Riddle of Lusitania sinking may finally be solved
“The RMS Lusitania sank off the coast of Cork in May 1915 when a German U-boat torpedoed it.”
Riddle solved.
Not quite.
While the torpedo hit would have eventually caused the ship to founder, it was the secondary explosion, and what really caused it, that did the ship and the 1198 passengers and crew who died in. Rather than a much slower sinking which would have allowed nearly all to be safely removed from the ship in time, the second explosion caused not only a fatal list which rendered much of the lifeboats inoperable, but also cause the ship to sink completely in less than twenty minutes time.
The other issue as well is the fact that standard Admiralty protocol in wartime when a ship was close to coastal areas was to operate in a zigzag pattern, making them a much more difficult target for the U-boats to lock onto and for torpedoes to hit.
But Captain Turner of the Lusitania didn’t follow those rules that day.
Riddle solved.
That wouldn't be enough to sink it wnless a hole was made in the hull so seawater could enter. Then it would sink