British Divers Discover Wreckage of US Coast Guard Cutter Tampa from World War I

A team of British volunteer technical divers has located the wreckage of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Tampa, nearly 100 years after the vessel sank. The ship was torpedoed by German forces during World War I, representing the United States' largest naval loss in that war. Over the course of 18 convoys, the group lost only two ships in total.

Its sinking highlighted the dangers faced by escort ships during the era of unrestricted submarine warfare. The recent find provides physical evidence of this event, preserved on the seabed for nearly a century. Details of the wreckage were documented with photographs credited to the United States Coast Guard.

The discovery team, known as Gasperados, conducted the search using technical diving methods suited for deep-water exploration. This recovery adds to ongoing efforts to document and preserve maritime history from early 20th-century conflicts.