A team of divers has found the wreckage of what is confirmed to be a US Navy warship that had sunk off the UK coast during World War I. Lying on the seabed some 34 nautical miles off the Isles of Scilly in south-western England is the wreck of USS JACOB JONES, a Tucker-class destroyer that was lost along with 64 of its 110-strong crew shortly after being hit by a German torpedo on December 6, 1917.

American naval historians say the 1916-built Jacob Jones is notable for being the first US destroyer ever to be lost to enemy action.

Dominic Robinson, one of the divers from UK-based Darkstar, said his team was able to positively identify the destroyer as its name was written on some of the discovered portions of the wreckage.Other parts of the destroyer that were identified include some of the 102-millimetre main gun armament, torpedo tubes, and one of the two propeller shafts. However, Robinson said no human remains were found at the wreck site. The dive team has since contacted officials of the US State Department to inform them of the discovery of the wreck.

Source: Baird Maritime