108 YEARS LATER

Divers Find Missing WWI U.S. Ship Torpedoed by U-Boat

The shipwreck was found after a three-year search.

Divers searching off the Cornish coast have discovered the wreck of a long-lost U.S. Coast Guard vessel from World War I, 108 years after it was sunk by a German U-boat. The U.S. Coastguard Cutter Tampa, which disappeared in 1918 after being torpedoed while escorting a convoy, was found around 50 miles off Newquay by the Gasperados Dive Team after a three-year search. All 131 people on board, including U.S. service members and British civilians, were killed. The team used seabed data from the UK Hydrographic Office, German wartime records and years of deep-water dives to narrow down the search area. They say their final attempt on April 26 led to the breakthrough discovery. Diver Dominic Robinson said the wreck, heavily damaged by a century underwater, still contained identifiable features such as anchors, guns, ammunition and crockery marked “New Jersey,” confirming its U.S. link. The team has presented evidence to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is assessing the findings.