The volunteer diving team Gasperados located the wreck of USCGC Tampa about 50 miles off Newquay, Cornwall, at a depth of over 300 feet after a three-year search. Identification was confirmed with the Coast Guard Historians Office by matching the ship's wheel, bell, deck fittings and weaponry to archival records. Tampa was torpedoed by German submarine UB-91 on Sept. 26, 1918, and sank in under three minutes, killing all 131 on board. The Coast Guard plans coordinated underwater research to document and honor the site.
Century-Old Wreck of USCGC Tampa Found Off Cornwall, Confirming 1918 Tragedy That Killed 131
Coast Guard wreck found after century, confirms World War I tragedy that killed all 131 aboard
A British technical diving team, the volunteer group known as the Gasperados, has located the wreck of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Tampa on the Atlantic seafloor roughly 50 miles off Newquay, Cornwall. The wreck rests at a depth exceeding 300 feet after a three-year search and careful documentation effort.
A historical photo of Coast Guard cutter Tampa, which was lost in 1918 during World War I after being torpedoed by a German submarine.(Fox News)
Discovery and Identification
After locating the site, the Gasperados worked with the Coast Guard Historians Office to confirm the vessel's identity. Analysts matched physical features from the wreck—such as the ship's wheel, bell, deck fittings and weaponry—with archival photos, technical specifications and service records to verify the find.
Tampa’s wreckage was recently located off the coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, marking the largest single naval American combat loss of life in World War I.
How Tampa Sank
Tampa was struck by a torpedo fired from the German submarine UB-91 on Sept. 26, 1918, in the Bristol Channel, just weeks before the armistice. The explosion caused catastrophic damage; the cutter foundered in under three minutes, leaving virtually no time for rescue.
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Tampa was the largest naval combat loss in World War I.
All 131 people on board perished: 111 Coast Guardsmen, four U.S. Navy personnel and 16 British Navy personnel and civilians. The loss remains the largest single American naval combat casualty of World War I.
"Since 1790, the Coast Guard has defended our nation during every armed conflict in American history, a legacy reflected in the courage and sacrifice of the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tampa," Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said. "Locating the wreck connects us to their sacrifice and reminds us that devotion to duty endures. We will always remember them."
In 1999, 81 years after the sinking, the Tampa's crew were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. That group included 11 Black sailors who were the first uniformed minority Coast Guardsmen to die in combat and to receive the decoration.
Next Steps and Historical Significance
The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating plans for controlled underwater research and documentation of the Tampa site, involving historians, robotics and autonomous-systems experts, and specialized dive teams. Efforts will focus on respectful study and preservation, and on honoring the memory of those who served and died aboard the cutter.
The discovery closes a chapter of maritime history and provides a tangible link to the service and sacrifice of the Tampa's crew more than a century after the loss.
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