SM U-26

SM U-26 sinks the Russian armoured cruiser Pallada with a torpedo on 11 October 1914 in the Gulf of Finland.
History
German Empire
NameU-26
Ordered18 March 1911
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number180
Laid down31 May 1912
Launched16 October 1913
Commissioned20 May 1914
FateSunk by a Russian mine in Gulf of Finland on 31 August or 4 September 1915 (all hands lost).
General characteristics Ocean-going diesel submarine
Class and typeGerman Type U 23 submarine
Displacement
  • 669 t (658 long tons) surfaced
  • 864 t (850 long tons) submerged
Length64.70 m (212.3 ft)
Beam6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Draught3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts
  • 2 × Germania 6-cylinder two stroke diesel motors with 1,800 PS (1,320 kW; 1,780 shp)
  • 2 × SSW double Motordynamos with 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,180 shp)
  • 450rpm surfaced
  • 330 rpm submerged
Speed
  • 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced
  • 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 9,910 nmi (18,350 km; 11,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depthabout 50 m (160 ft)
Boats & landing
craft carried
1 dingi
Complement4 officers, 31 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • IV Flotilla
  • 1 August 1914 – Unknown end
  • Baltic Flotilla
  • Unknown start – 30 September 1915
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Egewolf Freiherr von Berckheim[1]
  • 1 August – 17 December 1914 &
  • 13 January – 30 September 1915
Operations: 1 patrol
Victories:
  • 3 merchant ships sunk
    (3,700 GRT)
  • 2 warships sunk
    (11,375 tons)

SM U-26 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) in World War I.

U-26 was engaged in the submarine war in the Baltic Sea. On 11 October 1914, she sank the cruiser Pallada, inflicting the first loss of the war on the Russian Navy.

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Egewolf Freiherr von Berckheim (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 December 2014.