List of all U-boats

U-432

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered23 Sep 1939
Laid down14 Jan 1940 F Schichau GmbH, Danzig (werk 1473)
Launched3 Feb 1941
Commissioned26 Apr 1941Oblt. Heinz-Otto Schultze (Knights Cross)
Commanders
26 Apr 1941 - 15 Jan 1943  Kptlt. Heinz-Otto Schultze (Knights Cross)
16 Jan 1943 - 11 Mar 1943  Kptlt. Hermann Eckhardt
Career
8 patrols
26 Apr 1941-1 Aug 1941  3. Flottille (training)
1 Aug 1941-11 Mar 1943  3. Flottille (active service)
Successes20 ships sunk, total tonnage 67,991 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,340 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 15,666 GRT
Fate

Sunk on 11 March 1943 in the North Atlantic west of Ireland, in position 51.35N, 28.20W, by depth charges and gunfire from the Free French corvette Aconit. 26 dead and 20 survivors.

Loss position

See the 23 ships hit by U-432 - View the 8 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-432 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Markgraf (28 Aug 1941 - 14 Sep 1941)
   Reissewolf (21 Oct 1941 - 28 Oct 1941)
   Pfadfinder (21 May 1942 - 27 May 1942)
   Lohs (23 Aug 1942 - 22 Sep 1942)
   Sturmbock (23 Feb 1943 - 26 Feb 1943)
   Wildfang (26 Feb 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Westmark (6 Mar 1943 - 11 Mar 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

17 Oct 1941
At 05.30 hrs the boat was sighted by HMS Broadwater off the port beam of convoy SC 48. The destroyers forward gun was inoperable due to weather damage and the starboard 4in gun jammed when firing a star shell, so she tried to ram U-432, which turned inside the destroyers radius, and then quickly dived after attempting to escape at full speed on the surface. HMS Broadwater immediately launched a pattern of five depth charges. Although two jammed on the rails, the other three temporarily disabled the rudder controls and the electric motors, forcing the boat down from a depth of 45 metres to 70 m (230 ft). Although Broadwater then lost Asdic contact, HMS Abelia made contact 30 minutes later, and after dropping five depth charges reported oil on the surface at 08.03 hrs. She then dropped two patterns of five and eight depth charges at 08.34 and 08.43 hrs. It is also possible that some of the attacks carried out by USS Livermore and USS Decatur during that morning were against U-432. These attacks kept the U-boat submerged for the whole morning. On surfacing at 13.00 hrs, it was noticed that the contents of a fuel ballast tank had been lost, which would have betrayed their position through a trail of oil. Both compressors were also out of order, and the boat could only reach a speed of 12 knots (22kph) until repairs could be made and she was able to continue her patrol. (Sources: KTB U-432/ADM 237-164)

2 May 1942
Bay of Biscay north of Corunna, Spain, outbound: air attack, six bombs, minor damage.

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-432 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Polar Bear and Ship

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1

Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


Hitler's U-boat War

Blair, Clay


The Approaching Storm

Chewning, Alpheus J.




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