Overview
- British volunteer divers from the Gasperados team located the cutter about 50 miles off Newquay, Cornwall at roughly 300 feet, with Coast Guard historians confirming the identity.
- The team spent three years on the search and shared images that matched the ship’s wheel, bell, deck fittings, and guns to archival photos.
- Tampa sank on September 26, 1918 after a German torpedo hit, going down within minutes with 131 dead, including 111 Coast Guardsmen, four U.S. Navy sailors, and 16 Britons.
- Coverage differs on the attacking U-boat, with reports naming UB-41 or UB-91, a point researchers are reviewing against wartime records.
- The Coast Guard says the find honors the fallen and will guide exploration using robotics, autonomous vehicles, historians, and specialized dive teams, offering families a defined resting place long sought.