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 & 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 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.