On 6th April 1917 America joined with the Allies in the
war against Germany.
German submarines had sunk many ships since the
outbreak of World War I including, in 1915, RMS Lusitania
on her voyage from New York to Liverpool, resulting in
the death of many American citizens.
Germany's declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare
in the spring of 1917 provided the final decision for America
to enter the war at its most critical stage.
A total of 92 American ships were stationed in Cork Harbour
during the last two years of the war.
The navy built a number of facilities around the harbour,
including a sea plane station at Aghada, operated by the
US Naval Air Service, a repair station at the naval dockyard
on Haulbowline Island and a hospital at Whitepoint, west
of Queenstown (now Cobh).