On 5 February 1918, the troopship SS “Tuscania” was torpedoed and sunk in the North Channel between Scotland and Ireland by German submarine (U-boat) UB-77. The “Tuscania,” a former British luxury liner operated by the Anchor Line, was the only troopship carrying American troops to Europe sunk by a German submarine in World War I, marking the tragic event known as the sinking of the SS Tuscania troopship.
The original postcard of the SS “Tuscania” furnished to American soldiers aboard the ship. Courtesy of the Spooner, Wisconsin, family of survivor Oscar Ludwig Peterson.
The “Tuscania” left New York City on 24 January 1918. It sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where several soldiers were removed from the ship due to illness. Then, in a convoy with 11 other ships, “Tuscania” began her journey across the North Atlantic.
The loss of 215 American soldiers en route to war in Europe shook the United States. Its sinking had lasting effects on military operations.
But the ship’s story is largely forgotten today – omitted from histories or meriting only a brief mention, often inaccurate.
The book on this website, “The Sinking of the Tuscania,” is the result of many years of research and presents as accurately as possibly the story of the ship itself, its last fatal voyage, the effect on those aboard, the aftermath of the sinking, preserving its memory, and the historical significance of “Tuscania.”
Also available is an index to this book, a list of the Americans aboard (soldiers and two civilians), and an account of the centennial commemorations held on the isle of Islay, Scotland, in 2018. A full biography of each American aboard is available in the Americans On Board section.
Additional Resources
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Navigating the History of Tuscania (Coming Soon)
Who, what, when, where, why – and how – the ship’s story was researched
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Soldiers Left Behind in Canada (PDF)
The 21 soldiers removed in Halifax, who did not experience the sinking.
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Find A Grave “Troopship Tuscania 1918” Virtual Cemetery
Burial information for almost 2,000 passengers gathered into one list at findagrave.org.
Marilyn Gahm
Author, Historian
The research for this website was done by Marilyn Claire Savelkoul Gahm. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Chaska, Minnesota, she received Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and library science from the University of St. Catherine (St. Paul MN) and a Master of Arts degree in library science from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis MN).
She was elected to the honor societies of Phi Beta Kappa (scholarship), Kappa Gamma Pi (leadership), Pi Gamma Mu (social studies) and Beta Phi Mu (library science).
Her career included employment in, and management of, a variety of libraries – academic, business, international business and public – as well as employment as a corporate historian, book/magazine indexer and proofreader/editor. Following her retirement to northern Wisconsin, she read the story of the 18 Spooner, Wisconsin, area men aboard “Tuscania” in the 1918 “Spooner Advocate” newspaper– and her voyage of discovery began.