The Aftermath

The debate on the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the Lusitania and the exact nature of the cargo has continued to be of interest, especially in recent years. Conspiracy stories abound, ranging from the nature of the cargo to the hidden agenda of politicians and their advisors in Britain and the U.S. The earliest expedition planned to explore the wreck was in 1935, but this was abandoned and it was not until 1962 that the first series of dives by John Light took place. These did not produce conclusive evidence and Robert Ballard, who had earlier located the Titanic, concluded in 1993, without any direct evidence, that the mysterious second explosion could have been caused by coal dust or an exploding boiler. Other expeditions removed many artefacts from the wreck including three propellors , one in Dallas, one in the maritime museum in Liverpool while the third was melted down to make golf clubs. Research by Colin Simpson in the 1960 /70's gave details of the cargo, showing 4.2 million .303 bullets, quantities of shrapnel, gun cotton and aluminum powder, the latter of which some claim could have been the cause of that second mysterious explosion. The owner of the Lusitania, Greg Bemis, has made it his life's ambition is to discover the cause of the second explosion and the exact nature of the cargo so that the real story of the Lusitania can be revealed.