The wreck of the historic USS Tampa, one of the most tragic losses in First World War naval history, has been rediscovered by British divers nearly 107 years after it sank in the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel, which served a key escort role for the United States Navy, had remained missing for over a century, marking one of the longest-standing maritime mysteries.
In 1918, during the final phase of World War I, the USS Tampa departed from Gibraltar on September 17 as part of an escort mission for a large naval convoy heading toward England. As the voyage progressed, coal supplies for its boilers began to run critically low, prompting Captain Charles Satterlee to seek permission to break away from the convoy and head independently to Milford Haven in Wales for refueling.
While sailing alone toward the port on September 26, the ship was targeted by the German submarine UB-91 (also referred to in some accounts as UB-41). Around 8:15 pm, a torpedo struck the vessel, triggering a massive explosion after coal dust inside the ship ignited, causing the ship to sink within minutes.
All 131 people onboard—including 111 Coast Guard personnel, four Navy members, and British soldiers—were killed in the disaster, making it the largest loss of life suffered by the US Coast Guard during World War I. The incident has since been remembered as one of the war’s most devastating maritime tragedies.
The wreck was recently located by the Gasparados diving team approximately 80 kilometres off the Cornwall coast, at a depth of 300 feet in the Atlantic Ocean. Team leader Steve Mortimer confirmed the identity of the ship based on recovered engine components and steering mechanisms, bringing closure to a century-old maritime mystery and honoring the sacrifice of the fallen crew.