was all over the worst had occurred there was nothing to do but wait the Irish Coast was painfully visible but clearly not within swimming distance the water at 55° F or 133 C was still cold enough to induce hypothermia many of those who had watched Lucitania final plunge from the water wouldn't make it long enough to be rescued ultimately succumbing to the cold the water was peppered with bodies which needed to be pushed aside in order for survivors to reach boats overhead seagulls wheeled and called the sun still beat down the survivors struggled for life and waited for help on land word had already begun to spread of Lucitania tragic demise and Admiral Charles Henry KO a senior naval officer in Queenstown Ireland first heard word of the sinking just after 2:30 p.m. immediately he set about arranging for rescue calling up every vessel at his disposal to rush to Lucitania last known position among those rescue craft was the warship HMS Juno the fastest ship at hand she'd be able to make it to the rec side in just about an hour making 18 knots Admiral KO sent a message advising the admiralty of Juno's dispatch but he quickly received a clear three-word reply urgent recall Juno since no one could be sure whether or not the submarine was still lurking Juno was ordered back to Port it would be three full hours before the survivors would see rescue when a rag tag group of small trollers and fishing boats arrived on scene they darted in between groups of people clinging onto wreckage upturned boats and collapsible rafts collectively rescued a total of 763 survivors of the ship's original 1,960 people and bore them to Queenstown in the late night hours of May [Music] 7th the days following the loss of Lucitania were filled with confusion grief and shock telegrams flooded in informing families of the loss of their loved ones but not every telegram was accurate many passengers who were reported to be alive had in fact perished in the disaster with the families and friends left to find out the Awful Truth only days later kunard found it difficult to keep up with the influx of telegrams coming into their offices from anxious families and moreover they could do little to help communication was sluggish details were murky and some 600 Souls remained unaccounted for after the disaster they simply had no information to give families flocked to the card offices on both sides of the Atlantic desperate for any news at all Lucitania was carrying many noted passengers whose stories are well known but there were hundreds of lesser known tragedies that had played out in the 18 minutes in which the ship had sunk soon it became clear that whole families had been lost little Helen Smith was found in the water and rescued she'd been traveling with her family father Alfred Mother Elizabeth Brother Hubert and aunt and two cousins she was the only Survivor William and Sarah hodgers traveling with their two sons Dean and William they were all lost so too the crumpton family Paul and Gladis and their six children and a nurse all gone Edward Williams 10 had been aboard Lucitania with his mother and five siblings only he and his sister Edith survived [Music] but amongst the Carnage there were stories of heroism and selflessness Professor Ian Halburn had watched in horror as little AIS dolphin's boat had been overturned he dived in after her but became Tangled in ropes and nearly drowned himself separated from his young friend he had found refuge in another boat and watched Lucitania go under he reached Queen toown exhausted and suffering from exposure and the cold but he continued to search as best he could and finally at rest in hotel he received a visitor it was Avis she had survived for the following weeks and months bodies washed up on the Irish Shore only to be taken away to makeshift morgs for identification families walked through the rows of dead looking for loved ones familiar faces 140 were never claimed they were laid to rest in a mass Burial at the Old Church Cemetery outside of Queen toown a funeral service was held for the dozens of men women and children whose identity remained unknown and crowds of people thronged to pay their respects Lucitania had begun her life in Triumph she had carried hundreds of thousands in happiness and comfort but now she was at the bottom of the ocean a bent and broken husk and all that remained were dozens of wooden coffins the crowd sang the hymn abide with me and final words and prayers were read the unknown dead of the Lucitania were committed to the earth and the entire world seemed to B now its head in reverence [Music] oh [Music] all [Music] all [Music] [Music] all [Music] all [Music] [Music] [Music]