*British, Inter-war, HM Submarine K26 – Original Photograph*
Original Photograph Inter-War Submarine K26. This photograph originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007.
Approximate Dimensions: 20.4cm x 12.9cm
HMS K26 was the only modified K-class submarine completed for the Royal Navy. Ordered in June 1918 along with five sister boats, only K26 was finished—launched in August 1919, towed to Chatham in 1920, and completed in June 1923—while the others were cancelled on 26 November 1918.
Improved over earlier K-boats, K26 featured a modified swan bow, repositioned hydroplanes (reducing surface speed by about 0.5 knots), and a lengthened hull to accommodate six 21-inch bow torpedo tubes (in place of the standard four) while retaining four 18-inch beam tubes. Her superstructure was enhanced to protect the funnels, and she carried 300 tons of fuel oil for a greater range, with improved ballast tanks cutting her dive time to 3 minutes 12 seconds to 80 feet and increasing her maximum depth to 250 feet.
In 1924, K26 embarked on a high-profile voyage via Gibraltar, Malta, the Suez Canal, to Colombo and Singapore, and back. She was decommissioned in April 1931 for exceeding London Naval Treaty displacement limits and scrapped shortly thereafter, marking the last steam-powered submarine built until the USS Nautilus in 1954.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
RQMAOXAH_1311194911
