RMS Lusitania RMS Lusitania RMS "Lusitania" was a British ocean liner and briefly the world's largest passenger ship. The ship was sunk on 7 May 1915 by a German U-boat off the southern coast of Ireland. The sinking presaged the United States declaration of war on Germany in 1917. The ship was a holder of the Blue Riband appellation for the fastest Atlantic crossing and was briefly the world's largest passenger ship until the completion of her sister ship . The Cunard Line launched "Lusitania" in 1906, at a time of fierce competition for the North Atlantic trade. She sank on her
German hospital ship Ophelia by German U-boat "UB-10" off the Boulogne light vessel. German hospital ship Ophelia The Ophelia was a steamship originally built by a German shipping company, but requisitioned for use as a hospital ship by the Imperial German Navy during the First World War. After being viewed acting suspiciously, the "Ophelia" was boarded on 17 October 1914 and seized by the Royal Navy for violating Hague Convention X of 1907 concerning hospital ships. After her seizure, she operated in British service as SS "Huntley" until sunk in December 1915. On 17 October 1914 a number of German torpedo boats were destroyed