K26 reached a position from which it could have fired at Hood from about 3,500 yards. The submarine did not attack because its orders prioritized the enemy battle fleet. It then had to dive to eighty feet as Hood closed and took no further part in the exercise. The episode exposed the cost of rigid target priorities when an unexpected high-value opportunity appeared, while also showing the discipline required to pursue an assigned fleet objective. The claimed destruction of Hood was an exercise judgment, so it illustrates the command decision and lost opportunity without establishing a certain combat result.
Notable Point · 53:41-55:05
K26 obeyed its target priority and passed up Hood
OA's most striking command problem came when K26 declined a close shot at Hood because its assigned objective was the enemy battle fleet.