The British passenger ship sunk by a German U-Boat in 1915, resulting in significant American casualties.

• A. Titanic
• B. Mauretania
• C. Lusitania
• D. Britannic

Answer: (C)

This question tests knowledge of a key WWI event tied to American involvement. In 1915, Germany announced and carried out unrestricted submarine warfare around Britain, aiming to cut off supplies. The British passenger liner Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-Boat while sailing from New York to Liverpool, and it sank quickly, taking a large number of lives, including many Americans. This shock helped turn American public opinion against Germany and pushed the United States toward entering the war years later.

The other ships don’t fit the description: the Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, not by a submarine in 1915; Mauretania was a fast ocean liner that survived the war; Britannic sank in 1916 after hitting a mine, not in 1915 due to a U-Boat.