Sunken WWI ship 'Tampa' found off English coast, solving century-old mystery

More than a century after it was torpedoed during World War I, the wreckage of the USCGC Tampa has been located off the coast of England by the British dive team Gasperados, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced.

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Divers located the sunken cutter about 50 miles off the coast of Newquay, Cornwall. The vessel lies more than 300 feet deep on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.

The discovery began in 2023 when the Gasperados Dive Team reached out to the Coast Guard historian’s office regarding the vessel.

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Over the past three years, the group of volunteers dedicated themselves to conducting extensive searches for the long-lost Tampa.

The Coast Guard historian's office provided the dive team with essential historical documentation and technical specifications to ensure the wreck site was accurately identified.

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Coast Guard Atlantic Area Historian Dr. William Thiesen noted these archives included original photos of the Tampa’s weaponry, bell, ship’s wheel and specific deck hardware.

The USCG calls it the "greatest single wartime loss."

When the vessel was lost in 1918 after being torpedoed by a German submarine in the Bristol Channel, all 131 people on board died, making it the largest single American combat loss of WWI.

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Adm. Kevin Lunday, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, emphasizes that the service has defended the nation since 1790 and highlights how the courage and sacrifice of the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa reflects this enduring legacy.

"When the Tampa was lost with all hands in 1918, it left an enduring grief in our service. Locating the wreck connects us to their sacrifice and reminds us that devotion to duty endures," Lunday said, adding that their legacy of service will never be forgotten as the Coast Guard continues to defend the nation.

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The Coast Guard is now developing underwater research and exploration plans alongside its experts in specialized operations, history, cutter operations, robotics, autonomous systems and diving.