German destroyer Z32

History

Nazi Germany
Name:	Z32
Ordered:	19 September 1939
Builder:	AG Weser (Deschimag), Bremen
Laid down:	1 November 1940
Launched:	15 August 1941
Completed:	15 September 1942
Fate:	Ran aground 9 June 1944
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer
Displacement:	2,645 t (2,603 long tons) (standard) 3,655 t (3,597 long tons) full load
Length:	127 m (416 ft 8 in) o/a
Beam:	12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draft:	4.62 m (15 ft 2 in)
Installed power:	70,000 shp (52,000 kW) 6 × water-tube boilers
Propulsion:	2 × shafts 2 × geared steam turbine sets
Speed:	38.5 kn (71.3 km/h; 44.3 mph)
Range:	2,239 nmi (4,147 km; 2,577 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement:	321
Armament:	5 × 15 cm (5.9 in) guns (1 × 2 and 3 × 1) 2 × twin 3.7 cm (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns 9 × 2 cm (0.8 in) (1 × 4 and 5 × 1) AA guns 2 × quadruple 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 60 mines

Z32 was a German Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer, which was completed in 1942 and served with the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. She mainly operated from German occupied French Atlantic ports, escorting blockade runners and U-boats, and was sunk during the Battle of Ushant on 9 June 1944.

On 28 June 1939, orders for nine destroyers (Z31–Z39) of the new Type 1938B class were placed, with a further three destroyers of the class being ordered in July. The Type 1938B were relatively small destroyers compared with the preceding Type 1936 and 1936A ships, to be armed with four 127mm (5 in) guns in two twin turrets, and designed for long range. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, however, orders for the Type 1938B destroyers were cancelled, with a reversion to a slightly modified version of the previous Type 1936A class, the Type 1936A (Mob) class. Four destroyers (Z31–Z34) were re-ordered from the Deschimag consortium to be built at the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen on that day, with a further three ships (Z37–Z39) ordered from the Germaniawerft yard.Z32 was laid down on 1 November 1940 (with the yard number 1002), launched on 15 August 1941 and commissioned on 15 September 1942.

Z32 was 127.0 metres (416 ft 8 in) long overall and 121.9 metres (399 ft 11 in) at the waterline, with a beam of 12.0 metres (39.4 ft) and a draught of 3.92–4.62 metres (12 ft 10 in–15 ft 2 in) depending on displacement.Displacement was 2,645 tonnes (2,603 long tons) standard and 3,655 tonnes (3,597 long tons) full load. The ship's machinery consisted of six Wagner boilers feeding high-pressure superheated steam (at 70 atm (1,029 psi; 7,093 kPa) and 450 °C (842 °F)) to 2 sets of Wagner geared steam turbines. Rated power was 70,000 shaft horsepower (52,000 kW), giving a speed of 38.5 knots (71.3 km/h; 44.3 mph). Range was 2,239 nautical miles (4,147 km; 2,577 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). The ship had a complement of 321 officers and ratings.

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