British divers have found an American shipwreck from World War I.
A team of experienced deep sea divers has located the missing ship about 40 miles off the coast of the Isles of Scilly.
The USS Jacob Jones was one of six Tucker-class destroyers designed and built by the US Navy prior to its entry into World War I.
The formidable ship was the first US destroyer ever to be sunk by enemy action.
On December 6, 1917, off the southwest coast of England, it was fired upon by a German U-boat – 66 of the 150 crew members died. After that, the Jacob Jones sank within eight minutes.
One of the divers, Dominic Robinson, emphasizes the historical importance of the find: “The ship, which was lost for over 100 years, was on the wish list of many people because of its historical significance. It is of particular interest to the Americans because they have invested a lot of money in building destroyers.”
The UK Hydrographic Office had made various GPS positions available to deep sea divers. This included information about the location of the shipwreck, but not what it was.
“We found the vessel on the second day of our dives to other wrecks in the area. It was immediately clear that it was the Jacob Jones – you can read her name on parts of the wreck.” – Dominic Robinson
The divers did not find any human remains or personal items.
The 96 meter long and 9.1 meter wide ship was armed with eight torpedo tubes and four guns when she sank. It was powered by two steam turbines that could bring the ship to a speed of up to 50 kilometers per hour.
When the US entered World War I in April 1917, the USS Jacob Jones was sent overseas. On its return to Ireland, the ship was about 40 miles from the Isles of Scilly when it was bombed by a German U-boat.