Page 12 - Martin Downs Bulletin - August '19

Page 12, Martin Downs

Book review

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing States into the war! “The Unterseeboot-20 (U-20) was one of a growing
fleet of submarines that was growing in importance as a
The entire story
Of The Lusitania of the Lusitania’s weapon in Germany’s military arsenal. At first assigned
ill-fated voyage to attacking only enemy warships, that policy gradually
By Nils A. Shapiro across the North shifted to include all vessels that entered British waters,
There w ere tw o Atlantic, from its in part because some ships changed their flags to those
reasons why I was departure on May of neutral nations in an effort to avoid German attacks.
immediately attracted 1 out of New York U-20’s Capt. Walther Schweiger was 32 years of age at the
to this book when I came City’s west side time this story takes place, and had already made a name
across it on the shelf of Hudson River dock for himself among the most successful in the submarine
a local library a couple toward its intended fleet.”
of weeks ago. Liverpool , But there are other, highly important and influential
The first reason was England, characters in this story, as well, and what we learn about
one word in the book’s de st i na t i on i s them will be surprising – perhaps even shocking – to most
subtitle: Lusitania. r e l a t e d i n a n readers.
Throughout my entire incredibly detailed, A number of chapters reveal the inner working of a
adult life, that word had day-by-day drama top-secret operation that took place in England known as
been filed away somewhere in my memory as a vague as gripping as the “Room 40.” Under the control of the Admiralty (whose
reference to the name of an ocean liner that had been sunk most suspenseful top gun was Winston Churchill), this was where the
by a submarine. But that’s all I knew. Never in any high mystery novel. The fact that today we know the British had broken the Germans’ wireless codes, and were
school nor college class did I learn much more about that final outcome doesn’t matter at all, because so much successfully intercepting all two-way messages between
tragic historic event. extraordinary research has gone into the writing of this the enemy’s military high command and its field forces,
Instead, thanks to two major Hollywood motion book that you feel as if it is all new! including naval fleets and submarines.
pictures, the Titanic’s collision with an iceberg in 1912 is And that is the second reason why I was attracted to It was critical that word of this ability to intercept
fixed in most Americans’ minds as history’s most horrible this book when I came across it in the library: The name and decode such secret messages remain unknown by
sea disaster. of the author, Erik Larson, is a sure-fire guarantee of a Germany. This created a dilemma for the Admiralty. For
In reality, the sinking of the Lusitania – known to book that will be impossible to put down once begun. example, when it became necessary to warn British ships
be an innocent passenger liner – by a German U-Boat Each of his previous works rocketed to the top of the about the presence of U-Boats in areas which they were
submarine on the afternoon of Friday, May 7, 1915, national bestseller lists. I had earlier read, and reviewed about to enter, how could Room 40 issue such a warning
was far more consequential: the single most important in this column, two of his books. Devil in the White City, without the Germans becoming suspicious?
factor in President Woodrow Wilson’s decision to end his revelation about the case of the serial killer who took The British became creative in resolving such
America’s position of neutrality and enter World War I advantage of the celebration of the 1893 World’s Fair in problems, but sometimes had to “bite the bullet,” and run
against Germany. Chicago to lure his victims to their ends. Another of his risks they would otherwise have preferred to avoid. One
Consider the following, as related by author Erik 10 history bestsellers, Thunderstruck, had me riveted such decision by the Admiralty was an instruction for all
Larson: “Of the Lusitania’s 1,959 passengers and crew, with the story of how the Italian, Guglielmo Marconi’s, ships, including private boats, not to assist as escorts or in
only 764 survived; the total of deaths was 1,195. The new invention of the wireless was used to solve a crime rescues when a sinking occurred, for fear that submarines
three German stowaways brought the total to 1,198. Of on the high seas. Once you get hooked on an Erik Larson might still be patrolling those same waters and would
33 infants aboard, only six survived. Over 600 passengers book, you want more. present a danger to the escorts and rescuers.
were never found. Among the dead were 123 Americans.” His presentation in Dead Wake is brilliantly paced. A There remains one additional – and haunting –
Despite what was universally condemned as an chapter about the day of the Lusitania’s departure from suspicion that has lingered for the more than 100 years
unwarranted attack against an unarmed civilian passenger New York, describing in remarkable detail the specific since the sinking of the Lusitania: Britain had been
ship, it took almost two years after the event for President activities of some of the interesting passengers – which hoping for almost two years that America would enter
Wilson to finally make his decision to bring the United Larson has researched from surviving letters, diaries and the war against Germany. As the author’s research shows,
other documents – is followed by a chapter describing Winston Churchill and his Admiralty leaders believed
precisely what is happening on that same day inside that the loss of innocent American lives on a passenger
Advertise, German submarine U-20, the ship that will, six days ocean liner would be the final blow to convince the U.S.
later, fatefully cross paths with the Lusitania off the Irish President. Was that the reason why Capt. Turner failed to
Check out our Web site! coast – information he gathered from the daily log kept receive the messages he needed about the close position
by the vessel’s Capt. Walther Schwieger. of submarine U-20 ... and got no escort through the
www.seabreezepublications.com Then, in alternating chapters, we follow the two ships, dangerous waters of the Irish Sea?

or call 746-3244 day by day as they head toward the inevitable: Meanwhile, President Wilson – who had recently
“The Lusitania, called ‘the Greyhound of the Seas,’
lost his beloved wife, Ellen – had finally come out of
had broken all speed records for ocean liners, had already mourning, thanks to his having fallen head over heels in
made 201 Atlantic crossings, and its Captain, William love with the charming Edith Galt, and was wooing her
Thomas Turner, was the most seasoned of all in the with poetry, candlelight dinners and garden walks in an
Cunard Lines’ employ. On the morning of the Lusitania’s almost schoolboy-ish romantic courting until she finally
departure, New York newspapers reported a German accepted and they wed. With all that was going on in his
Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing warning that all ships entering British waters would run personal life, did that distraction contribute to his taking
Palm Beach County and is a privately the risk of attack. Capt. Turner assured his passengers that almost two years after the sinking of the Lusitania for his
owned and managed company. (1) the Lusitania was more than twice the speed of any decision to have America enter the war?
Captain’s is committed to providing submarine and could out-run a U-Boat if necessary, and Day by day, literally hour by hour – and despite the
dependable, reliable and professional (2) upon entering British waters the Royal Navy would perhaps deliberate lack of warning and aid – Erik Larson
ground transportation to and from all
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212 be sending Destroyers to escort it to port in Liverpool. recreates a drama that could still have been averted but
To reserve your vehicle: As a result, the word ‘submarine’ became a subject of for several fateful changes of fate, and decisions made
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com humor for many passengers during the voyage, though in seconds and minutes, above and below the Atlantic
not for all. waters.

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