Over There Doughboys In The Great War
To Be Presented By
Captain Dale Dye USMC (Ret).
Excerpt From Episode 1
The Rising Tide.
(copyright Livingbattlefield of SC)
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| Lusitania Arriving in New York. |
Images of Lusitania, press announcement, graphic maps inter-cut with Dale speaking.
DALE
The luxury liner Lusitania was launched in 1907, just as the competition for control of the lucrative Trans-Atlantic passenger market was heating up. She had revolutionary new turbine engines and could carry 50% more passengers than her competitors at 25 knots. She set out on her final voyage from New York to Liverpool on May 1st 1915.
The Germans had declared the sea around the British Isles as a war zone and warned German travelers not to sail on the Lusitania.
Image of the press announcement and other relevant photos.
DALE V/O
The German government took out a series of advertisements in American newspapers the morning of her departure. They warned of an attack on the liner, but she sailed regardless. She left port with her experienced Captain, William Turner at the helm and a full compliment of 1900 passengers. He was confident that his super speed would help him outrun any U-boats and she was flying the stars and stripes.
Lusitania leaves NY and we see map of her route across the Atlantic (archive and graphics).
DALE V/O (CONT’D)
As she slipped out of New York harbor and out into the Atlantic ocean, nobody realized how significant this final voyage would become.
CUT TO:
INT. NAVAL COMMAND, QUEENSTOWN IRELAND - DAY
We see British Admiral Coke studying charts and frantically talking with subordinates (re-enactment)
DALE V/O
In Queenstown, Ireland on May 7th 1915 British Admiral Coke was agitated. There had been four separate sightings of a German U-boat, since dawn and the warship HMS Centurion had been sunk the previous day. At 10:59 am, he received news that the steamer Candidate had been torpedoed and gone down. Within a few minutes a signal was received from the British Admiralty... German Submarines active in southern part of Irish channel ... make sure Lusitania gets this.
CUT TO:
INT. BRIDGE OF THE LUSITANIA - DAY
11:52am - We see Captain Turner receiving the message from Coke and conferring with other officers.
DALE V/O
The message presented Turner with a problem. The possible location of the submarine was somewhere in the St Georges Channel and his instructions were to navigate a course down the center of it. He was supposed to be escorted through the channel by the cruiser Juno and she was nowhere in sight. He scanned the misty horizon and decided to change his course slightly, bringing him dangerously close to the rocky coast of Ireland.
CUT TO:
INT. DINING ROOM OF THE LUSITANIA - DAY
People in formal dining attire mill around the dining room (re-enactment).
DALE V/O
As the Lusitania moved closer to the shore to avoid enemy U-boats, passengers had no idea that they were entering U-boat Alley. Many were still enjoying lunch as the vessel sailed into the danger zone.
CUT TO:
INT. U-20 SUB - DAY
We see Kapitain Leutenant, Walter Schwieger look thought his periscope (re-enactment).
DALE V/O
For Captain Walter Schwieger this target of opportunity was too much to let slip away.
EXT. LUISITANIA THROUGH PERISCOPE - DAY
Small image of the Lusitania in the distance, we can see her four smoking funnels.
DALE V/O (CONT)
He recognized the Lusitania, calculated her speed at 22 knots and estimated that she was 14 miles away. He submerged and set a course that would enable him to get a perfect flank shot.
EXT. U-20 SUB - DAY
The sub submerges.
BACK TO:
INT. AND POV, BRIDGE OF THE LUSITANIA - DAY
From out at sea we spot the lighthouse of the Old Head of Kinsale.
DALE V/O
As the Lusitania moved ever closer to the Irish coast line, Turner recognized the famous lighthouse at The Old Head of Kinsale. He ordered a change of course. He was heading for Queenstown and safety, but this change of course brought him right into the path of U-20 and the eager Schwieger.
We see a map with the liner changing course directly into the path of U-20
CUT TO:
INT. AND POV U-20 SUB - DAY
We see Schwieger peering through his periscope, as the Lusitania come into view we see the bow of the ship line up with the cross-hairs.
DALE V/O
The U-boat captain wanted his torpedo to strike the ship in the area of the forward boiler room, so he calculated that releasing as the bow of Lusitania met the cross-hairs would give him the perfect position. He gave the order to fire.
EXT. IRISH SEA - DAY
A torpedo streams through the water.
CUT TO:
EXT. AND POV, CROWS NEST OF THE LUSITANIA - DAY
We see Able Seaman Thomas Quinn on the crow’s nest and we see his view of the torpedo heading for the ship.
DALE V/O
Able Seaman Thomas Quinn was on lookout in the crow’s nest of the liner as he spotted the torpedo heading for the ship.
He shouted down to the bridge, but it was too late.
CUT TO:
INT. AND POV U-20 SUB - DAY
We watch Schwieger tracking the torpedo until it strikes the liner.
DALE V/O
Schwieger watched the torpedo as explodes forward of where he had calculated.
INT. DINNING ROOM LUSITANIA - DAY
Guests are still sitting at the table as a violent explosion shakes the whole structure. We see people being thrown around, we hear screams and the sounds of breaking glass (re-enactment).
INT. AND POV U-20 SUB - DAY
We see through Schwieger’s periscope as the Lusitania immediately begins to list. Then we hear and see a second explosion.
DALE V/O
Schwieger had only released one torpedo, but now there were two explosions. This is what he wrote in his log:
EXT. LUISITANIA - DAY
We see images of the Lusitania sinking bow-down into the ocean (miniature special effects).
ACTOR VO
(German accent)
There was an unusually heavy detonation beyond the front funnel. The explosion of the torpedo must have been followed by a second explosion, boiler, coal or powder? The superstructure at the point of impact and the bridge are torn asunder.... It appears as if the ship is going to capsize very shortly.
DALE V/O
The Lusitania took only 18 minutes to sink. As her bow disappeared under the cold waters of The Irish Sea, her stern rose high up in the air before plummeting into the depths.
CUT TO:
EXT. IRISH SEA AT KINSALE - DAY
We see the ocean waves with the lighthouse in the far distance. We hear screams and splashes and see boats, floating luggage and people thrashing around in the water, trying to save themselves.
DALE V/O
One thousand 198 souls perished in the cold murky waters off the coast of Ireland. Of these, 128 were Americans.
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| Lusitania at The Bottom of The Irish Sea. (Photo Courtesy of Wexford Sub Acqua Club) |
(Script Copyright of Livingbattlefield of SC)
