Name U-132 Laid down 10 August 1940 Fate Sunk, 4 November 1942 Construction started 10 August 1940 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m Part of 3rd U-boat Flotilla | Ordered 7 August 1939 Commissioned 29 May 1941 Class and type Type VIIC submarine Launched 10 April 1941 Draft 4.74 m Builder Bremer Vulkan | |
German submarine U-132 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 10 August 1940 by Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 11, launched on 10 April 1941 and commissioned on 29 May that year under Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Vogelsang.
Contents
- Design
- 1st patrol
- 2nd patrol
- 3rd patrol
- 4th patrol and loss
- Wolfpacks
- Previously recorded fate
- Summary of raiding history
- References
In four patrols, U-132 sank eight ships for a total of 32,964 gross register tons (GRT). She was a member of three wolfpacks. The submarine was lost after an attack on Convoy SC-107 in November 1942.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-132 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN 6-cylinder 4-stroke M 6 V 40/46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-132 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
1st patrol
U-132 departed on her first patrol when she left Trondheim in Norway on 7 September 1941. Rounding the North Cape, she criss-crossed that part of the Barents Sea northwest of Murmansk before heading further east. She sank two Soviet ships, Argun and RT-8 Seld on 18 October.
The boat docked in Kirkenes, also in Norway, on 21 October.
2nd patrol
Having moved from Kirkenes back to Trondheim in late October 1941, U-132 commenced her second foray on 15 January 1942. Her route took her due west through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands to a point 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) west of Reykjavík. Here she sank USCGC Alexander Hamilton on the 29th.
She then moved to the port of La Pallice in occupied France, arriving on 8 February.
3rd patrol
The boat's most successful patrol began when she left La Pallice on 10 June 1942. Having crossed the Atlantic Ocean, she was attacked by the Canadian minesweeper HMCS Drummondville shortly after torpedoing Dinaric (see below), in the St. Lawrence Seaway. The warship's depth charges damaged the U-boat's ballast pumps and resulted in the loss of 4 m³ of fuel. She sank three ships in short order, Anastasios Pateras, Hainaut and Dinaric, all southeast of Cap Chat, Quebec on 6 July.
Fourteen days later, the submarine attacked Frederika Lensen near Anticosti Island. The ship was towed to Grand Valée Bay and beached, but with her back broken, she was declared a total loss.
The boat returned to La Pallice on 16 August.
4th patrol and loss
U-132 left La Pallice for the last time on 6 October 1942. Operating southeast of Cape Farewell (Greenland), she was triumphant after sinking Hobbema and Empire Lynx, but was sunk, probably by falling debris from the ammunition ship Haitmura when that vessel exploded, following an attack by U-132 and U-442 on 4 November. All 47 crew members died; there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-132 took part in three wolfpacks, namely.
Previously recorded fate
Had originally been recorded as sunk the next day, 5 November 1942, by British aircraft of No. 120 Squadron RAF. The 120 Squadron attack, in the same area southeast of Cape Farewell where U-132 inadvertently herself, had actually been on U-89 operating nearby, causing severe damage but not sinking her.
Summary of raiding history
*Credit for sinking this vessel belongs to U-442