Were the Germans justified in the sinking the Lusitania?

Answer 1

hello

Answer 2

I would say yes, Germany had justification to attack the Lusitania. First, it was a British ship and the two countries were at war. Second, Germany had openly announced it would attack enemy merchant ships without warning. Third, there was clear evidence that ammunition was being secretly shipped to Europe via merchant vessels. Indeed, ammunition was onboard the Lusitania....clearly a violation on the part of the British/Americans. Afterall, at this time America claimed nuetrality in the war....so why would ammo be shipped from across the Atlantic? A ruthless approach by Germany? Perhaps, but then all is fair in war.

Answer 3

The Germans did not specifically target the Lusitania. The German sub was just lucky, this massive target turned and crossed right in front of his torpedo tubes. Had the Lusitania zigged instead of zagged he could never have caught her, with the slow underwater speed of subs of the day.

The sub captain felt justified in firing for several reasons. Firstly, she was listed in the British Naval Registry as an Auxiliary Cruiser. Large British ships were designated "RMS", for Royal Mail Ship, and were built with a partial government financial subsidy. They were listed in the Registry as Auxiliary Cruisers because the British Navy reserved the right to commandeer such large, fast vessels for government use in wartime. The sub captain had no way of knowing what Lusitania was doing - whether she was on a war mission as an auxiliary cruiser, or still hauling passengers. But either way, she was within a geographic area of which the Germans had published notification that they considered a war zone, and they had further announced their intention of sinking any vessels of enemy nations found in that area, including civilian cargo ships and passenger liners.

And, though the British kept it a secret for more than fifty years, the Lusitania did have contraband in her cargo holds. She was hauling more than four million rounds of rifle ammunition and dozens of tons of explosive guncotton, for use in artillery shells. This contraband made her a completely legitimate target, which was why the British kept quiet about this aspect of the matter for generations. The blame for exposing civilians to harm on a vessel hauling war material can hardly rest with the Germans.