USS S-26

USS S-26 (SS-131) was an S-18-class submarine, also referred to as an S-1-class or "Holland"-type, of the United States Navy. She was lost in a collision with a friendly escort ship, PC-460, at night in late January 1942, when both vessels were operating without navigation lights to avoid detection by enemy forces.

The S-18-class had a length of 219 feet 3 inches (66.8 m) overall, a beam of 20 ft 8 in (6.3 m), and a mean draft of 17 ft 3 in (5.3 m). They displaced 930 long tons (940 t) on the surface and 1,094 long tons (1,112 t) submerged. All S-class submarines had a crew of 4 officers and 34 enlisted men, when first commissioned. They had a diving depth of 200 ft (61.0 m).

For surface running, the S-18-class were powered by two 600-brake-horsepower (447 kW) NELSECO diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 1,175-horsepower (876 kW) Ridgway Dynamo & Engine Company electric motor. They could reach 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) on the surface and 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) underwater.

The boats were armed with four 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried eight reloads, for a total of twelve torpedoes. The S-18-class submarines were also armed with a single 4 in (100 mm)/50 caliber deck gun.

S-26's keel was laid down on 7 November 1919, by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard, in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 22 August 1922, sponsored by Mrs. Mary Bean, and commissioned on 15 October 1923.

Operating from New London, Connecticut, from 1923 to 1925, S-26 visited St. Thomas, in the United States Virgin Islands, and Trinidad, from January to April 1924, and the Territory of Hawaii, from 27 April to 30 May 1925.

Cruising from California ports, mainly Mare Island, San Diego, and San Pedro, S-26 served in the Panama Canal area, from March to May 1927, visited Hawaii, again during the summers of 1927 to 1928, again served in the Panama Canal area, in February 1929, and made visits to Hawaii, during the summers of 1929 and 1930.

S-26 departed San Diego, on 1 December 1930, and arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 12 December 1930. She then served at Pearl Harbor, until 15 October 1938, when she departed to return to New London. She arrived at on 25 March 1939, and entered a period "in commission in reserve", with a partial crew, there on 15 April 1939.