Vessels in Focus

Lusitania

HMS Lusitania

The Symposia will report on the latest research and understanding of the Lusitania disaster.

Lusitania had the misfortune to fall victim to torpedo attack early in WWI before tactics for evading submarines were properly implemented or understood. The contemporary investigations both in the UK and US into the precise causes of her loss were obstructed by the needs of wartime secrecy and a propaganda campaign to ensure all blame fell upon Germany. Argument over whether the ship was a legitimate military target raged back and forth throughout the war as both sides made misleading claims about the ship. This debate continues to today. wikipedia

The ship wreck currently lies on her starboard side/bottom in such a manner that all evidence as to where the torpedo hit and the cause of the 2nd explosion are carefully hidden. This has significantly made more difficult any forensic examination of the ship.

Additionally it has been alleged, with evidence, that the British depth bombed the ship after WWII, ostensibly as a naval exercise but more realistically to destroy the feasibility of easy research. Additionally with the extension of International waters, effective in 1987, the ship now lies in Irish waters, which has allowed the Irish government to get involved with limiting access to the wreck for whatever obscure reasons they might have. All of these impediments, along with the depth of 300 feet, have made further forensic efforts more challenging

A forensic evaluation of the wreck of the Lusitania continues in full force. This evaluation includes the first expedition focusing on the Lusitania in years, planned for 2011. There will be a full television documentary made of this expedition, and broader understandings and research will be reported on and released at the Marine Forensics Symposium.