WWI US Coast Guard Shipwreck Discovered Off England After 100 Years

US Coast Guard Cutter Tampa. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

A British diving squad has confirmed the determination of a WWI-era US Coast Guard shipwreck disconnected the seashore of England, ending much than a period of uncertainty. The Coast Guard Cutter Tampa rests astir 50 miles disconnected Newquay, Cornwall, much than 300 feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean’s surface. The all-volunteer method diving radical Gasperados made the discovery.

The Tampa began its beingness arsenic the Miami, launched successful Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia, successful February 1912. The 190-foot, 1,050-ton cutter was renamed Tampa successful February 1916, honoring the Florida metropolis wherever it regularly docked.

When the United States entered the First World War successful April 1917, Tampa was among six Coast Guard cutters chosen for overseas convoy duty. During the war, it safely escorted 402 merchant ships betwixt Allied ports.

Tampa’s wartime ngo ended successful a three-minute tragedy

On September 17, 1918, Tampa departed connected its last convoy. Nine days later, German submarine UB-91 fired a torpedo that struck the vas successful the Bristol Channel. The vessel sank successful nether 3 minutes.

All 131 radical aboard perished, including 111 Coast Guardsmen, 4 U.S. Navy personnel, and 16 British Navy members and civilian dockyard workers. The property merchandise identifies it arsenic the largest azygous American naval combat nonaccomplishment of the First World War.

US Coast Guard Cutter Tampa shipwreck. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

There were nary witnesses to the sinking. The submarine liable remained unconfirmed until 1940, erstwhile UB-91’s logs were recovered successful a German archive. The Tampa’s unit did not person Purple Hearts until 1999, much than 80 years aft the sinking.

Gasperados squad locates WWII US shipwreck disconnected England

The Gasperados dive squad archetypal contacted the Coast Guard Historians’ Office successful 2023. Over 3 years, researchers shared archival records and photographs of the ship’s wheel, bell, platform fittings, and weapons to assistance corroborate the wreck’s identity.

Dr. William Thiesen, the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area Historian, said that humanities and method information played a cardinal relation successful the recognition process.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday said that the Tampa’s nonaccomplishment successful 1918 near lasting grief wrong the service, and that uncovering the wreck reconnects the Coast Guard to the sacrifice of its crew. He added that the work remains committed to honoring their memory.

The Coast Guard is present gathering plans for underwater research astatine the site, bringing unneurotic historians, divers, robotics specialists, and autonomous systems teams. The WWI-era US shipwreck disconnected England volition present go the absorption of a dedicated technological and humanities exploration effort.