What’s Up at the NHHC:
In a joint effort between the United Kingdom and the United States, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Salvage and Marine Operations (SALMO) unit has conducted a survey of the historic World War I wreck of the USS Jacob Jones (DD-61).
The operation, carried out at the behest of Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) and with pivotal support from the U.S. Embassy in London, led to the recovery of a key artifact—the ship’s bell.
The Jacob Jones, sunk by the German submarine U-53 on 6 December 1917, was the first U.S. Navy destroyer ever lost to enemy action. The ship sank eight minutes after being struck, with the U-boat commander radioing the approximate location of the survivors to the nearest American base for rescue.
Meanwhile, the ship’s officer of the deck, who directed the rescue effort, died of exposure and was posthumously awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
In the final 18 months of World War I, the U.S. Navy maintained a substantial presence in UK waters and the Western Approaches to help cope with the U-boat menace and keep the maritime lifeline between the Americas and Europe open. The Jacob Jones was one of a half-dozen destroyers escorting a troop and supply convoy from southern Ireland to Brittany in December 1917.
The shipwreck was discovered off the Isles of Scilly in August 2022 by technical divers. Since its discovery, efforts have been underway to fully document and study the wreck site for its long-term preservation and protection. The recent remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey by SALMO is a key step in the project and honors the legacy of the ship and her sailors.
“The wreck of the ship is a hallowed war grave and is the last resting place for many of the 64 men who were lost in the sinking,” said retired Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, director of the NHHC. “U.S. Navy policy is to leave such wrecks undisturbed. However, due to risk of unauthorized and illegal salvaging of the ship’s bell, the NHHC requested Ministry of Defence assistance. The U.S. Navy is grateful to the SALMO team for recovering the bell, which will serve as a memorial to sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of both the United States and the United Kingdom.”
The SALMO team not only collected ROV video data and recovered the ship’s bell, but also placed a wreath and an American flag on the wreck. After its recovery, the bell was placed into the temporary custody of Wessex Archaeology, a private firm contracted by the NHHC. Later this year, after a ceremonial handover, the bell will be sent to the NHHC’s Underwater Archaeology Branch for conservation treatment and eventual display at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy.
—MC1 Jonathan Nelson, NHHC Communication and Outreach Division
