More than a century after the cutter and her crew disappeared in the final weeks of World War I, divers have finally found them. The discovery closes one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s most enduring mysteries: the final resting place of Tampa and her crew.
Originally launched as the Miami in 1912, the cutter joined the International Ice Patrol after the sinking of RMS Titanic, conducted several patrols along the East Coast, and received the name Tampa in February 1916.
The USCGC Tampa was one of six United States Coast Guard cutters that deployed to Europe after the United States entered World War I in 1917. These cutters escorted vital shipping convoys through the submarine-infested waters of the North Atlantic. After completing her 18th convoy on the evening of September 26, 1918, German submarine UB-91 sighted Tampa.
A single torpedo struck the cutter amidships. An explosion ripped through Tampa, and she sank within three minutes with all hands. A total of 131 men were lost: 111 Coast Guardsmen, four U.S. Navy personnel, and 16 British Royal Navy personnel and civilians. The sinking remains one of the greatest tragedies in Coast Guard history.
The Tampa was the only one of the six cutters sent abroad to be lost during the war. “When Tampa was lost with all hands in 1918, it left an enduring grief in our service,” said U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday. “Locating the wreck connects us to their sacrifice and reminds us that devotion to duty endures. We will always remember them.”
Discovery of the Wreck
On April 26, 2026, the British volunteer dive team Gasperados, working with the Coast Guard Historian’s Office, discovered the wreck of the Tampa after an exhaustive three-year search. The team previously located the World War I warship HMS Hawke, which collided with RMS Olympic in September 1911.
Using archival imagery and technical records provided by the Historian’s Office, divers were able to positively identify the wreck, matching deck fittings, the ship’s wheel, bell, and weaponry to historical records, according to Dr. William Thiesen, Coast Guard Atlantic Area Historian.
More than a century later, the Tampa’s discovery brings renewed recognition to a ship and crew long honored but never forgotten. We remember them this Memorial Day.
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