1942 — Jan 24, USS S-26 sub accidentally rammed/sunk by PC-460, Gulf of Panama —     46

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 7-5-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  46  Naval History and Heritage Command. S-26 (SS 131). Accessed 7-6-2024.

—  46  US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”

—  46  Wikipedia.  “USS S-26.” 2-24-2024 edit. Accessed 7-6-2024.

Narrative Information

Wikipedia: “USS S-26) (SS-131) was an S-class submarine of the United States Navy. She was lost in a collision with a friendly escort ship in late January 1942….

“On the night of 24 January 1942, S-26 departed the harbor at Balboa, Panama, to begin her second war patrol as part of a division that also included [three other submarines], under escort by the submarine chaser PC-460… All four submarines were on the surface, and all five vessels operated without navigation lights to reduce the chance of detection by enemy forces, with PC-460 steaming 1,500 yards (1,370 m) ahead of the leading submarine, S-21. After the vessels were at sea in the Gulf of Panama [Pacific Ocean], PC-460 made a visual signal at 22:10 to the submarines that she intended to make a wide, 180-degree turn to starboard to return to port and that they could proceed with their assigned duties. Only S-21 received the message. PC-460 then executed her turn, and shortly thereafter encountered S-26, which was running 2,000 yards (1,830 m) behind S-21. The two darkened vessels sighted each other at close range. PC-460 put her engines full astern, but this caused them to fail. Both vessels took evasive action to avoid a collision, but too late, and PC-460 rammed S-26 amidships on her starboard side at 22:23. The impact tore a large hole in S-26′s side and caused her to roll, throwing three of the four men on her bridge overboard. S-26 sank by the bow in less than a minute in 300 feet (91 m) of water about 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) west of San Jose Light.

“S-26′s only survivors were the three men — her commanding officer, executive officer, and a lookout – who went overboard from her bridge. The rest of her crew – three officers and 43 crew members, one of whom also had been on her bridge — were killed. Rescue operations began on the morning of 25 January 1942, with divers making 25 dives to the wreck over the following days in the hope of finding men still alive in S-26′s hull, but they found no signs of life. S-26’s wreck lies upright on the seabed and is a protected war grave.”[1]

Fatalities (Naval History and Heritage Command. S-26 (SS 131).)

* denominates a survivor.

Sources

Naval History and Heritage Command. S-26 (SS 131). Accessed 7-6-2024 at: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/united-states-submarine-losses/s-26-ss-131.html

United States Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. See “Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents and Other Incidents Not Directly the Result of Enemy Action.” Washington, DC: Washington Navy Yard. Accessed at:  http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/NHC/accidents.htm

Wikipedia. “USS S-26.”  Accessed 7-6-2024 at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_S-26

[1] Cites as sources: (1) United States Submarine Losses World War II: S-26 (SS 131). Haval history and Heritage Command. 31 January 2017. (2) Submarine Casualties Booklet. U.S. Naval Submarine School. 1966.