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A team of divers believe they have identified the wreck of the USCGC Tampa off the English coast.
The vessel was one of six United States Coast Guard cutters sent to Europe in 1917 on America’s entry into the First World War, tasked with protecting convoys from German submarine attacks. The Tampa had an impressive record, protecting 18 convoys, comprising a total of 350 ships, during its time in service. This good fortune came to an abrupt end on 26 September 1918. While escorting a convoy towards Wales, the Tampa split off in the early evening to refuel and suffered a direct torpedo hit from German submarine UB-91 in the Bristol Channel. The ship sank in less than three minutes, resulting in the deaths of all 131 individuals on board. It was the single largest American naval loss of WWI. The crew of the USCGC Tampa were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1999, but the location of the vessel remained a mystery for more than a century.
In 2023, a British-based diving team called the Gasperados, working with historians and the US Coast Guard, began searching for the Tampa. On their tenth and final dive in spring 2026, they came across the remains of a ship c.50 miles off Newquay, Cornwall, at a depth of 95m (310ft). The divers spotted artillery shells covering the seafloor, as well as an anchor, fire extinguishers, a water-tube boiler, and portholes, all matching archival records for the Tampa. Work is still under way to confirm the identity of the wreck beyond doubt, but it is hoped that it will soon be possible to designate the site as an official war grave.
Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday commented, ‘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.’
Text: Amy Brunskill / Image: United States Coast Guard
