SM UC-26 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (de|Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 22 June 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 July 1916 as SM UC-26.[1] In nine patrols UC-26 was credited with sinking 39 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. On 16 February 1917, SM UC-26 was rammed by the Royal Naval vessel Mona's Queen (with over 1,000 troops embarked) near Le Harve. The submarine was hit by the port paddlebox of the Mona's Queen, with her steel paddle floats severely damaging the submarine's bow. UC-26 was ultimately rammed and sunk by off Calais on 8 May 1917.
A Type UC II submarine, UC-26 had a displacement of 400t when at the surface and 480t while submerged. She had a length overall of 49.45m (162.24feet), a beam of 5.22m (17.13feet), and a draught of 3.650NaN0. The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 250PS (a total of 500PS), two electric motors producing 460PS, and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . UC-26 was fitted with six mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8sp=usNaNsp=us Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[2] | Fate[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 September 1916 | Prinsessan Ingeborg |  | 3,670 | Damaged | |
| 30 September 1916 | Maywood |  | 1,188 | Sunk | |
| 30 September 1916 | William George | | 151 | Sunk | |
| 1 October 1916 | Vanellus | | 1,797 | Sunk | |
| 1 October 1916 | Villebois Mareuil |  | 32 | Sunk | |
| 3 October 1916 | Ada |  | 1,111 | Sunk | |
| 4 October 1916 | Risholm | | 2,550 | Sunk | |
| 5 October 1916 | Isle of Hastings | | 1,575 | Sunk | |
| 13 October 1916 | Mercator |  | 2,827 | Sunk | |
| 27 October 1916 | Blanc Nez | 247 | Sunk | ||
| 28 October 1916 | HMHS Galeka | 6,772 | Sunk | ||
| 30 October 1916 | Saint Hubert | 216 | Sunk | ||
| 1 November 1916 | Torpilleur 300 | 99 | Sunk | ||
| 15 November 1916 | Saint Leonards | | 4,574 | Damaged | |
| 16 November 1916 | HMT Anthony Hope | 288 | Sunk | ||
| 16 November 1916 | Joachim Brinch Lund | | 1,603 | Sunk | |
| 16 November 1916 | San Nicolao |  | 2,697 | Sunk | |
| 17 November 1916 | Monmouth | | 4,078 | Damaged | |
| 19 November 1916 | Finn | | 3,806 | Sunk | |
| 21 November 1916 | Cap Lihou | | 252 | Sunk | |
| 22 November 1916 | Brierton | | 3,255 | Sunk | |
| 22 November 1916 | Trym | | 1,801 | Sunk | |
| 23 November 1916 | Dansted |  | 1,499 | Sunk | |
| 25 November 1916 | Alfred De Courcy | | 164 | Sunk | |
| 25 November 1916 | Malvina | | 112 | Sunk | |
| 10 December 1916 | Strathalbyn | | 4,331 | Sunk | |
| 28 January 1917 | Egret | 4,055 | Sunk | ||
| 28 January 1917 | Argo | | 1,261 | Sunk | |
| 28 January 1917 | Heimland I | | 505 | Sunk | |
| 7 February 1917 | Noella | 277 | Sunk | ||
| 16 February 1917 | 1,200 | Damaged during ramming | |||
| 10 April 1917 | HMS P26 | 613 | Sunk | ||
| 10 April 1917 | 7,284 | Sunk | |||
| 11 April 1917 | HMT Amy | 270 | Sunk | ||
| 11 April 1917 | Branksome Hall | | 4,262 | Damaged | |
| 11 April 1917 | Duchess of Cornwall | | 1,706 | Sunk | |
| 13 April 1917 | Gambetta | | 39 | Sunk | |
| 14 April 1917 | Tom |  | 2,413 | Sunk | |
| 18 April 1917 | Surcouf | | 195 | Sunk | |
| 19 April 1917 | Senator Dantziger | | 164 | Sunk | |
| 2 May 1917 | Certo | | 1,629 | Sunk | |
| 2 May 1917 | 555 | Sunk | |||
| 3 May 1917 | Ussa | | 2,066 | Sunk | |
| 8 May 1917 | Iris | | 75 | Sunk |