Lusitania Program Alert

To all of you in the US or whomever has the Discovery Channel...

There is a 2 hr program about the sinking of the Lusitania tonight at 9:00/2100 EDT (NY time).

Hurry! :D

Thanks Angela

9pm Pacific as well.

TGFT (thank god for tivo) :)

I see the program is dated 2007, wonder if there'll be anything new. We'll see... ;)

I'm currently reading "The Last Voyage of the Lusitania" by A.A. Hoehling and Mary Hoehling. It's an old book, 1956, but a good one. The book reads more like a historic novel than dry textbook.

Thanks Angela

9pm Pacific as well.

TGFT (thank god for tivo) :)

I see the program is dated 2007, wonder if there'll be anything new. We'll see... ;)

 

I'm currently reading "The Last Voyage of the Lusitania" by A.A. Hoehling and Mary Hoehling. It's an old book, 1956, but a good one. The book reads more like a historic novel than dry textbook.

Well, it's over with and rather than it just being something of a dry documentary, they made it into a story where you follow some of the characters.

It was interesting and also pretty sad. Not melodramatic/tearjerker sad, just that there were so few survivors.

D'oh! Sorry, I didn't see this thread...just started a new one to say the same thing. It's reairing on May 19th at 4PM (at least in the Pacific time zone) in case anyone is interested and missed it today.

I didn't know about it earlier. But it's about 25 minutes in now. (1:25 AM NY time) I missed the first 5 min.

So far it's pretty good. I like how it's filmed like a movie rather than a documentary. Some great recreations of the Lusitania and the U-Boat. It also shows some of the political side of the story.

One thing I was pleased with was how, unlike many of the other made-for-TV docummentaries and liner movies, they didnt just film the exterior deck scenes on the QM in Long Beach. So when they show the passengers on deck, Cunard's black-painted wartime funnel livery is there. Ok, the commercials just finished and it's back on!:D

How was it? For the cousins it will be repeated several times:

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=1.14596.24979.0.0

But nothing showing for the Brits......I wonder if thats just the normal time delay..or is this another anti-Brit fest like Cameron's Titanic.....

Peter

Info on the program:

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/lusitania/about/about.html

and video clips:

http://dsc.discovery.com/beyond/player.html?playerId=203711706&bclid=853723706

Without seeing the whole thing its impossible to say whether the 'Admiralty plot' is explored - but one reason for not sending destroyer escorts - not given - was that the available destroyer could not keep up.......

Peter

Not a bad docudrama. It does take creative license throughout, of course.

They did get the color of the funnels correct.

The "Admiralty Plot" isn't explored too much. One senior Admiralty officer/villain is made out to be quite pompous and arrogant, though the production was not a Cameronesque Brit-bashing.

The account of U-20 is not too historically accurate, I believe. U-20 is seen to be specifically out laying in wait for and hunting the Lusitania.

All-in-all, worth seeing for a light docudrama.

 

The account of U-20 is not too historically accurate, I believe. U-20 is seen to be specifically out laying in wait for and hunting the Lusitania.

Kyle,

I haven't seen it yet, and although certainly familiar with the event, I am not particularly familiar with the details.

Are you saying the show portrays the U-boat as lying in wait and that was not thought to be the case? (I saw the first video posted by Peter, but have not looked at them all yet. It certainly seems to be showing that one officer was gunning for her, while one seemed a bit reluctant) What has history proven (or speculated) that it was a lucky shot or a mistaken target? I hope to get the chance to see it, but I'd also like to know what is generally accepted as the truth, if the docudrama spins it a bit.

Thanks,

Karie

Actually I'm quite curious about this sinking from an historical perspective.

The British said one thing and the Germans something else. Has there ever been a dive that documented the actual ship damage?

Kyle,

I haven't seen it yet, and although certainly familiar with the event, I am not particularly familiar with the details.

Are you saying the show portrays the U-boat as lying in wait and that was not thought to be the case? (I saw the first video posted by Peter, but have not looked at them all yet. It certainly seems to be showing that one officer was gunning for her, while one seemed a bit reluctant) What has history proven (or speculated) that it was a lucky shot or a mistaken target? I hope to get the chance to see it, but I'd also like to know what is generally accepted as the truth, if the docudrama spins it a bit.

 

Thanks,

Karie

Karie,

I hope you get to watch it. Didn't someone say it's on again later in the week? Sorry, sometimes I lose track.

What I got was that the German submarine did indeed, just come across her and well, get lucky, even if they were laying in wait. Honestly, I need to pay more attention if I'm going to watch television.

But! From what I do recall, there wasn't a lot of spin. And I promise to pay real attention if I get to watch again.

Actually I'm quite curious about this sinking from an historical perspective.

The British said one thing and the Germans something else. Has there ever been a dive that documented the actual ship damage?

There have been several, and as I recall from what could be determined at that depth after this amount of time, it appears the secondary explosion did not originate in any of the cargo holds, so unlikely that the munitions were to blame for her rapid demise.

Deep Sea Detectives did an episode on it a couple years ago. If I see that particular episode on the schedule, I'll try to give an alert.

Angela,

Thanks for the heads up! DH and I watched it last night:D We are in Texas, an hour behind you, so we were able to see it from the beginning!

There is a National Geographic video with Robert Ballard documenting his dive down to the wreck. The educated assumption being that the torpedo ignited the residual coal dust in the empty coal bunkers, blowing out the starboard side. Film footage shows gaping holes aft of the cargo holds - ruling out a munitions explosion. Regards -

David