WWI USCG Cutter Tampa Wreck Found After 100 Years, Deadliest Loss That Killed All 131 Aboard

The wreckage of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa, lost during World War I with all 131 people on board, has been located more than a century after it sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

A British volunteer technical diving group, Gasperados, identified the wreck about 50 miles off Newquay, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The vessel lies at a depth of over 300 feet.

The discovery follows a three-year search effort by the dive team, which worked in coordination with the Coast Guard Historian’s Office.

Historical records, technical data, and archival images of the ship’s structure and fittings were used to confirm the identity of the wreck.

The Tampa was sunk on September 26, 1918, in the Bristol Channel after being struck by a torpedo from the German submarine UB-91.

The explosion caused the vessel to go down in less than three minutes, leaving no chance for evacuation or rescue.

All 131 people aboard were killed. The casualties included 111 Coast Guardsmen, four U.S. Navy personnel, and 16 British Navy personnel and civilians.

The sinking remains the largest single combat loss of U.S. naval forces during World War I.

According to the Coast Guard, the discovery provides a direct link to a long-standing loss that has remained unresolved for decades.

Officials said locating the wreck helps reconnect the service with the crew’s sacrifice.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday stated that the loss of the Tampa had left a lasting impact on the service.

He noted that identifying the wreck serves as a reminder of the crew’s duty and the legacy they left behind.

The dive team initially contacted the Coast Guard Historian’s Office in 2023 to begin the identification process.

Experts provided detailed archival material, including images of the ship’s bell, wheel, deck fittings, and weaponry, which helped verify the site.

The crew of the Tampa came from varied backgrounds, reflecting a diverse service during the war. In 1999, all crew members were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Among them were 11 Black sailors, recognized as the first uniformed minority Coast Guardsmen to die in combat and receive the honor.

Following the discovery, the Coast Guard said it is planning further underwater research at the site.

The effort will involve coordination with historians, specialized dive teams, and units working with robotics and autonomous systems.

The name Tampa continues in service today, with a modern Coast Guard cutter commissioned in 1984 and homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia.

References: foxnews, uscg