British diving team discovers wreckage of WWI US Coast Guard ship

Wreckage of WWI US Coast Guard ship found by British diving team

Mohan Sinha
04 May 2026, 06:42 GMT+10

The wreck of a U.S. Coast Guard ship, USCGC Tampa, that sank in a deadly attack by the Germans during World War I, has been found off the coast of England.
Admiral Kevin Lunday said the bravery and sacrifice of the Tampa’s crew show the long history of the Coast Guard, which has served in every war since it was created in 1790.
The Tampa sank after being hit by a torpedo from a German submarine in the Bristol Channel, and it went down in less than three minutes, killing all 131 people on board.

LONDON, UK: The wreck of a U.S. Coast Guard ship, USCGC Tampa, that sank in a deadly attack by the Germans during World War I, has been found off the coast of England.

The Coast Guard said the ship was discovered about 50 miles off Newquay in Cornwall, more than 300 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean. A British diving team called Gasperados located and confirmed the wreck.

Admiral Kevin Lunday said the bravery and sacrifice of the Tampa's crew show the long history of the Coast Guard, which has served in every war since it was created in 1790. He added that losing the Tampa and all its crew in 1918 caused deep sadness, and finding the wreck helps honor their sacrifice.

The Tampa sank after being hit by a torpedo from a German submarine in the Bristol Channel. It went down in less than three minutes, killing all 131 people on board. This included 111 Coast Guard members, four U.S. Navy personnel, and 16 British Navy members and civilians. It was the deadliest single loss of American naval life in World War I.

The Gasperados Dive Team made 10 trips to search for possible locations. Their leader said the discovery came after three years of research and exploration and is very important for the United States and for the families of those who died, as the ship's final resting place is now known.

The team first contacted the Coast Guard Historian's Office in 2023 for help. The Coast Guard shared historical records, technical details, and old images of the ship to help confirm the wreck.

The Coast Guard is now planning further underwater research and exploration of the site.

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