“However, whether she was carrying munitions or not is a moot point.”
Not moot from historical interest in understanding british actions in the great war with regard to this topic. I wonder if they were using ALL the large passenger liners for armament shipments (Mauratania, Olympic) as well.
“Not moot from historical interest in understanding british actions in the great war with regard to this topic. I wonder if they were using ALL the large passenger liners for armament shipments (Mauratania, Olympic) as well.”
The Mauretania was taken out of passenger service and being used as a troop transport. The Lusitania was being kept IN service for passenger service, due to her high fuel consumption. Cunard had, however, limited her Atlantic crossings to once weekly.
In the case of the White Star liner OLYMPIC, she initially remained in passenger service but was removed and put into service as a troopship in September 1915. Her sister ship, the Brittanic, never saw passenger service and was put into war service as a hospital ship and subsequently sank off the coast of Greece after hitting a mine on September 21, 1916.