Russian submarine AG-12

The Russian submarine AG-12 was an AG-class submarine, designed by the American Holland Torpedo Boat Company/Electric Boat Company, built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. The submarine was fabricated in Canada, shipped to Russia and reassembled for service with the Baltic Fleet. She was scuttled by the Russians at Hanko in April 1918.

Attempts were made by the Finns to salvage the vessel: She was raised in 1918 and transferred to Turku for repair, but this proved too costly and she was scrapped.

Description
AG-12 was a single-hulled submarine, with a pressure hull divided into five watertight compartments. The submarine had a length of 150 ft overall, a beam of 16 ft and a draft of 12 ft. She displaced 355 LT on the surface and 433 LT submerged. The AG-class submarines had a diving depth of 164 ft and a crew of 30 officers and enlisted men.

The submarine had two 3-bladed propellers, each of which was driven by a 480 hp diesel engine as well as a 640 hp electric motors. This arrangement gave AG-22 a maximum speed of 13 kn while surfaced and 10.5 kn submerged. She had a range of 1750 nmi at 7 kn while on the surface and 25 nmi at 3 kn while submerged. Her fuel capacity was 16.5 LT of fuel oil.

The AG-class submarines were equipped with four 18 in torpedo tubes in the bow and carried eight torpedoes. For surface combat they had one 47 mm deck gun.

Construction and service
The Holland 602 design was widely exported during World War I and the Imperial Russian Navy ordered a total of 17, in three batches, of a version known as the American Holland-class (AG in Russian for Amerikansky Golland (American Holland)). The submarines were to be built in Canada as knock-down kits for assembly in Russia.

Components for the first batch of five submarines were assembled in Barnet, near Vancouver, Canada, and shipped to Vladivostok. There they were loaded onto the Trans-Siberian Railroad and transported to Saint Petersburg where they were assembled by the Baltic Works by June 1916. During World War I Russian and British submarines operated from bases in Finland. The Russian submarines of Holland type (AG-11, AG-12, AG-15 and AG-16) were scuttled in the harbor of Hanko on 3 April 1918 just prior to the German landing there. AG-12 and AG-16 seemed to be in relatively good shape and the Finns decided to salvage them. The submarine was transferred to Ab Vulcan shipyard in Turku for repairs, although it proved to be hopeless, and she was soon scrapped.