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Iconic Coast Guard cutter wreckage found 108 years after sinking during WWI

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Published  April 30, 2026 9:26pm EDT
Military
FOX Local
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Coast Guard Tampa (U.S. Coast Guard)

The Brief

    • A British diving team has discovered the wreckage of an iconic Coast Guard ship that was torpedoed by German forces during World War I. 
    • The Coast Guard Tampa sank in 1918 in the Bristol Channel, killing all 131 people on board. 
    • It was the largest American naval combat loss of life in World War I.

More than 100 years after it was torpedoed by a German submarine during World War I, the wreckage of the iconic Coast Guard Cutter Tampa has been found. 

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a British diving team discovered the shipwreck 300 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean, about 50 miles off Newquay, Cornwall. 

‘Remember the Tampa’

The backstory: The Coast Guard says Tampa went down in 1918 in the Bristol Channel. The ship sank in less than three minutes, killing all 131 people on board — including 111 Coast Guardsmen, four U.S. Navy personnel, and 16 British Navy personnel and civilians. It was the largest American naval combat loss of life in World War I. 

"Their lives were cut short just weeks before the official end to the conflict, leaving a wake of devastation and loss for those left behind," the Coast Guard Historians Office wrote. "Tampa’s brief, but illustrious, story is one of selfless service, valor, and ultimately human tragedy amidst the wreckage of war."

RELATED: Fisherman stumbles upon historic shipwreck hidden in plain sight: 'So exciting'

In 2023, the British Gasperados Dive Team contacted the Coast Guard Historians Office about finding the Tampa. The all-volunteer team has been searching for the wreckage for the past three years. 

Wreckage of Coast Guard Tampa (U.S. Coast Guard)

What they're saying:

"Since 1790, the Coast Guard has defended our nation during every armed conflict in American history, a legacy reflected in the courage and sacrifice of the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tampa," said Adm. Kevin Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard. "When the Tampa was lost with all hands in 1918, it left an enduring grief in our service. 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."

Coast Guard Tampa (U.S. Coast Guard)

What's next:

The Coast Guard says it’s planning underwater research and exploration of the shipwreck, using robotics and autonomous systems. 

READ MORE: Divers discover 200-year-old shipwreck beneath Lake Ontario — See the photos

You can learn more about Coast Guard Tampa here. 

The Source: This report includes information from the U.S. Coast Guard.

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