USS S-26 (SS 131) - Seal Beach, CA
Posted by: 
Gryffindor3
N 33° 45.037 W 118° 05.292
11S E 399212 N 3735037
The USS S-26 was sunk by an escort boat in January 1942. A memorial to the crew can be found outside the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach.
Waymark Code: WM698H
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 04/26/2009
Views: 3
The advancement of the submarine is a long and proud chapter in the history of the U.S. Navy. Through the efforts of the California Center for Military History and U.S. Submarine Veterans, a large memorial recognizes the name and crew of each submarine lost in World War II. The "World War II National Submarine Memorial - West" is located just outside the gate to the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach. Bronze plaques identify the officers and men that gave their lives during the war. The plaques surround a central display consisting of a torpedo, flag, and time capsule. Groundbreaking for the memorial took place on January 13, 1977.
(The following is from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Web site; link appears below.)
S-26 (Lieutenant Commander E.C. Hawk) was lost at 2223 on 24 January 1942 in the Gulf of Panama about fourteen miles west of San Jose Light in three hundred feet of water. There were three survivors, two officers including the Commanding Officer, and one enlisted man-all on the bridge at the time of the collision; the fourth person on the bridge, an enlisted man, was lost.
S-26 was proceeding from Balboa, Canal Zone, to its patrol station in company with S-21, S-29 and S-44 and an escort vessel, PC-460, at the time of the disaster. 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. S-21 was the only submarine to receive this message. Shortly there-after PC-460 struck S-26 on the starboard side of the torpedo room and the submarine sank within a few seconds.
Salvage operations started immediately under Captain T.J. Doyle, USN, Commanding Submarine Squadron Three and Submarine Base, Coco Solo, Canal Zone; they were not successful. She had previously made one war patrol but had inflicted no damage on the enemy.
Property Permission: Public
Access instructions: Park in the lot just off the main entrance to the Naval Weapons Station
Access times: From: 12:00 AM To: 11:59 PM
Website for Waymark: [Web Link]
Location of waymark:
800 Seal Beach Boulevard
Seal Beach, CA USA
90740
Commemoration: USS S-26
Date of Dedication: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Include a photo containing, at minimum, the monument and your GPSr. We'd prefer a photo containing YOU at the monument, but we understand that some people are camera-shy.
Also include a bit about your visit here.