U.S.S. S-26 SS-131
ON ETERNAL PATROL
Class: S-1, S-20 Type, Test Depth, 200 feet
Entered on this site from a photo of the crew, 1923-1928, showing them holding a banner made up as the Shark, but no Navy records support this assertion.
Displacement: 854 tons (surfaced) 1,062 tons (submerged)
Dimensions: Length 219.2 feet, Beam 21.7 feet, Draft
Speed: 13 knots (surfaced) 9 knots (submerged)
Torpedo Armament: 4 Forward 21-inch Torpedo Tubes
Deck Armament: A 4"/50 Caliber Deck Gun
Keel laid: November 7, 1918, at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA
Launched: October 22, 1922, and Sponsored by Mrs.Carlos Bean.
Commissioned: October 15, 1923, Commanded by Lt. Edmund W. Burrough.
Complement: Normally; 4 Officers, 34 Enlisted Men
This submarine USS S26, SS-131, was a coastal and harbor defense submarine of riveted construction. It operated out of New London, CT, after commissioning. Then, in 1925, she was deployed to the West Coast and operated out of the California ports of San Diego, San Pedro, and Mare Island --- eventually operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In 1938 she was returned to New London, CT.

On December 10, 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, she was deployed to the Submarine Base at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone. There she conducted war patrols in the water approaches to the Panama Canal.

On the night of January 24, 1942, she was sailing from Balboa, Canal Zone, to her patrol station with USS S-21 (SS-126), USS S-29 (SS-134), USS S-44(SS-155), and a Submarine Chaser, as an escort, USS PC-460. The PC-460 flashed a message that she was leaving the formation and that they could proceed to the duty assigned, but S-21 was the only boat to receive this message. Shortly there after, 14 miles west of the San Jose light, PC-460 struck the S-26 on the starboard side of the Torpedo Room and the submarine sank within a few seconds to a depth of 300 feet.

The two officers and one enlisted man on the bridge (as well as three that had remained on shore) survived the disaster. Salvage operations were start immediately but the depth was too great and the rescue and salvage was not possible.

Lost At Sea January 24, 1942, By Accidental Collision.

Struck From the Navy List January 24, 1942 (??).

ETERNAL PATROL

 Text Photos 46 Submarine Heroes Lost on USS S-26, SS-131.
DISCOVERY MATERIALS

Reference Material

 Text Photos Links Comprehensive History.

Reference Material

 Text Excellent Info on Submarine Acquisition.

Reference Material

 Text Photos Links Mostly a pictorial site.

Reference Material

 Text Fleet Archive List Notes, terms used about submarines.

Of Interest Material

 Panama Canal Zone Map at Lost Paradise

Of Interest Material

 The Submarine Chaser (Patrol Craft) USS PC-460.
P.S. A computer technician inadvertently formatted my C: drive, losing the link to to the photograph. I will continue a search to replace it, and post it on this site when found.
Send me with any comments, questions or any unfound page links.
NOTE: All material on this site (graphics, text, links, references) are from the Public Domain,
and there has been no commercial use of any said material.
This page last revised November 02, 2005, and is hosted by Western Dawn.