RMS Lusitania
Torpedoed by a U-boat in 1915. 1,198 died. The wreck holds gold—and possibly the secret of why she sank so fast.
- Category
- shipwreck
- Status
- found disputed
- Year lost
- 1915
- Region
- Celtic Sea
- Country
- Ireland
- Body of water
- Atlantic Ocean
The dossier
On May 7, 1915, the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by German submarine U-20 off the south coast of Ireland. She sank in just 18 minutes—far faster than any torpedo hit should have caused. 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard died, including 128 Americans. The sinking helped turn American public opinion against Germany and contributed to the US entry into World War I. The Lusitania carried declared cargo including copper, aluminum, and small arms ammunition. But the ship's manifest has been disputed for over a century. The British Admiralty sealed the ship's cargo records, and a 1918 salvage attempt was quietly suppressed. Many historians believe the Lusitania was secretly carrying heavy munitions—which would explain both the secondary explosion witnesses described and the British government's longstanding reluctance to allow full investigation of the wreck. Beyond the historical controversy, the Lusitania carried significant valuables. Passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the Anglo-American world. The ship's purser held gold and silver belonging to passengers. Additionally, rumors have persisted of a large gold shipment in the cargo hold—possibly as much as $150 million in current value—being transported covertly for the British war effort. The wreck lies at just 93 meters in Irish waters. It has been dived multiple times, but the ship is badly deteriorated and partially collapsed. Ireland declared it a protected wreck site in 1995. Salvage attempts have been limited and controversial. The full truth of what the Lusitania carried—both military and financial—may still lie in her rusting hull.
Cargo and value
Gold, silver bars, aluminum, copper, personal valuables, alleged secret munitions
Legal status
Wreck owned by Gregg Bemis estate (purchased in 1968). Irish government declared it a protected wreck site. Any salvage requires Irish consent. UK government maintains interest due to historical sensitivity. War grave considerations apply.