SM U-12 (Germany)

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-12.

SM U-12 with seaplane on deck
SM U-12 with seaplane on deck
History
German Empire
NameU-12
Ordered15 July 1908
BuilderKaiserliche Werft Danzig
Cost2,140,000 Goldmark
Yard number7
Launched6 May 1910
Commissioned13 August 1911
FateSunk 10 March 1915 off Eyemouth, Scotland
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeGerman Type U 9 submarine
Displacement
  • 493 t (485 long tons) surfaced
  • 611 t (601 long tons) submerged
Length57.38 m (188 ft 3 in)
Beam6 m (19 ft 8 in)
Draught3.13 m (10 ft 3 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × Körting 6-cylinder and 2 × Körting 8-cylinder two stroke paraffin motors with 900 PS (660 kW; 890 shp)
  • 2 × SSW electric motors with 1,040 PS (760 kW; 1,030 shp)
  • 550 rpm surfaced
  • 600 rpm submerged
Propulsion2 shafts
Speed
  • 14.2 knots (26.3 km/h; 16.3 mph) surfaced
  • 8.1 knots (15.0 km/h; 9.3 mph) submerged
Range1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 dingi
Complement4 officers, 25 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • I Flotilla
  • 1 August 1914 – 10 March 1915
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Walter Forstmann[2]
  • 1 August 1914 – 9 February 1915
  • Kptlt. Hans Kratzsch[3]
  • 10 February 1915 – 10 March 1915
Operations: 4 patrols
Victories:
  • 1 merchant ship sunk
    (1,005 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (810 tons)
Submarine U-12 on left

SM U-12 was a German submarine, built in 1911 and sunk off Scotland in 1915. It was the first submarine to launch a plane at sea. U-12 was a Type U 9 U-boat built for the Imperial German Navy. Her construction was ordered on 15 July 1908 and her keel was laid down by Kaiserliche Werft in Danzig. She was launched on 6 May 1910 and commissioned on 13 August 1911.

The German Empire was the first nation to experiment with submarine aircraft carriers. Oberleutnant zur See Friedrich von Arnauld de la Perière of the Naval Air Service and U-12's Kapitanleutnant Walther Forstmann theorised that they could increase the range of their seaplanes by carrying the aircraft out to sea on the deck of submarine and launching the seaplanes after the sub partially submerged, allowing the plane to float off.

  1. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 4–6.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Forstmann (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Kratzsch". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 April 2016.