Nor did Preston substantiate German claims that the ship was carrying Canadian troops and was thus a legitimate target. But she does present evidence that the liner was transporting munitions and weapons. That’s significant because British authorities played down that fact at the official inquiry, presumably out of concern that the public would assume that explodingmunitions contributed to the tragedy. ![]() In fact, a technical study commissioned by Preston found that the ship foundered so quickly-in just 18 minutes-because the torpedo struck it just below the bridge, causing catastrophic structural failure.īut for all its political intrigue and controversy, the story’s enduring significance, Preston says, lies in the remarkable courage of the stricken liner’s passengers. In a collection of unpublished papers, she tracked one woman’s quest to learn the fate of her young son, a passenger. ![]() They prove the resilience of the human spirit in the worst of times.” The hundreds of letters the woman received cast new light on the Lusitania’s final moments and show, says Preston, “how despite the confusion and danger, people instinctively helped one another regardless of nationality, gender or age. ![]() ![]() The 785-foot-long Lusitania, whose home port was Liverpool, was put into service in September 1907.
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