British divers find missing WWI wreck of US combat vessel: Remains of USCGC Tampa are discovered off the coast of Cornwall 108 years after the ship was torpedoed by a German U–boat

UK Daily Mail ^ | 04/30/2026 | SHIVALI BEST

[DFG]

The shipwreck of a WWI US combat vessel has been discovered off the Cornish coast by a team of divers – 108 years after it sank.

The US Coastguard Cutter TAMPA has been missing since being torpedoed by a German U–boat in 1918.

Now, it has been found, 50 miles offshore in Newquay by the Gasperados Dive Team.

All 131 lives on the vessel were lost including those from the American navy and coastguard, and British civilians.

Dominic Robinson, 54, a member of the Gasperados Dive Team, says they have been searching for the last three years for the ship after it vanished.

The team on the day – made up of leader Steve Mortimer, Jacob Mackenzie, James Gregory, Steve Green, Duncan Haywood, Chris Lowe and Paul Downs – used information from the UK Hydrographic Office including seabed data to help track it down.

They have also analysed German records about the U–Boat that sank it and have spent the last three years conducting dives to locate it.

Sunday 26 April was to be their final attempt when they made the incredible discovery.

The team have presented their findings to the US Coastguard, and Mr Robinson says they are 'confident' they have found TAMPA.

Mr Robinson, a diver, from Plymouth, Devon, says: 'Sunday was our last attempt.

'Basically we were like "we've looked everywhere this could be", and were going to give up, and then we got down there and found it.

'Most people think a shipwreck is a ship under water but the reality is it's been underwater for 100 years in the Celtic Sea in–between Cornwall and Ireland, so it's been smashed by storms and a 100 odd years of decay.

'And the fact it was torpedoed in the first place.

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TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: gasperadosdiveteam; godsgravesglyphs; history; shipwreck; thegreatwar; uscgctampa; ww1

[DFG]

[Red Badger]

ping!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for the ping.

[RWGinger]

Absolutely amazing
Thanks for posting
We think of WWI as only being fought in France and Belgium

[Wilderness Conservative]

Did WW I come after WW H?

[going hot]

Looks like a much bigger piece of something, laying next to the ship.

[null and void]

Yes and before World War Eleven!

[Delta 21]

131 souls onboard.

Rest easy, boys.