Sinking of the Lusitania, 1915: Liverpool to Cobh

On 17 April 1915 the Lusitania left Liverpool on her 201st transatlantic voyage, bound for New York, where she arrived on 24 April. The Pier Head was originally home to the Prince's Landing Stage for the trans-Atlantic liner service, and the Cunard Building, put up between 1914 and 1916, still stands as one of Liverpool's Three Graces on the waterfront. The sources don't name her berth, so treat this stop as the port, not the exact quay.

Location precision: Dossier sources name the city's trans-Atlantic landing stage at the Pier Head but not the Lusitania's exact berth, so the stop is the waterfront area.

Visitor guidance: The Pier Head and Cunard Building are on the public waterfront and can be seen from the promenade.

The return voyage began at Cunard's Pier 54 on the Hudson. Departure was at noon on 1 May 1915, two hours behind schedule. When Lusitania left Pier 54 she had 1,960 people aboard. The same pier is tied to the Titanic story too, as the Cunard berth linked to both the 1912 and 1915 disasters. Today the site is part of Hudson River Park.

Visitor guidance: Pier 54 is part of Hudson River Park and open to the public.

On 7 May 1915 the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat 11.5 nautical miles off the Old Head of Kinsale in County Cork. She sank in only 18 minutes. The ship could be clearly seen from the shore, and many local people watched and helped organise the rescue. The wreck lies at sea, so the pin marks the headland, the nearest point of land. A museum opened in the signal tower of the Old Head lighthouse, but access to the headland is restricted to golfers and guests.

Location precision: The ship went down at sea; the pin marks the Old Head of Kinsale headland, the nearest land.

The survivors and the dead alike were brought to Queenstown, the town now called Cobh. The bodies of over 100 who perished lie buried in the Old Church Cemetery just north of the town. The Cobh Heritage Centre, attached to the railway station, holds exhibits on the sinking of the Lusitania, alongside the story of the Titanic, whose last port of call was Cobh. The pin marks the centre, not one specific landing spot.

Location precision: Sources say survivors and dead were brought to Queenstown without naming a quay; the pin marks the heritage centre that tells the story.

Visitor guidance: The museum is attached to Cobh railway station; check opening hours before visiting.

This monument in Casement Square, in front of the Arch Building, commemorates the victims of the sinking. Jerome Connor began it in the 1930s and it was completed in 1968. The sculpture shows an angel hovering over two young fishermen. The route ends here, with the town that took in the survivors.

Visitor guidance: The memorial stands in Casement Square and can be seen from the street.