The sinking of the Cunard ocean liner RMS Lusitania occurred on May 7, 1915 during WWI, as Germany waged submarine warfare against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The ship was identified and torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20 and sank in 18 minutes. The vessel went down 11 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, killing 1,198 and leaving 761 survivors. The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany, contributed to the American entry into WWI and became an iconic symbol in military recruiting campaigns of why the war was being fought.