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USS S-26 Discovered WWII US Submarine Casualty
36 sailors were trapped for days and waited for a rescue that never came…
They remain entombed on the ocean floor as we mark the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the USS S-26. We honor the memory, heroic efforts and sacrifices made by the servicemen and the families of the S-26.
They remain entombed on the ocean floor as we mark the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the USS S-26. We honor the memory, heroic efforts and sacrifices made by the servicemen and the families of the S-26.
New York City: January 24th, 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the first US Submarine to sink in WWII. On the 24th of January 1942 the USS S-26 (SS-131) was proceeding from Pacific Panama Canal Zone to its patrol station in company of submarines S-21, S-29, S-44 and the escort vessel, the 154’ long PC-460. At 2210 the escort vessel sent a visual message to the submarines that she was leaving the formation and that they could proceed on the duty assigned. The S-21 was the only submarine to receive this message. Shortly there-after PC-460 mistook submarine USS S-26 (SS-131) at night for a German U-boat and rammed her on the starboard side of the torpedo room and the submarine sank within a few seconds.
The sinking of the USS S-26 and her crew of 46 is a story of survival and ultimate tragedy. Thirty -Six brave men of the S-26 survived the initial sinking of their submarine and hoped that they would be rescued before time ran out. A message was sent up by trapped sailors stating that they were trapped inside the three middle compartments. The men sat for days in their “ocean coffin" waiting for a rescue that never came.
A team led by award winning Ocean Explorer and Explorers Club Fellow Tim Taylor have made their second discovery of a lost US WWII Submarine. The USS S-26 is the 8th of wars 52 missing US Submarines. The USS S-26 rests in deep water in the Pacific Ocean.
The sinking of the USS S-26 and her crew of 46 is a story of survival and ultimate tragedy. Thirty -Six brave men of the S-26 survived the initial sinking of their submarine and hoped that they would be rescued before time ran out. A message was sent up by trapped sailors stating that they were trapped inside the three middle compartments. The men sat for days in their “ocean coffin" waiting for a rescue that never came.
A team led by award winning Ocean Explorer and Explorers Club Fellow Tim Taylor have made their second discovery of a lost US WWII Submarine. The USS S-26 is the 8th of wars 52 missing US Submarines. The USS S-26 rests in deep water in the Pacific Ocean.
USS S-26 Crew Page |
USS S-26 Survivors
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Deck Gun
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Hull Damage by Collision
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Conning Tower
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SPECIAL THANKS:
Expedition support and team members Bob and Sandy Giles, Steven Van Meter and Video Ray ROV www.videoray.com systems.
Expedition support and team members Bob and Sandy Giles, Steven Van Meter and Video Ray ROV www.videoray.com systems.
