The morning (May 7th) had been foggy. Captain Turner had reduced his speed to about 18 knots. Despite the fog, Kapitan-Leutnant (Kptlt) Walther Schwieger and his SM U-20 crew had been busy. The British Admiralty became alarmed when they heard a submarine was successfully plying the waters along the south Irish Channel. Three ships had already been attacked and sunk. Admiralty officials knew Lusitania was on her way to Liverpool. It issued a warning:

Submarine active in southern part of Irish Channel, last heard of twenty miles south of Conningbeg light vessel. Make certain Lusitania gets this.

Captain Turner was directed to make port at Queenstown instead of continuing to Liverpool. That would get the ship and her passengers off the water and out of potential danger much more quickly. There was, however, a serious problem with the effect of that directive. As the Lusitania changed course, she put herself in a much worse position.