The escorting Cruisers were from the 4th Flotilla from the base at Lough Swilly in Northern Ireland. A strong southern breeze was blowing the morning of February 5th, the wave's were a bit choppy. Most of the day was uneventful, by late afternoon the sea became heavy. Land was sighted, and the men were anxious to stand on solid ground. Part of the crew on the British Cruiser Pigeon were at dinner on the lower deck when they clearly heard the rumble of a torpedo passing beneath their ship, a sound that must have stopped forks on the way to mouths. The Tuscania's dinning rooms were also full of men who had just settled down to enjoy their meal.

A sudden unexpected explosion detonated on the Starboard side of the ship. The ship immediately began to lean to that side. The ships lights went out. The Tuscania had been struck by a torpedo, time was 5:42 p.m. The M-V radio set failed to detect any sounds of the U-boat that had struck the Tuscania. None of the 15 lookouts were able to spot the U-boat or the incoming torpedo. 

The German U-boat UB-77 is a Coastal Torpedo Attack Class boat, equipped with 10 torpedo's. It has 4 tubes in the bow, and one stern tube. The U-boat fired tubes one and two, launching two G-7 torpedo's at the Tuscania; at a range of 1,200 meters (1,312 yards). The first torpedo just missed the Cruiser Pigeon and passed harmlessly in front of the Tuscania. The second torpedo found its mark, 1 minute & 10 seconds after its launch, it squarely struck the Tuscania amid ship starboard side, boiler room.

Under orders the Convoy and the British Cruiser's poured on the steam and left the stricken Tuscania behind, alone in the dark, helpless. The Cruisers escorting the rest of the convoy, dropped depth charges blindly into the sea in case the U-boat was in pursuit. No one knew where the U-boat was or where it would strike next. With no British Cruisers around to protect the Tuscania, the U-boat now has an unchallenged opportunity to finish off the Tuscania, sending her 2,179 passengers, and crew to the depths of the sea.

The Tuscania's Captain, Peter MacLean, directed emergency operations. He sent men to insure that the water tight doors were shut. The torpedo that struck must have damaged the main electrical conduit, which is why the ships lights went out in some areas of the ship, while others areas had dim light. The ship was taking on water, and the propellers of the Tuscania were still rotating, yet the ship seemed to be motionless in the sea.

In the dark on the top deck a couple of the ships officers search for the emergency dynamo (generator), after it was located they worked quickly to start it up. Once they did so, the ships two Mastoid Lights turned on, the top deck is illuminated with bright white light. The Boatswain mate fired rockets from the bridge as a distress signal. The wireless operator is sending out SOS distress signals. 

The Ships 2nd Officer, G. K. Lynas was superintending the launching of boats on the starboard side. A few lifeboats on the starboard side of the ship were damaged from the explosion. The men below deck were in either utter darkness or in very dim light depending on the area of the ship in which they found themselves. Some men having to use their hands to direct them in any direction they chose to move. The men who were next to their bunks were the lucky ones, they put their life preservers on, and grabbed their Army issued flashlight. These men were of some help to those found in the dark passage ways.

There were quite a few men on the top deck that had no life preserver or flashlight. Only a few men dared to find their way back down to their bunk, to get their life preserver and flashlight. No one knew how fast the Tuscania was going to sink, most did not want to risk being caught below deck. A whirlpool could be seen on the starboard side. No doubt water being sucked into the exposed hole below the water line. Human behavior of different sorts were surely expressed that day, many remained calm, while others were experiencing anxiety, and some were in plane state of panic. Most men did not know why none of the convoy stopped to assist. They had been abandoned left to mercy of the U-boat to be finished off. Unfortunately a few men reacting on their own fears, simply jumped off the ship into the water.

The Tuscania's upper deck, lit up by the two mastoid lights was surely a clear target for the lurking U-boat in the darkness that surrounded the ship. The ship was also leaning pretty heavily to the starboard side. The sea was heavy, the swells were as wide as they were deep. Some men worried that the Tuscania might belly up. Most men controlled their anxieties as best as they could. A good thing since there wasn't enough life boats or rafts to accommodate everyone onboard.

