HMS C26 was a British C-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 14 February 1908, launched on 20 March 1909, and commissioned on 28 May 1909.
Specifications
- Class: C-class submarine
- Length: 142 ft 3 in (43.4 m)
- Displacement: 290 tons surfaced; 320 tons submerged
- Crew: 2 officers and 14 ratings
- Propulsion: One Vickers petrol engine and one electric motor
- Speed: 13 knots surfaced; 8 knots submerged
- Armament: 2 × 18-inch bow torpedo tubes
Service History
HMS C26 served with the Baltic submarine force from 1915 to 1918, operating alongside British E-class submarines against German naval forces during the First World War. The submarine was one of four C-class boats transported to the Baltic by a complex route through northern Russia to reinforce British operations there.
In June 1909, shortly after commissioning, C26 suffered a petrol explosion while travelling north in the North Sea. Several men were injured, but the boat survived and was repaired.
Fate
As German forces advanced into Finland in 1918, HMS C26 was deliberately scuttled off Helsinki on 4 April 1918 to prevent capture. The wreck remained on the seabed until it was salvaged in August 1953 and subsequently broken up in Finland.
Commanders Known to Have Served in C26
- Lieutenant E. B. Todd (1916)
- Lieutenant Hugh Staunton Hornby (1916)
- Lieutenant Downie (1917)
Interestingly, HMS C26 and HMS C35 shared a very similar fate, both serving in the Baltic and being scuttled near Helsinki in 1918 to avoid capture by advancing German forces.