U 26 (Navy)
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U 26 (Kriegsmarine) ( previous / next - all submarines ) |
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 Air raid on U 26 on July 1, 1940 |
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| Type : | IA |
| Field Post Number : | M-07 314 |
| Shipyard: | Deschimag , Bremen |
| Construction contract: | December 17, 1934 |
| Build number: | 903 |
| Keel laying: | August 1, 1935 |
| Launch: | March 14, 1936 |
| Commissioning: | May 11, 1936 |
| Commanders: |
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| Calls: | 5 patrols |
| Sinkings: |
11 ships (55,692 GRT) + 2 ships damaged (5,401 GRT) |
| Whereabouts: | sunk on July 1, 1940 in the North Atlantic |
U 26 was a German submarine of type IA , which in the Second World War by the Navy was used.
history
The order for the boat was awarded to AG Weser in Bremen on December 17, 1934 . The keel was laid on August 1, 1935, the launch on March 14, 1936, and commissioning under Lieutenant Werner Hartmann on May 11, 1936.
After commissioning, the boat belonged to the U-Flotilla “Saltzwedel” in Wilhelmshaven and the U-Boat School Flotilla until December 31, 1939 as a combat, school and front boat . When the U-Flotilla was reorganized, U 26 joined the 2nd U-Flotilla in Wilhelmshaven on January 1, 1940 , where it served until it was sunk on July 1, 1940.
U 26 undertook six enemy voyages on which it sank eleven ships with a total tonnage of 55,692 GRT .
Use statistics
Map with all coordinates of the section Mission statistics : OSM - First patrol
The boat left Wilhelmshaven on August 29, 1939 at 11:30 a.m. and returned there on September 26, 1939 at 3:00 a.m. On this 28-day and 5,917 nm long undertaking in which mines were laid off Portland , as well as in the Biscay and west of Ireland , three ships with a total of 17,414 GRT sank and a corvette with 530 t was damaged.
- September 15, 1939: sinking of the Belgian steamer Alex van Opstal (5,965 GRT) ( 50 ° 32 ′ N , 2 ° 16 ′ W ) by a mine hit. He had loaded 4,410 t of cargo and was on the way from New York to Antwerp . There were no dead.
- September 18, 1939: The British corvette HMS Kittiwake (530 t) was damaged by a mine hit. There were 5 dead and injured.
- October 7, 1939: sinking of the Dutch steamer Binnendijk (6,873 GRT) ( 50 ° 32 ′ N , 2 ° 20 ′ W ) by a mine hit. He had loaded 4,410 t of cargo and was on the way from Boston via New York to Rotterdam . There were no dead.
- November 22, 1939: sinking of the Greek steamer Elena R. (4,576 GRT) ( 50 ° 30 ′ N , 2 ° 21 ′ W ) by a mine hit. He had loaded grain and was on his way from Rosario to Antwerp. There were no dead.
- Second patrol
The boat left Wilhelmshaven on October 22, 1939 at 10:00 p.m. and returned there on December 5, 1939 at 10:00 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 44-day venture, in which mines were laid off Gibraltar and a short detour into the Mediterranean Sea .
- Third patrol
The boat left Wilhelmshaven on January 29, 1940 at 8:35 a.m. and returned there on March 1, 1940 at 11:50 a.m. During this 33-day and approximately 3,500 nm long undertaking in the North Atlantic , three ships with a total of 10,580 GRT were sunk.
- February 12, 1940: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Nidarholm (3,482 GRT) ( 50 ° 50 ′ N , 14 ° 10 ′ W ) by a G7e torpedo . He had loaded cotton and grapefruit and was on his way from Tampa to Liverpool via Halifax . There were no deaths, 25 survivors.
- February 14, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Langleeford (4,622 GRT) ( 51 ° 40 ′ N , 12 ° 40 ′ W ) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 6,800 tons of wheat and was on his way from Boston via Halifax to the Tyne . There were four dead and 30 survivors.
- February 15, 1940: Sinking of the Norwegian steamer Steinstad (2,476 GRT) by a G7a torpedo. He had unknown cargo on board and was on the way from Fethiye to Aalvik . There were 13 deaths.
- Fourth patrol
The boat left Wilhelmshaven on April 13, 1940 at 3 p.m. for the Weser Exercise Company and returned there on April 25, 1940 at 5:37 p.m. On this 13-day trip as part of the Weser Exercise company , the boat brought supplies for the Wehrmacht to Trondheim and then went on a patrol in front of Norway. A ship with 5,159 GRT was sunk.
- April 21, 1940: sinking of the British motor ship Cedarbank (5,159 GRT) ( 62 ° 49 ′ N , 4 ° 10 ′ E ) by a torpedo. It had 400 tons of military supplies, ammunition and vehicles loaded and was on the way from Leith to Ålesund . There were 16 dead and 30 survivors.
- Fifth patrol
The boat ran from Wilhelmshaven on June 20, 1940 and was sunk on July 1, 1940 in the North Atlantic near the Scilly Isles . On this eleven-day venture, three ships with 11,206 GRT were probably sunk and one ship with 4,871 GRT was damaged. According to Busch / Röll, “ U 26 and U 102 operated in the area in question. It can be assumed, however, that U 26 attacked convoy OA-175 ”. Since both boats did not return from their voyages, it has not been confirmed which boat sank which ship.
- June 29, 1940: sinking of the Greek steamer Frangoula B. Goulandris ( 49 ° 59 ′ N , 11 ° 24 ′ W ) (6,701 GRT). The steamer was in ballast and was on its way from Cork to St. Thomas . There were six dead and 32 survivors. The ship was probably in convoy OA-175.
- June 30, 1940: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Belmoira ( 48 ° 15 ′ N , 10 ° 30 ′ W ) (3,214 GRT) by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Rufisque to Avonmouth . The ship was probably in convoy OA-175.
- June 30, 1940: sinking of the Estonian steamer Merkur ( 48 ° 26 ′ N , 10 ° 58 ′ W ) with 1,291 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded pit wood and was on his way from Lisbon to Acton Grange . The ship was probably in convoy OA-175.
- July 1, 1940: Damage to the British steamer Zarian (4,871 GRT) by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Southampton to Dakar . The ship was in convoy OA-175.
Whereabouts
A Short Sunderland "H" flying boat of the 10th RAF squadron discovered U 26 about 15 minutes after the submarine attacked the Zarian while diving. Damage caused by depth charges of the British corvette HMS Gladiolus and the flying boat forced the crew to abandon their boat. The boat sank to position 48 ° 3 ′ N , 11 ° 30 ′ W in marine grid reference BE 6339, while the crew was rescued by the sloop HMS Rochester . There were no deaths and 48 survivors.