 HMS L12 and H28
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS L12 |
| Builder | Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Laid down | 22 January 1917 |
| Launched | 16 March 1918 |
| Commissioned | 30 June 1918 |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping, 16 February 1932 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | L-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 238 ft 7 in (72.7 m) |
| Beam | 23 ft 6 in (7.2 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft 3 in (4.0 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
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| Range | 3,800 nmi (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface |
| Test depth | 150 feet (45.7 m) |
| Complement | 38 |
| Armament |
|
HMS L12 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was one of five boats in the class to be fitted as a minelayer. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1932.
Design and description
L9 and its successors were enlarged to accommodate 21-inch (53.3 cm) torpedoes and more fuel. The submarine had a length of 238 feet 7 inches (72.7 m) overall, a beam of 23 feet 6 inches (7.2 m) and a mean draft of 13 feet 3 inches (4.0 m). They displaced 914 long tons (929 t) on the surface and 1,089 long tons (1,106 t) submerged. The L-class submarines had a crew of 38 officers and ratings.
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 12-cylinder Vickers 1,200-brake-horsepower (895 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor. They could reach 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) on the surface and 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) underwater. On the surface, the L class had a range of 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).
The boats were armed with four 21-inch torpedo tubes in the bow and two 18-inch (45 cm) in broadside mounts. They carried four reload torpedoes for the 21-inch tubes for a grand total of ten torpedoes of all sizes. They were also armed with a 4-inch (102 mm) deck gun. L12 was fitted with 16 vertical mine chutes in her saddle tanks and carried one mine per chute.
Construction and career
HMS L12 was built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 22 January 1917 and was commissioned on 30 June 1918. The boat collided with the submarine HMS H47 off Milford Haven, Wales on 9 July 1929. She was able to surface and returned to Milford Haven; three sailors died. HMS L12 was sold to John Cashmore Ltd on 16 February 1932 for scrapping at Newport.
Notes
- ^ Gardiner & Gray, p. 93
- ^ Akermann, p. 165
- Harrison, Chapter 25
- Harrison, Chapters 3
- Harrison, Chapter 27
References
- Akermann, Paul (2002). Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955 (reprint of the 1989 ed.). Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing. ISBN 1-904381-05-7.
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) . Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- Harrison, A. N. (January 1979). "The Development of HM Submarines From Holland No. 1 (1901) to Porpoise (1930) (BR3043)". RN Subs. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
| British L-class submarines | |||||||
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 Royal Navy |
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 Soviet Navy |
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| Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1929 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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1928   1930 | |