SM UC-26 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy () 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."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" () and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine. 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.
Design A Type UC II submarine, UC-26 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a length overall of , a beam of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing (a total of ), two electric motors producing , 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 Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate23 September 1916Prinsessan Ingeborg3,670Damaged30 September 1916Maywood1,188Sunk30 September 1916William George151Sunk1 October 1916Vanellus1,797Sunk1 October 1916Villebois Mareuil32Sunk3 October 1916Ada1,111Sunk4 October 1916Risholm2,550Sunk5 October 1916Isle of Hastings1,575Sunk13 October 1916Mercator2,827Sunk27 October 1916Blanc Nez247Sunk28 October 1916HMHS Galeka6,772Sunk30 October 1916Saint Hubert216Sunk1 November 1916Torpilleur 30099Sunk15 November 1916Saint Leonards4,574Damaged16 November 1916HMT Anthony Hope288Sunk16 November 1916Joachim Brinch Lund1,603Sunk16 November 1916San Nicolao2,697Sunk17 November 1916Monmouth4,078Damaged19 November 1916Finn3,806Sunk21 November 1916Cap Lihou252Sunk22 November 1916Brierton3,255Sunk22 November 1916Trym1,801Sunk23 November 1916Dansted1,499Sunk25 November 1916Alfred De Courcy164Sunk25 November 1916Malvina112Sunk10 December 1916Strathalbyn4,331Sunk28 January 1917Egret4,055Sunk28 January 1917Argo1,261Sunk28 January 1917Heimland I505Sunk7 February 1917Noella277Sunk16 February 19171,200Damaged during ramming10 April 1917HMS P26613Sunk10 April 19177,284Sunk11 April 1917HMT Amy270Sunk11 April 1917Branksome Hall4,262Damaged11 April 1917Duchess of Cornwall1,706Sunk13 April 1917Gambetta39Sunk14 April 1917Tom2,413Sunk18 April 1917Surcouf195Sunk19 April 1917Senator Dantziger164Sunk2 May 1917Certo1,629Sunk2 May 1917555Sunk3 May 1917Ussa2,066Sunk8 May 1917Iris75Sunk
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