The splendid service they performed was commended in Admiral Niblack's letter of September 5, 1918, to Captain Charles Satterlee, commanding officer of the _Tampa_, in which, after detailing her record, under way more than 3,500 miles each month since October 1, 1917, "never disabled, ready whenever called on," he said: This excellent record is an evidence of a high state of efficiency, an excellent ship spirit, and organization capable of keeping the vessel in service with the minimum of shore assistance. The squadron commander takes great pleasure in congratulating the commanding officer, officers and crew on the record which they have made. Three weeks after notable service had evoked this commendation, every officer and man of the _Tampa_ met sudden and mysterious death. The night of September 26, 1918, the _Tampa_, having escorted a convoy from Gibraltar, was proceeding toward Milford Haven, Wales. At 8:45 p. m., a loud explosion was heard by vessels of the convoy, but the night was so dark that the _Tampa_ disappeared before her companions could see what had happened. American destroyers and British patrol craft searched the vicinity. Nothing was found except a small amount of wreckage and the bodies of two men in naval uniforms. It is believed that the _Tampa_ was torpedoed by a submarine. The German U-53 claimed to have sunk a United States vessel of her description. "Listening-in" stations on shore reported that they detected the presence of a submarine near the spot where the _Tampa_ was destroyed. But no one knows how she met her fate. Every soul on board the vessel perished, 115 in all, of whom 111 were Coast Guard personnel. The officers lost were Captain Satterlee, First Lieutenants Archibald H. Scally and John T. Carr, Second Lieutenants Roy A. Bothwell, James M. Earp and John F. McGourty, and Third Lieutenant James A. Frost, Jr. It must, indeed, be a matter of solemn pride to the Coast Guard to know that the _Tampa_, lost with all her gallant officers and men, was distinguished by such service and sacrifice that it will always be remembered in the naval annals of our country. It was my pleasure to name one of the modern destroyers of the Navy for Captain Satterlee, and on April 16, 1921, a new cruising vessel of the Coast Guard was launched at Oakland, California, named the _Tampa_. Few instances that occurred during the war are more indicative of devotion to duty than the gallant attempt of the _Seneca_ to salvage the steamer _Wellington_, torpedoed September 16, 1918. Though damaged, its officers thought that the vessel would probably float, but the crew refused to remain on board.