Coast Guard Confirms WWI Cutter Tampa Wreck Found Off Cornwall
The U.S. Coast Guard announced April 29, 2026, that divers located the wreck of the World War I cutter Tampa about 50 miles off Cornwall, U.K., and that the site will be treated as a war grave.[1]
British Gasperados technical divers found the ship more than 300 feet deep after a three-year search that began in 2023.[1] Tampa was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1918 and sank within three minutes, killing all 131 people aboard.[1] The Coast Guard said it plans further underwater research at the location.[1]
The search that began in 2023 culminated this spring when the Gasperados located the wreck more than 300 feet down and reported their findings to U.S. authorities.[1] Officials note Tampa's sinking remains the deadliest U.S. naval loss of World War I.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On April 29, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the identification of the cutter Tampa wreck about 50 miles off Cornwall, U.K.
- British Gasperados technical divers located the wreck more than 300 feet deep after a three-year search begun in 2023.
- Tampa was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1918 and sank within three minutes, killing all 131 people aboard.
- The Coast Guard is treating the site as a war grave and plans further underwater research at the location.
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