SM U-32 was a German Type U 31 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy.
thumb|300px|right|[[HMS Cornwallis (1901)|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 and one warship for 14,000 tons. On 9 January 1917, to the East of Malta, U-32 sank the British pre-dreadnought battleship , 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.
U-32 had an overall length of , her pressure hull was long. The boat's beam was (o/a), while the pressure hull measured . Type 31s had a draught of with a total height of . The boats displaced a total of ; when surfaced and when submerged.
U-32 was fitted with two Germania 6-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines with a total of for use on the surface and two Siemens-Schuckert double-acting electric motors with a total of for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts each with a propeller, which gave the boat a top surface speed of , and when submerged. Cruising range was at on the surface, and at under water. Diving depth was .
The U-boat was armed with four 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 Uk L/30 deck guns.
The boat's complement was 4 officers and 31 enlisted.
Fate
On 8 May 1918 north-west of Malta she was shelled and then depth charged by and sunk with all hands, 41 dead.
Summary of raiding history
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! width="140px"|Date
! width="180px"|Name
! width="160px"|Nationality
! width="25px" |Tonnage
! width="160px"|Fate
|-
|align="right"|8 April 1915
|align="left" |Chateaubriand
|align="left" |
|align="right"|2,247
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|11 April 1915
|align="left" |Wayfarer
|align="left" |
|align="right"|9,599
|align="left" |Damaged
|-
|align="right"|22 June 1915
|align="left" |Kiew
|align="left" |
|align="right"|1,115
|align="left" |Captured as prize
|-
|align="right"|4 March 1916
|align="left" |Teutonian
|align="left" |
|align="right"|4,824
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|5 March 1916
|align="left" |Rothesay
|align="left" |
|align="right"|2,007
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|6 March 1916
|align="left" |Trois Freres
|align="left" |
|align="right"|107
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|7 March 1916
|align="left" |Ville Du Havre
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,109
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|18 October 1916
|align="left" |Athene
|align="left" |
|align="right"|1,847
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|30 October 1916
|align="left" |Marquis Bacquehem
|align="left" |
|align="right"|4,396
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|30 October 1916
|align="left" |Vertunno
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,239
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|27 November 1916
|align="left" |City of Birmingham
|align="left" |
|align="right"|7,498
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|27 November 1916
|align="left" |Karnak
|align="left" |
|align="right"|6,816
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|30 November 1916
|align="left" |S. Antonio
|align="left" |
|align="right"|611
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|1 December 1916
|align="left" |Cuore Di Gesu
|align="left" |
|align="right"|199
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|1 December 1916
|align="left" |Lampo
|align="left" |
|align="right"|59
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|2 December 1916
|align="left" |Angela Madre G.
|align="left" |
|align="right"|155
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|3 December 1916
|align="left" |Lucellum
|align="left" |
|align="right"|5,184
|align="left" |Damaged
|-
|align="right"|6 December 1916
|align="left" |Campania
|align="left" |
|align="right"|4,297
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|8 December 1916
|align="left" |Carmelina Dominici
|align="left" |
|align="right"|94
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|12 December 1916
|align="left" |Saint Ursula
|align="left" |
|align="right"|5,011
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|7 January 1917
|align="left" |Rosalia L.
|align="left" |
|align="right"|7,186
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|9 January 1917
|align="left" |
|align="left" |
|align="right"|14,000
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|10 April 1917
|align="left" |Porto Di Rodi
|align="left" |
|align="right"|2,480
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|12 April 1917
|align="left" |Kildale
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,830
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|17 April 1917
|align="left" |Costante
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,479
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|18 April 1917
|align="left" |Rinaldo
|align="left" |
|align="right"|4,321
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|21 April 1917
|align="left" |Giosue
|align="left" |
|align="right"|140
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|12 May 1917
|align="left" |Locksley Hall
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,635
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|24 May 1917
|align="left" |Biarritz
|align="left" |
|align="right"|2,758
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|16 July 1917
|align="left" |Khephren
|align="left" |
|align="right"|2,774
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|16 July 1917
|align="left" |Porto Di Adalia
|align="left" |
|align="right"|4,073
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|17 July 1917
|align="left" |Virent
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,771
|align="left" |Damaged
|-
|align="right"|19 July 1917
|align="left" |Varvara
|align="left" |
|align="right"|1,316
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|20 September 1917
|align="left" |Kurdistan
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,720
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|22 September 1917
|align="left" |Caroline
|align="left" |
|align="right"|107
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|24 September 1917
|align="left" |Iriston
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,221
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|29 September 1917
|align="left" |Sanwen
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,689
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|4 October 1917
|align="left" |Constantinos Embiricos
|align="left" |
|align="right"|2,611
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|4 October 1917
|align="left" |Nicolaos Roussos
|align="left" |
|align="right"|2,421
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|10 October 1917
|align="left" |Transporteur
|align="left" |
|align="right"|1,812
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|21 April 1918
|align="left" |Bellview
|align="left" |
|align="right"|3,567
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|1 May 1918
|align="left" |Era
|align="left" |
|align="right"|2,379
|align="left" |Sunk
|}
Original documents from Room 40
See also
- Room 40
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
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.
- Room 40: original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British Room 40 Intelligence from The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, UK.