Torpedo attack rocked Ireland and the world
On its maiden voyage, it carried 2,300 passengers and made the initial journey from Queenstown to New York in five days and 54 minutes, just 30 minutes outside the record time, despite being twice delayed by fog. Within a year it had won the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing. During her eight years in service she crossed the Atlantic between New York and Liverpool over 200 times. Dubbed “Greyhound of the Seas,” the Lusitania traded the record for the fastest crossing between Queenstown and New York with the Mauritania on a number of occasions. Thus it remained not only one of the biggest, but also one of the fastest ocean liners in service.
Although most passengers may not have known, the Germans were aware that the British Admiralty had subsidised construction of the Lusitania, which was built to Admiralty specifications on the understanding that she could be consigned to government service in wartime. Gun mounts and ammunition magazines were concealed on her decks and were ready for the addition of the guns when needed.
