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Dead Wake


The enthralling story of the sinking of the Lusitania by #1 New York Times ...
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What do you think of the reasons behind the British Navy's lack of action? How should countries balance the integrity of their intelligence operations with their duty to protect civilians?

Created: 03/20/16

Replies: 5

Posted Mar. 20, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

What do you think of the reasons behind the British Navy's lack of action? How should countries balance the integrity of their intelligence operations with their duty to protect civilians?

Though the British Navy was tracking U-20's location, it didn't alert the Lusitania, nor did it provide a military escort. What do you think of the reasons behind their lack of action? Do you consider Churchill and Room 40 partly to blame for the sinking? How should countries balance the integrity of their intelligence operations with their duty to protect civilians?


Posted Mar. 21, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
jwbriggs13

Join Date: 05/09/12

Posts: 37

RE: What do you think of the reasons behind the British Navy's lack of action? How should countries balance the integrity of their intelligence operations with their duty to protect civilians?

My impression is that the British Navy in Room 40 knew what could happen to the Lusitania but for reasons of national security and the larger war effort did not reveal what was known. To reveal such information would have alerted the Germans that the British were intercepting communications from the German U-Boats. This would have been a huge set-back to the British war effort.

A naval escort seemed like a logical strategy since Germany had been so public about its threat to attack civilian ships.


Posted Mar. 21, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
laurief

Join Date: 09/08/12

Posts: 75

RE: What do you think of the reasons behind the British Navy's lack of action? How should countries balance the integrity of their intelligence operations with their duty to protect civilians?

If I had not read this book, I would have not learned about the British tactic of holding back information for the possible reason of bringing US armed forces into the war. If this is true, the actions were purely a politically strategic move. Of course as good citizens we would want our allies to be transparent and forthcoming with information - particularly in this age of international terrorism and high tech intelligence.


Posted Mar. 22, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
vickic

Join Date: 09/15/14

Posts: 84

RE: What do you think of the reasons behind the British Navy's lack of action? How should countries balance the integrity of their intelligence operations with their duty to protect civilians?

I think it was abominable and shameful. It is certainly understandable that the British navy wanted to protect their warships from unnecessary confrontation but to knowingly fail to provide protection in their own waters with a known u-boat in the area was negligent.


Posted Mar. 25, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
linz

Join Date: 08/12/15

Posts: 167

RE: What do you think of the reasons behind the British Navy's lack of action? How should countries balance the integrity of their intelligence operations with their duty to protect civilians?

Could they have really been that cold blooded? Would the British navy not protect a ship carrying their own citizens just to provoke America into a war? Why did they not tell the Lusitania to go another route, one they could protect better. There are so many unanswered questions that we can only speculate about. I think Larson did enough research, but nothing clearly pointed the finger at a person who ordered this.


Posted Mar. 31, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
katherinep

Join Date: 07/16/14

Posts: 374

RE: What do you think of the reasons behind the British Navy's lack of action? How should countries balance the integrity of their intelligence operations with their duty to protect civilians?

To have offered Naval escort to the Lusitania would not have given away any hint of British interception of German transmissions. There had been military escort before in these waters, the passengers and Captain expected it, and escorts were provided after the sinking. What other reason could there be for the sacrificial lamb this ship and its passengers became?


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