The USS F-1, a World War I-era U.S. Navy submarine, was recently discovered by researchers off the cost of San Diego, California. The discovery comes 108 years after the submarine was “lost at sea” in a training accident in December of 1917.
In a recent press release, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announced, “A deep-sea training and engineering dive off the coast of San Diego provided an opportunity for never-before-seen imagery of the U.S. Navy submarine USS F-1, lost at sea in an accident on December 17, 1917, that resulted in the death of 19 crew members.”
According to the press release, WHOI researchers captured images of the World War I-era Navy submarine by using “Sentry,” an autonomous underwater vehicle, and “Alvin,” a human-occupied vehicle, to access the remains of the submarine located under more than 1,300 feet of water.
“Advanced ocean technology and simple teamwork played a big part in delivering these new images,” Bruce Strickrott, manager of the Alvin Group at WHOI and the senior pilot who helped lead the recent expedition, said. “Once we identified the wreck and determined it was safe to dive, we were able to capture never-before-seen perspectives of the sub. As a U.S. Navy veteran, it was a profound honor to visit the wreck of the F-1 with our ONR and NHHC colleagues aboard Alvin.”
READ MORE: Pics: Surprising WWII shipwreck finds revealed
WHOI explained that the recent expedition was part of a training and engineering mission intended to give pilots of the underwater submersibles an opportunity to increase their piloting skills and develop technology for underwater research.
“It was an incredibly exciting and humbling experience to visit these historically significant wrecks and to honor the sacrifice of these brave American Sailors,” Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Underwater Archaeologist Brad Krueger said. “All of us at the NHHC are grateful for this collaboration, which also enabled us to document and assess the condition of the crafts.”
According to the press release, the crew on the Atlantis, which was stationed above the location of the remains of the USS F-1, held a remembrance ceremony in honor of the 19 Navy members who were killed in the training incident in 1917.
“History and archaeology are all about people and we felt it was important to read their names aloud,” Krueger stated. “The Navy has a solemn responsibility to ensure the legacies of its lost Sailors are remembered.”
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by WHOI shows the new footage of the USS F-1 submarine as well as part of the ceremony held in honor of the 19 Navy members.
