History | |
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German Empire | |
Name: | U-32 |
Ordered: | 29 March 1912 |
Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Laid down: | 8 November 1912 |
Launched: | 28 January 1914 |
Commissioned: | 3 September 1914 |
Fate: | Sunk 8 May 1918 north-west of Malta. 41 dead. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | German Type U 31 submarine |
Displacement: |
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Length: |
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Beam: |
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Draught: | 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in) |
Installed power: |
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Propulsion: |
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Speed: |
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Range: |
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Test depth: | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) |
Boats & landing craft carried: |
1 dinghy |
Complement: | 4 officers, 31 enlisted |
Armament: |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: | |
Operations: | 11 patrols |
Victories: |
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SM U-32 was a German Type U 31 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy.
Her construction was ordered on 29 March 1912 and her keel was laid down on 8 November 1912 by Germaniawerft of Kiel. She was launched on 28 January 1914 and commissioned on 3 September 1914 under the command of Edgar von Spiegel von und zu Peckelsheim. On 1 February 1916 Spiegel was relieved by Kurt Hartwig who commanded the boat until 16 February 1918 when Karl Albrecht took over. Albrecht commanded her until her loss.
U-32 conducted 11 patrols, sinking 37 ships totalling 106,034 gross register tons (GRT). On 9 January 1917, to the East of Malta, U-32 sank the British pre-dreadnought HMS Cornwallis, with the loss of 15 lives.
German Type U 31 submarines were double-hulled ocean-going submarines similar to Type 23 and Type 27 subs in dimensions and differed only slightly in propulsion and speed. They were considered very good high sea boats with average manoeuvrability and good surface steering.
U-32 had an overall length of 64.70 m (212 ft 3 in), her pressure hull was 52.36 m (171 ft 9 in) long. The boat's beam was 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a), while the pressure hull measured 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in). Type 31s had a draught of 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in) with a total height of 7.68–8.04 m (25 ft 2 in–26 ft 5 in). The boats displaced a total of 971 tonnes (956 long tons); 685 t (674 long tons) when surfaced and 878 t (864 long tons) when submerged.