Summary Of Dead Wake

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Dead Wake Analysis Dead Wake by Erik Larson was about the Lusitania which was a famous steamship that showed impeccable advancements in shipbuilding. It was a vessel that primarily carried passengers and cargo with no intention to be involved with world war one. Similar to the Titanic, the Lusitania was said to be unsinkable because of its size and craftsmanship. Since this ship was a neutral vessel, there had been an agreement that it was off limits to destruction because of the Great War between Great Britain and Germany. In 1915 a warning was let out claiming that all commercial vessels were fair game to be attacked in waters of the war zone. Britain had a top secret unit called Room 40 that was tracking German U-boats in British waters, …show more content…

They could not shower and they only had a small bathroom that they rarely were able to flush. Naturally the boat reeked of men and their feces. Also odors from the fuel seeped in and encompassed their living quarters. They never received fresh air, only the air that the boat's system was able to pump in which made conditions worse whenever they were on long underwater missions. This was no where near close to a safe or healthy environment for anybody to be in. The two biggest concerns they faced was drowning from water intake and suffocation. What good does a vessel do if there isn’t a crew to run it? U-boats caused a huge amount of destruction to ships that were neutral. The boats were effective but maybe even too effective. They had been sinking ships left and right. Their tactics on the seas were becoming too harsh that President Wilson had to take action and told Germany that they would be to blame if any American vessel was to be attacked. The U-boat enthusiasts did not seem to care if they would be blamed. Their main focus was to bring down the British Navy and would go to any length to do so. Their decision ultimately caused America to declare war on Germany which led to Germany’s