▁struck ▁a ▁mine . ▁N umer ous ▁inc idents ▁of ▁tor ped o ing ▁took ▁place ▁and ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁ships ▁s ank . ▁Kaiser ▁Wilhelm ▁der ▁Gros se ▁was ▁defeated ▁and ▁sc utt led ▁after ▁a ▁fier ce ▁battle ▁with ▁HMS ▁High fly er ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁west ▁Africa , ▁while ▁her ▁sister ▁ship ▁K ron pr in z ▁Wilhelm ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁commerce ▁ra ider . ▁The ▁tor ped o ing ▁and ▁s inking ▁of ▁ ▁on ▁ 7 ▁May ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁caused ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁ 1 2 8 ▁American ▁lives ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁still ▁neutral . ▁Although ▁other ▁factors ▁came ▁into ▁play , ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁American ▁lives ▁in ▁the ▁s inking ▁strongly ▁pushed ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁favour ▁the ▁Al lied ▁Pow ers ▁and ▁facil itated ▁the ▁country ' s ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁The ▁losses ▁of ▁the ▁lin ers ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁Al lied ▁Pow ers ▁were ▁compens ated ▁by ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Vers a illes ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁ ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁award ing ▁of ▁many ▁German ▁lin ers ▁to ▁the ▁vict orious ▁Al lies . ▁The ▁Hamburg ▁America ▁Line ' s ▁tri o ▁( Im per ator , ▁Vater land , ▁and ▁B ism ar ck ) ▁were ▁divided ▁between ▁the ▁C un ard ▁Line , ▁White ▁Star ▁Line , ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁L ines , ▁while ▁the ▁three ▁surv iving ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁Kaiser - class