The Sinking of the RMS Lusitania Trivia Questions

A second internal explosion (likely coal dust or munitions) caused the ship to list severely and sink in just 18 minutes, leaving few lifeboats deployable.

The U.S. didn't enter WWI until 1917, nearly two years later. The sinking inflamed public opinion, but the Zimmerman Telegram and unrestricted submarine warfare were the final triggers.

Despite passenger ship status, its cargo manifest included over 4 million rounds of rifle ammunition and shrapnel shells, which the Germans cited as justification for the attack.

The German Embassy placed ads in 50 U.S. newspapers on May 1, 1915, warning travelers that ships flying the British flag were liable to destruction.

Survival rates were devastatingly low: only about 764 of 1,962 people aboard lived. Most crew members were trapped below decks as the ship listed.

Survivors reported a second explosion. While debated, recent sonar images suggest a second torpedo hit near the bow, though it may have been a boiler or coal dust explosion.

Turner actually followed Admiralty advice, but the orders were vague and not a direct zigzag command. He was later blamed in a scapegoat effort by the British government.

The wreck lies off Ireland's coast and was not officially salvaged by the British. However, the British navy conducted secret dives in the 1980s to recover codebooks and munitions.