War Diary of His Majesty's Submarine U-20

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Description

This is the diary of German Lieutenant Walter Schwieger and his account of the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. Kapitänleutnant Walter Schwieger was the 30-year-old commander of the submarine U-20 that sank the Lusitania. His war diary describes the attack and the rapid sinking of the ocean liner as he viewed it through his periscope. See the English translation of Lieutenant Schwieger’s diary.

For more information about this document see the National Archives online exhibit Eyewitness.

Citation

This primary source comes from the Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library.

National Archives Identifier: 785591

Full Citation: War Diary of His Majesty’s Submarine U-20; 1915; Subject Files, ca. 1924 – ca. 1946; Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library, Record Group 45; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/war-diary-submarine-u20/, April 1, 2026]

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