SM U-32 (Germany)

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SM U-32 was a German Type U 31 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy.

Cornwallis sinking in the Mediterranean Sea on 9 January 1917 after being torpedoed by U-32.

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 merchant ships totalling Template:GRT and one warship for 14,000 tons. On 9 January 1917, to the East of Malta, U-32 sank the British pre-dreadnought battleship Template:HMS, with the loss of 15 lives.

Design

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.Template:Sfn

U-32 had an overall length of Template:Convert, her pressure hull was Template:Convert long. The boat's beam was Template:Convert (o/a), while the pressure hull measured Template:Convert. Type 31s had a draught of Template:Convert with a total height of Template:Convert. The boats displaced a total of Template:Convert; Template:Convert when surfaced and Template:Convert when submerged.Template:Sfn

U-32 was fitted with two Germania 6-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines with a total of Template:Convert for use on the surface and two Siemens-Schuckert double-acting electric motors with a total of Template:Convert for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts each with a Template:Convert propeller, which gave the boat a top surface speed of Template:Convert, and Template:Convert when submerged. Cruising range was Template:Convert at Template:Convert on the surface, and Template:Convert at Template:Convert under water. Diving depth was Template:Convert.Template:Sfn

The U-boat was armed with four Template:Convert torpedo tubes, two fitted in the bow and two in the stern, and carried 6 torpedoes. Additionally U-32 was equipped in 1915 with two [[8.8 cm SK L/30 naval gun|Template:Convert Uk L/30]] deck guns. The boat's complement was 4 officers and 31 enlisted.Template:Sfn

Fate

Template:Location map On 8 May 1918 north-west of Malta she was shelled and then depth charged by Template:HMS and sunk with all hands, 41 dead.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage<ref group=Note name=tonnage>Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.</ref>	Fate<ref>Template:Cite Uboat.net</ref>
8 April 1915	Chateaubriand	Template:Flag	2,247	Sunk
11 April 1915	Wayfarer	Template:Flag	9,599	Damaged
22 June 1915	Kiew	Template:Flag	1,115	Captured as prize
4 March 1916	Teutonian	Template:Flag	4,824	Sunk
5 March 1916	Rothesay	Template:Flag	2,007	Sunk
6 March 1916	Trois Freres	Template:Flag	107	Sunk
7 March 1916	Ville Du Havre	Template:Flag	3,109	Sunk
18 October 1916	Athene	Template:Flag	1,847	Sunk
30 October 1916	Marquis Bacquehem	Template:Flag	4,396	Sunk
30 October 1916	Vertunno	Template:Flag	3,239	Sunk
27 November 1916	City of Birmingham	Template:Flag	7,498	Sunk
27 November 1916	Karnak	Template:Flag	6,816	Sunk
30 November 1916	S. Antonio	Template:Flag	611	Sunk
1 December 1916	Cuore Di Gesu	Template:Flag	199	Sunk
1 December 1916	Lampo	Template:Flag	59	Sunk
2 December 1916	Angela Madre G.	Template:Flag	155	Sunk
3 December 1916	Lucellum	Template:Flag	5,184	Damaged
6 December 1916	Campania	Template:Flag	4,297	Sunk
8 December 1916	Carmelina Dominici	Template:Flag	94	Sunk
12 December 1916	Saint Ursula	Template:Flag	5,011	Sunk
7 January 1917	Rosalia L.	Template:Flag	7,186	Sunk
9 January 1917	Template:HMS	Template:Navy	14,000	Sunk
10 April 1917	Porto Di Rodi	Template:Flag	2,480	Sunk
12 April 1917	Kildale	Template:Flag	3,830	Sunk
17 April 1917	Costante	Template:Flag	3,479	Sunk
18 April 1917	Rinaldo	Template:Flag	4,321	Sunk
21 April 1917	Giosue	Template:Flag	140	Sunk
12 May 1917	Locksley Hall	Template:Flag	3,635	Sunk
24 May 1917	Biarritz	Template:Flag	2,758	Sunk
16 July 1917	Khephren	Template:Flag	2,774	Sunk
16 July 1917	Porto Di Adalia	Template:Flag	4,073	Sunk
17 July 1917	Virent	Template:Flag	3,771	Damaged
19 July 1917	Varvara	Template:Flag	1,316	Sunk
20 September 1917	Kurdistan	Template:Flag	3,720	Sunk
22 September 1917	Caroline	Template:Flag	107	Sunk
24 September 1917	Iriston	Template:Flag	3,221	Sunk
29 September 1917	Sanwen	Template:Flag	3,689	Sunk
4 October 1917	Constantinos Embiricos	Template:Flag	2,611	Sunk
4 October 1917	Nicolaos Roussos	Template:Flag	2,421	Sunk
10 October 1917	Transporteur	Template:Flag	1,812	Sunk
21 April 1918	Bellview	Template:Flag	3,567	Sunk
1 May 1918	Era	Template:Flag	2,379	Sunk

See also

• Room 40

Bibliography

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External links

• Photos of cruises of German submarine U-54 in 1916-1918. Great photo quality, comments in German.
• A 44 min. film from 1917 about a cruise of the German submarine U-35. A German propaganda film without dead or wounded; many details about submarine warfare in World War I.
• Template:Cite Uboat.net
• Room 40: Template:Webarchive original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British Room 40 Intelligence from The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, UK.