Coast Guard Cutter Tampa Wreck Found Off UK Coast, Deadliest US Naval Loss of World War I

American officials announced the discovery of the wreck of the Coast Guard cutter Tampa, the deadliest U.S. naval combat loss of World War I.

The Coast Guard said in an April 29 news release that the vessel lies roughly 50 miles off the coast of Cornwall, at the southwestern tip of the United Kingdom. A British technical diving team called Gasperados found the wreck at a depth exceeding 300 feet.

In 1918, a German submarine torpedoed the ship, which sank within three minutes. All 131 people aboard died, including 111 Coast Guardsmen, 16 British Navy personnel and civilians, and four U.S. Navy personnel.

"When the Tampa was lost with all hands in 1918, it left an enduring grief in our service," Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday said in a statement. "Locating the wreck connects us to their sacrifice and reminds us that devotion to duty endures. We will always remember them. We are proud to carry their spirit forward in defense of the United States."

Officials said the discovery followed three years of work. The Coast Guard Historian's Office teamed up with Gasperados after the divers contacted them in 2023 to confirm the site.

"There are countless wreck sites in that region to complicate the search process," the release noted. "Over the past three years, the all-volunteer team conducted an extensive search for the wreckage."

The Coast Guard plans further underwater research at the site.

Multiple clues pointed to Tampa's final resting place, said William Thiesen, a Coast Guard Atlantic Area historian. He told Fox News Digital that contemporaries recorded key details about the sinking, including a U-boat commander's reported position, accounts from Tampa's convoy of hearing an explosion, and an aircraft spotting debris and logging coordinates.

"The problem was many of the bearings and locations noted had to be cross-referenced with wrecks on the sea floor," Thiesen said. "Until the Gasperados volunteered for the mission to find Tampa three years ago, the task seemed impossible."

Thiesen said the dive team faced low water visibility, poor weather and very deep water. "Before finding the current site, the Gasperados located other wrecks believed to be Tampa that proved to be fishing vessels or other sunken wrecks. These obstacles seemed insurmountable, but the group pushed on for over three years."

Researchers confirmed the wreck using detailed historical records. Thiesen said the site is being treated with the utmost respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country and our allies.

"The Gasperados, who located the site, adhere to the strictest standards of respect for the wreck site and the losses it represents," he added. "Any plans for the future will also be carried out with the utmost respect for the site and its integrity."

Thiesen said the ship's discovery begins the process of closing this tragic chapter in Coast Guard history. "To bring closure for the service and the families of Tampa’s lost crew is the greatest gift one can give. … The Gasperados dive team has done a great service not only for the Coast Guard, but to the nation — and we’re very grateful."