Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine 1937

German submarine U-32 (1937)

Type VIIA submarine

German submarine U-32 (1937)
not identified — This photograph HU 1011 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 5003-04) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — 1937 Photograph of German submarine U-32 .

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-3215 April 1937 — 30 October 1940423 days of the war
Type VIIA submarine Particulars
Name
U-32
Pennant / hull number
1937
Builder
DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Ordered
1 April 1935
Laid down
15 March 1936
Launched
25 February 1937
Commissioned
15 April 1937
Fate
Sunk, 30 October 1940 (1940)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
616 long tons (626 t)
Displacement, submerged
733 long tons (745 t)
Length
64.51 m (211.6 ft) OA
Beam
5.85 m (19.2 ft)
Draught
4.37 m (14.3 ft)
Speed
17 knots (31.5 km/h, 19.6 mph)
Range
6,200 nmi (11,482 km)
Main gun
88 mm (3.5 in)

U-32 was a Type VIIA submarine of the Kriegsmarine. She carried the pennant number 1937. DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen laid her keel on 15 March 1936. She entered service on 15 April 1937, having been launched on 25 February 1937.

21 ships of the class were built. The class followed the Type UB III, Vetehinen class and was succeeded by the Type XXI (Late-war replacement).

The boat displaced 616 long tons surfaced and 733 long tons submerged. She measured 64.5 m (212 ft) long with a beam of 5.8 m (19 ft). Her designed speed was 17 knots.

Her main battery was one 88 mm (3.5 in) guns.

She was in commission for 423 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 30 October 1940, at 55°37′N 12°19′W. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts
  • 2 × diesel engines
  • 2 × electric motors
Power
  • 2100 - 2310 PS (diesels)
  • 750 PS (electric)
Armament
  • 5 × 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
  • 11 × torpedoes or 22 TMA mines
  • 1 × 8.8 cm deck gun (220 rounds)
  • 1 × 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft gun

Sister ships

Sources

  • Facts harvested from German submarine U-32 (1937) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: not identified — This photograph HU 1011 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 5003-04) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons