A starboard bow view of the submarine E26 (1915) berthed outboard of the submarines E53 (1916) and D1 (1908) alongside the depot ship Maidstone (1912) at Harwich Navyard in the period 25 March 1916 to 25 April 1916. These boats are all members of the 8th Submarine Flotilla which was based at Harwich throughout the First World War. The D1 (1908) does not have a gun but the other two boats are each equipped with a 12 pounder gun on a semi-disappearing mount forward of the conning tower. In the E26 (1915) the gun is seen in its fully stowed position but in E53 (1916) the side screens are lowered. The E26 (1915) had a relatively short active career, being lost only six months after completion.