Britain had been at war with Germany for 4 years, and the more experienced crew men were needed in the Royal Navy. The Tuscania's crew was mostly made up of young inexperienced boys, teenage boys. Only a few of Tuscania's officers aboard were trying to man the lifeboat stations, they could only lower boats so fast. Meanwhile at other lifeboat stations, the assigned crew member of that station was not present, this caused some tempers to raise. Panic was apparent, but not as widespread as one would think. At several of the lifeboat stations that were not being supervised by the mercantile marines, the soldiers grew impatient and finally decided to lower the lifeboats themselves.

They did not want to be on the ship should it decided to take the plunge, they did not want to be near the ship should the U-boat decide to finish the ship off. Before the lifeboats were lowered, the soldiers filled up the lifeboats which seat about sixty. This was to much weight for the davits to support. The lifeboat loaded with men simply broke away from the davits and fell to the ocean surface disintegrating the boat and placing all the occupants into the cold waters of the Northern Channel. This did not seem to deter the soldiers from lowering the boats, they just allowed less men to enter the boat before lowering it. The ropes that lowered the boats have winches that have to be lowered uniformly.

One boat being lowered down became uneven and one of the winches having to much slack released the ratcheting latch, the boat then supported at one end by a tight rope, the other end of the boat swung downward dropping its occupants out of the boat like a sack of beans. A few lifeboats were launched successfully. Another lifeboat that was over loaded with men broke from its davits, and lands on another fully loaded boat below them, killing most of them. Screams of pain were all about. The men on the Tuscania shining their flashlights into the water could see bodies floating everywhere. There were a few men who were Panic-stricken and simply jumped overboard. The Northern Channel in February was near freezing, the men in the water could not last very long. Floating devices of any type were thrown to them.

The Tuscania's officers were trying to control the situation as it was getting out of hand. They put an immediate stop to the lowering of boats. The Army officers that were still aboard, had never been trained to handle this type of situation, nor had they ever had this type of experience. They became indecisive because of their lack of knowledge in this type of crisis. The soldiers lacked leadership, and guidance they needed for this situation. For a few, it was every man for themselves, this was an instinct for survival, created by fear.

 

It was the Tuscania's officers that took control, they started shouting orders, trying to instill discipline into the soldiers. They set the example for the Army officers to follow, and follow they did. They soon had the men standing in formation. To try and bring a calmness to the situation, one of the ships officers suggest that they start singing the Star Spangled Banner song, and they did. Why they sang one of the ships officers walked up and down the column of men in formation shouting, "TRUST IN JOHN BULL'S DESTROYERS" he kept shouting "THERE IS NO DANGER OF HER SINKING BEFORE WE ALL ARE TAKEN OFF THE SHIP" trying to command confidence into the men as they continued to sing. I do not know who the Tuscania officer was, but his forcefulness to drill discipline into the men aboard surely save many lives. Now this kept the majority of men occupied, but a few did not cooperate and were determined to get off the Tuscania, and they did. The launching of lifeboats was then resumed in a safe manner by the other ship officers that were still aboard. By 7:00 p.m. all the life boats were gone, and over 1350 men were still aboard.

The British Cruisers HMS Grasshopper, Pigeon, and Mosquito return to the Tuscania to begin rescue operations. Upon arriving at the scene using their spot lights, they surveyed their position. Priority was given to those survivors who were in the water, that task was given to the HMS Pigeon.

The second priority was to get the rest of the men off the deck of the Tuscania before it sinks. Before reacting to the situation, consideration on how best to attempt this was given. The waves were to deep to pull up along side the Tuscania. And if the Tuscania turned over why a cruiser was along side, the cruiser would be destroyed. So it was decided that ropes would be thrown to the deck of the Tuscania and the men could climb down the ropes to the deck of the cruisers.

HMS Grasshopper and Mosquito pulled up on opposite sides of the Tuscania. Then the once the ropes were secure the men climbed or slid down the ropes to awaiting destroyers. The events that were transpiring were in view from the Altacarry light house (AKA Rathlin East Light House) in Ireland. The light house operator was watching the events from above in his tower.

