SM U-32 (Germany)

History
German Empire
Name	U-32
Ordered	29 March 1912
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	192
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	Type U 31 submarine
Displacement	685 t (674 long tons) (surfaced) 878 t (864 long tons) (submerged)
Length	64.70 m (212 ft 3 in) (o/a) 52.36 m (171 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Beam	6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a) 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Draught	3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power	2 × 1,850 PS (1,361 kW; 1,825 shp) diesel engines 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) Doppelmodyn
Propulsion	2 × shafts 2 × 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed	16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph) (surfaced) 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) (submerged)
Range	8,790 nmi (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced) 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Test depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing craft carried	1 dinghy
Complement	4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament	four 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes (2 each bow and stern) 6 torpedoes two 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck guns
Service record
Part of:	IV Flotilla 3 September 1914 – 8 November 1916 Pola / Mittelmeer Flotilla 8 November 1916 – 8 May 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Edgar von Spiegel von und zu Peckelsheim[1] 3 September 1914 - 17 March 1916 Kptlt. Kurt Hartwig[2] 18 March 1916 - 15 February 1918 Kptlt. Kurt Albrecht[3] 16 February - 8 May 1918
Operations:	11 patrols
Victories:	37 merchant ships sunk (106,035 GRT) 1 warship sunk (14,000 tons) 3 merchant ships damaged (18,554 GRT) 1 merchant ship taken as prize (1,115 GRT)

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 merchant ships totalling 106,035 gross register tons (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 HMS Cornwallis, with the loss of 15 lives.