German submarine U-26 (1936)

	U-25, the other Type IA U-boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-26
Ordered	17 December 1934
Builder	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	904
Laid down	1 August 1935
Launched	14 March 1936
Commissioned	6 May 1936
Fate	Scuttled 1 July 1940, southwest of Ireland. 48 survivors
General characteristics
Type	Type IA ocean-going submarine
Displacement	862 t (848 long tons) surfaced; 982 t (966 long tons) submerged; Official displacement was 712 tons standard;
Length	72.39 m (237 ft 6 in)
Beam	6.21 m (20 ft 4 in)
Draught	4.30 m (14 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; 2 × MAN M8V40/46 8-cylinder diesel engines with 2,900–3,080 PS (2,860–3,040 shp; 2,130–2,270 kW); 2 × BBC GG UB720/8 double-acting electric motors with 1,000 PS (990 shp; 740 kW);
Speed	18.6 knots (34.4 km/h; 21.4 mph) surfaced; 8.3 knots (15.4 km/h; 9.6 mph) submerged;
Range	7,900 nmi (14,600 km; 9,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 78 nmi (144 km; 90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	200 m (660 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 39 enlisted
Armament	6 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes, 4 bow, 2 stern; 14 × torpedoes; 28 × TMA mines; 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 naval gun; 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun;
Service record
Part of:	2nd U-boat Flotilla; 1 May 1936 – 1 August 1939; 1 September 1939 – 1 July 1940;
Identification codes:	M 07 314
Commanders:	KrvKpt. Werner Hartmann; 11 May 1936 – 30 September 1938; FrgKpt. Oskar Schomburg; 1 October 1938 – August 1939; Kptlt. / KrvKpt. Klaus Ewerth; August 1939 – 3 January 1940; Kptlt. Heinz Scheringer; 4 January – 11 May 1940; KrvKpt. Heinz Fischer; 12 May – 8 June 1940; Kptlt. Heinz Scheringer; 9 June – 1 July 1940;
Operations:	6 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 29 August – 26 September 1939; 2nd patrol:; 22 October – 5 December 1939; 3rd patrol:; 29 January – 1 March 1940; 4th patrol:; a. 13 – 18 April 1940; b. 19 – 25 April 1940; 5th patrol:; a. 23 – 27 May 1940; b. 29 May – 5 June 1940; 6th patrol:; 20 June – 1 July 1940;
Victories:	11 merchant ships sunk ; (48.645 GRT); 1 merchant ship damaged ; (4,871 GRT);

German submarine U-26 was one of the two Type IA ocean-going U-boats produced by Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. Constructed in Bremen, U-26 was commissioned in May 1936. She experienced a short, but successful combat career, sinking eleven ships.

Until 1940, U-26 was primarily used as training vessel and for propaganda purposes by the German government. During her trials it was found that the Type IA submarine was difficult to handle due to her poor stability and slow dive rate.

In early 1940, the boat was called into combat duty due to the shortage of available submarines. U-26 participated in six war patrols, sinking eleven ships and badly damaging one other. On her first patrol laying mines, U-26 sank three merchant ships and damaged one British warship. On her second war patrol it became the first U-boat during World War II to enter the Mediterranean Sea. U-26 participated in three other successful patrols, sinking four additional merchant ships.

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