U-32
Type | VIIA | |||||||
| Ordered | 1 Apr, 1935 | |||||||
| Laid down | 15 Mar, 1936 | AG Weser, Bremen (werk 913) | ||||||
| Launched | 25 Feb, 1937 | |||||||
| Commissioned | 15 Apr, 1937 | Kptlt. Werner Lott | ||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 9 patrols | 15 Apr, 1937 - 31 Aug, 1939 2. Flottille (front boat) 1 Sep, 1939 - 31 Dec, 1939 2. Flottille (front boat) 1 Jan, 1940 - 30 Oct, 1940 2. Flottille (front boat) | ||||||
| Successes | 20 ships sunk for a total of 116.836 GRT 4 ships damaged for a total of 32.274 GRT 1 warship damaged for a total of 8.000 tons | |||||||
| Fate | Sunk 30 Oct, 1940 north-west of Ireland, in position 55.37N, 12.19W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Harvester and HMS Highlander. 9 dead and 33 survivors. | |||||||
See the 25 ships hit by U-32 - View the 9 war patrols
Wolfpack operations
U-32 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Prien (12 Jun, 1940 - 15 Jun, 1940)
Without name (20 Sep, 1940 - 22 Sep, 1940)
General notes on this boat
U-32 sank the largest ship sunk in the U-boat war when she sank the 42,350-ton liner Empress of Britain on 28 Oct, 1940 only 2 days before she herself was sunk.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-32 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
 German U-Boat Losses During World War II Niestle, Axel Buy this title at amazon.co.uk See more sellers |
Books dealing with this subject include: The Floating Inferno, Seamer, Robert, 1990 German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Niestle, Axel, 1998 Single or Return?, Wentzel, Fritz, 1954 (transl.) U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 |
There was another U-32 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 28 Jan, 1914 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 3 Sep, 1914. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 32 during WWI.