From Saturday’s Late Edition. “LUSITANIA WAS SUNK BY CHANCE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 497, 29 October 1928, Page 13

From Saturday’s Late Edition. “LUSITANIA WAS SUNK BY CHANCE”

. ANGER IN GERMANY U-BOAT CAPTAIN S STORY | (United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright I (ArTs.’rfi.’iw(i ami N.Z. rress Association i NEW YORK. Friday. The Lusitania was sunk "by chance” rather than by specific German orders, according to the account of Commander Walther Schweiger, the captain of the submarine U2O, in the book, "Sea Raiders.” by Lowell Thomas, which was published to-day. Commander Schweiger's story is: j “I sighted on the horizon a forest of masts and stacks, and my first thought was that there were several ; ships. I perceived that one was , coming on, and I dived immediately I for a shot. The ship changed her course at two miles distance, making a perfect target. ‘ I waited for a short time as i had only two inferior ‘torpedoes remaining. At 400yds I ordered ‘Fire/ The torpedo hit the ship. “We approached, and the pilot, peering through the periscope, yelled. ‘My God, it is the Lusitania.’ I took the periscope and saw the ship sinking with ui#believable rapidity. “There was a terrible panic on deck. It was the most terrible sight I have ever seen. It was impossible to give help.” On returning to Germany Comman der Schweiger was appalled at th*» anger of outraged humanity. 11 e was reprimanded by the ex-Kaiser and blamed by his brother officers. The concensus of opinion, according to Lowell Thomas, was that Commander Schweiger merely carried out his orders, which were to sink any ship in blockaded waters. The TJ-boat captain’s story hardly coincides with the generally accepted version of the sinking. The Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk bv a. German submarine off the Old Head of Kinsale on May. 7 1015. She was of the world’s largest liners, her tonnage being 21.500 tons. Two torpedoes were fired at the ship, which sank within 20 minutes of being first struck. She was on her way from the United States, and had on board 1,255 passengers and 651 crew. Of these 1,198, including 124 Americans, were either drowned or killed. This crime sent a thrill of horror throughout the civilised world, and was one of the influences that determined America’s entry into the war. In Germany a medal was struck tn commemoration, showing on the obverse side the liner sinking bow first, and on the reverse Death handing out tickets to eternity to the passengers.