The USCGC Tampa (initially named USRC Miami) was a Miami-class cutter built for the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation. Launched on February 10, 1912, and commissioned on August 19, 1912, the vessel was designed for patrol, ice patrol, and law enforcement duties along the eastern U.S. coast. Its specifications included typical cutter features of the era, with operational capabilities suited for extended patrols on the Atlantic. Throughout its service, the Tampa was extensively involved in the International Ice Patrol, operating out of New York City and Halifax, Nova Scotia, to locate hazardous icebergs. It also enforced navigation and fishing laws from bases in Key West, Tampa, and New York. Notably, in 1914, Tampa began participating annually in patrolling the Gasparilla Carnival at Tampa, Florida. Following the merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life-Saving Service in 1915, the vessel was renamed USCGC Tampa just prior to the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Tampa was transferred to Navy control but remained crewed by Coast Guardsmen. It was armed with additional weapons, including three-inch guns, machine guns, and depth charge throwers, and was tasked with convoy escort duties. Tampa departed New York in September 1917, heading to Gibraltar via Halifax and the Azores, to protect Allied convoys from German U-boat attacks. During its service, Tampa escorted 18 convoys between Gibraltar and Great Britain, successfully losing only two ships. Tragically, on September 26, 1918, Tampa was torpedoed by the German submarine UB-91 while transiting the Bristol Channel, resulting in the vessel's sinking with all hands—111 Coast Guardsmen, 4 U.S. Navy personnel, and 16 passengers. The sinking marked the highest American naval combat casualty loss in World War I. Tampa's loss is commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery, and her crew was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1999. Her service and sacrifice remain a significant part of U.S. maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.