SM UC-12

History
German Empire
Name	UC-12
Ordered	23 November 1914
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	226
Laid down	27 January 1915
Launched	29 April 1915
Commissioned	2 May 1915
Fate	sunk by own mine, 16 March 1916
General characteristics
Class and type	German Type UC I submarine
Displacement	list error: <br /> list (help); 168 t (165 long tons), surfaced; 182 t (179 long tons), submerged
Length	33.99 m (111 ft 6 in)
Beam	3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft	3.06 m (10 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	list error: <br /> list (help); 1 × propeller shaft; 1 × Benz 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engine, 90 bhp (67 kW); 1 × electric motor, 175 shp (130 kW)
Speed	list error: <br /> list (help); 6.49 knots (12.02 km/h; 7.47 mph), surfaced; 5.67 knots (10.50 km/h; 6.52 mph), submerged
Range	list error: <br /> list (help); 910 nmi (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced; 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	14
Armament	list error: <br /> list (help); 6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes; 12 × UC 120 mines; 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record
Part of:	list error: <br /> list (help); Pola Flotilla; 27 June 1915 – 16 March 1916
Commanders:	list error: <br /> list (help); Oblt.z.S. Cäsar Bauer; 2 May – 26 June 1915; Kptlt. Karl Palis; 27 June 1915 – 1 January 1916; Oblt.z.S. Eberhard Fröhner; 2 January – 16 March 1916;
Operations:	7 patrols
Victories:	6 warships sunk (3,289 tons)

SM UC-12 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I.

Construction

The U-boat was ordered on 23 November 1914, laid down on 27 January 1915, and was launched on 29 April 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 2 May 1915 as SM UC-12.^{[Note 1]}

Service history

UC-12 served with the Pola Flotilla based at Cattaro in the Adriatic. She operated as a minelayer, and undertook seven patrols in this role. Mines laid by UC-12 were credited with sinking six ships. One of these, the Italian Marechiaro sunk on 21 February 1916, was listed as a hospital ship and sank with over 200 casualties.^[7] Since Germany was not at war with Italy at this stage, though Austria was, UC 12, like other German U-boats in the Mediterranean, operated under the Austro-Hungarian flag.

Fate

On 16 March 1916 UC-12 was sunk by the detonation of one of her own mines while laying a mine fields off Taranto harbour. Italian divers inspected the wreck and established its identity. The knowledge that Germany, technically their ally, was assiduously mining their naval bases was a contributing factor in Italy’s decision in May 1916 to declare war on Germany.^[8] The submarine was raised by Italy and commissioned as X-1 in the Italian Royal Navy.^[1]

Summary of raiding career

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[9]
16 February 1916	Memphis	French Navy	2,382	Sunk
21 February 1916	Marechiaro	Regia Marina	412	Sunk
23 February 1916	Monsone	Regia Marina	249	Sunk
26 February 1916	HMD Lily Reaich	Royal Navy	88	Sunk
3 March 1916	HMD Boy Harold	Royal Navy	74	Sunk
8 March 1916	HMD Enterprise II	Royal Navy	84	Sunk

Notes

^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (Template:Lang-en) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC-12". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Tarrant, p. 173.
^ Gröner 1985, p. 57.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Cäsar Bauer". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Karl Palis". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Eberhard Fröhner". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Marechiaro". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
^ Kemp p 17
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC-12". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

Bibliography

Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
Gröner, Erich (1985). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher (in German). Vol. III. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-4802-4. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Paul Kemp ( 1997): U-Boats Destroyed . ISBN 1-85409-515-3
Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.

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[7] "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (Template:Lang-en) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.

[UC-12-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC-12". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.

[Tarrant-173-2] Tarrant, p. 173.

[FOOTNOTEGröner198557-3] Gröner 1985, p. 57.

[4] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Cäsar Bauer". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

[5] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Karl Palis". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

[6] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Eberhard Fröhner". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

[8] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Marechiaro". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.

[9] Kemp p 17

[10] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC-12". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

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