Wreck of First U.S. Destroyer Lost to Enemy Action Found: The USS Jacob Jones

From the August 19, 2022, Chicago Tribune "WW I Navy destroyer."

The wreck of the first U.S. Navy destroyer lost to enemy action has been found off the coast of southwest England, 105 years after it was sunk by a German submarine.

A team of British divers announced the find on Facebook last week saying it was thrilled to have located the World War I ship, the USS Jacob Jones, about sixty nautical miles south of Newlyn, a fishing harbor in Cornwall.

More than a century ago, in 1917, after the United States entered World War I against Germany, the Jacob Jones left Boston for Ireland, whetre it performed rescue operations, picking up survivors from British steamships that had been hit by German submarines and escorting convoys through dangerous waters.

On December 6, 1917, the Jacob Jones left Brest, France, for Queenstown, Ireland, according to U.S. Naval records.  About 20 miles off the coast of southern England, a German submarine torpedoed the Jones.  There were seven officers and 103 crew members aboard the ship.  Eight minutes later, the ship sank, and 64 men  lost their lives.

--Cooter