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. On 16 October 1918, SM UB-90 was hit by a torpedo from L12 at and sunk. All 38 crew members died in the event.
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 overall, a beam of and a mean draught of .Gardiner & Gray, p. 93 They displaced on the surface and submerged. The L-class submarines had a crew of 38 officers and ratings.Akermann, p. 165
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 12-cylinder VickersHarrison, Chapter 25 diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the L class had a range of at .Harrison, Chapters 3
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.Harrison, Chapter 27 They were also armed with a 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 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.
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