It has been alleged that the old light house keeper was reporting shipping activities to nearby U-boats. He had no prior knowledge of this convoy, and had played no role, in the U-boat activity that led to the Tuscania being torpedoed. Ireland has always been an Island on to its own, connected to England only by political rule. At the onset of WWI a new spirit of independence was growing in Ireland. The Irish were not much different from the Americans in their struggle for independence. America a little more than 100 years earlier sought aid from France in their struggle for freedom.

From shore witnesses see the ropes from the cruisers and have the impression that the Tuscania is being towed, not aware that the ropes were actually life saving lines. At 7:15 the Tuscania still afloat, over an hour since the first torpedo struck, the U-boat UB-77 surfaces at 7:40 PM to make another attack.

Commander Meyer gives the order to load number IV tube with a K III type torpedo. At 7:49 PM he gives the order, Torpedo Los, he immediately follows up with an order to clear the bridge and dive. The torpedo, passes harmlessly in front of the Tuscania, but passed closely by the stern of the HMS Mosquito. The torpedo trail was clearly spotted by men on the Tuscania as well as on the rescuing cruisers. The torpedo struck the cliffs directly under the Altacarry Light house. Glass in the light house was broken as the result of the explosion. The HMS Pigeon and Mosquito broke away from rescue operations and began to drop depth charges. The HMS Grasshopper was ordered to stand by the Tuscania an continue the rescue operations.

Illuminating rockets were fired, the deck guns were firing into the water. The men that were still in the water were under the impression that a naval battle was underway. Each explosion from the depth charges forced a concussion of water pressure against the bodies of men in the water. The sounds of the depth charges cause panic aboard the Tuscania, several of the soldiers believing that the Tuscania had been hit by another torpedo. The HMS Mosquito decides to take the risk to pull up along side the Tuscania. This move places the men on the HMS Mosquito in harms way, their ship is now endangered by the massive Ocean liner, and is a sitting duck should the U-boat fire another torpedo. They remained along side for 25 minutes until all the last available space was taken, then shoved off and proceeded to Lough Swilly, Ireland. HMS Pigeon pulled up along side and continued the rescue work. By 8:45 p.m. completes the rescue work from the Tuscania and pulls away taking their passenger to Buncrana, Ireland. The Tuscania then resumed and even keel.

The Grasshopper and several fishing boats continue to pick up survivors in lifeboats and life rafts. Many of the soldiers in lifeboats saw the bright light of the lighthouses, not knowing any better they tried to guide their boat to drift toward the lights, not knowing the lights were there to warn them to stay away. The Tuscania finally took the plunged sometime near 10:00 p.m., four hours since it was torpedoed. It was remarkable that the Tuscania stayed afloat so long. As for the U-boat it was thought that maybe it was sunk since the attack ceased after the last dropping of depth charges. The U-boat was not sunk and was turned over to the British after the war per the Armistice agreement. 

The majority of the men rescued from their life boats were rescued by the HMS Grasshopper. The majority of the men who tried to escape the Tuscania by lifeboat perished, 200 American soldiers and 46 plus, Mercantile Marines of the United Kingdom. The majority of the casualties met their fate on the rocky coast line of the Scottish Island known as Islay. The majority of the men who were saved, was accomplished by the gallant efforts of the HMS Pigeon, and Mosquito.

The Tuscania was credited as the first ship carrying Americans Troops to Europe to be torpedoed and sunk. The Tuscania was the only ship during WWI carrying American troops to be torpedoed and sunk while under British convoy. And perhaps the most widely recognized survivor of the Tuscania would probably go to Harry R. Truman who was buried alive by Mt. St. Helens when it erupted on May 18th, 1980. 

Japanese Imperial Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, would have had knowledge of this event during his years as a student at Harvard University, his mind may have been referencing this information, after the attack on Pearl Harbor when he said: "We have awakened a sleeping giant and have instilled in him a terrible resolve."

Unlike the popular stories of the Titanic and the Lusitania, the story of the Tuscania faded as a result of World War II. The American Red Cross raised a monument on the Island of Islay in memory of those lost on the Tuscania in the 1920's, it still stands there today reminding us all about the men who were lost so long ago, and of one man who's final resting place remains to be on Islay.