This weapon was used to arm almost all Torpedo Boats built between 1936 and 1945 as well as on many smaller vessels. Originally designed as a surface-only weapon, later mounts provided a higher maximum elevation for anti-aircraft defense. A wet-mount version was developed for U-Boats. Also exported to Spain during the 1940s.
Earlier guns were monobloc types with barrel, jacket and breech-end piece. Later guns had a lighter, two-piece loose-liner barrel, designated as 10.5 cm SK C/32nS. See photographs below.
Many of the older, World War I-era, 10.5 cm SK L/45 weapons were modified during the 1930s and 1940s to use the same ammunition as the SK C/32 and these guns then had similar performance. Guns so modified added (n R) [nachgebohrte Rorhe - "improved drilled barrel"] at the end of their designations, such as 10.5 cm SK L/45 (n R).
Some of these guns were still in service in Norwegian coastal defense batteries as late as 2002. The Norweigian firm of Nammo Raufoss AS produced anti-ship rounds for these guns during the 1980s.
| Designation | 10.5 cm/45 (4.1") SK C/32
10.5 cm/45 (4.1") SK C/32 nS |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Germany
T1 and T22 Torpedo Boat classes (Type 35 and Type 37) Also used on F-boats and some M261 (Type 40) minesweepers Wet-mount used on Type I, Type IX and Type X U-Boats Schlesien class replaced their four 8.8 cm/45 guns with six of these guns in 1944 Emden replaced her three 8.8 cm/45 guns with three of these guns in 1944 Spain
|
| Date Of Design | 1932 |
| Date In Service | 1934 |
| Gun Weight | 3,494 lbs. (1,585 kg) |
| Gun Length oa | 186.6 in (4.740 m) |
| Bore Length | 173.2 in (4.400 m) |
| Rifling Length | 145.43 in (3.694 m) |
| Grooves | (32) 0.049 in deep x 0.268 in (1.25 mm x 6.8 mm) |
| Lands | 0.138 in (3.5 mm) |
| Twist | Increasing RH 1 in 45 to 1 in 30 |
| Chamber Volume | 328 in3 (5.380 dm3) |
| Rate Of Fire | 15 rounds per minute |
| Type | Fixed | |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Round Weight | Germany
HE L/4,4: 53.4 lbs. (24.2 kg) Illum L/4,1: 50.0 lbs. (22.7 kg) Norway
|
|
| Projectiles and Weight 2 3 | Germany
AP 32: 34.83 lbs. (15.8 kg) HE L/4,4 4: 33.3 lbs. (15.1 kg) HE incendiary L/4,4 Br: 34.8 lbs. (15.8 kg) HE U-boat L/10: 39.68 lbs. (18.0 kg) 5 Illum L/4,1: 32.4 lbs. (14.7 kg) Norway
|
|
| Bursting Charge 7 | Germany | |
| AP 32 | G: 0.57 lbs. (0.260 kg)
N/A |
|
| HE L/4,4 | G: 3.08 lbs. (1.395 kg)
2.80 lbs. (1.270 kg) TNT |
|
| HE L/4,4 incendiary | G: 3.08 lbs. (1.395 kg)
1.92 lbs. (0.870 kg) TNT + 2.54 lbs. (1.150) Incendiary (Brandkörper B) |
|
| HE U-boat L/10 | G: N/A
S: 12.79 lbs. (5,800 kg) TNT |
Norway |
| ASP M85 | 0.77 lbs. (0.350 kg) Composition A-3
+ 2.1 - 2.5 oz (60 - 70 gm) zirconium |
|
| Projectile Length | Germany
L/4,4 projectiles: 18.1 in (45.9 cm) HE U-boat L/10: about 41.3 in (105.0 cm) Complete round was 41.4 in (105.2 cm) Norway
|
|
| Propellant Charge | Germany: 9.0 lbs. (4.08 kg) RPC/40N (4.4/1.7) 8 Norway: 9.1 lbs. (4.15 kg) |
|
| Cartridge Case Size and Empty Weight | 105 x 459 mm, 10.1 lbs. (4.6 kg) | |
| Muzzle Velocity | Germany
HE U-boat L/10 2,575 fps (785 mps) HE U-boat L/10: N/A Illumination: 1,310 fps (400 mps) Norway
|
|
| Working Pressure | 18.0 tons/in2 (2,850 kg/cm2) | |
| Approximate Barrel Life | 4,100 rounds | |
| Ammunition stowage per gun 9 | T1, T22 and M261: 120 rounds
Minesweepers: 120 rounds Type I U-boat: 120 rounds Type IX U-boat: 110 rounds |
|
- ^Nammo-Raufoss AS produced an anti-ship projectile (ASP M85) for the Norwegian Coastal Defense batteries between 1986 and 1988. This projectile had the same interior and external ballistics as the earlier German rounds. The zirconium in the burster was added to increase the incendiary effect.
- ^
Actual German designations AP 32 10,5 cm Pzgr Patr 32 Fl HE L/4,4 10,5 cm Spgr Patr 32 L/4,4 Incendiary L/4,4 10,5 cm Spgr Patr 32 L/4,4 HE U-boat 10,5 cm U-Spgr Patr 32 L/10 Illumination L/4,1 10,5 cm Lg Patr 32 L/4,1 - ^The 10.5 cm C/32 and C/33 guns used the same projectiles, but different casings which held different amounts of propellant.
- ^HE projectiles were supplied with both instantaneous impact fuzes and with time fuzes. HE was also supplied with and without tracers.
- ^This was a special, oversized ASW round. It is not known if this actually entered service.
- ^The nose fuze in the ASP M85 has a 5 millsecond delay before the main charge detonates.
- ^Burster weights (G = Gesamtgewicht and S = reiner Sprengstoff) from M.Dv. Nr. 198.
- ^This was the loading after about 1940. Prior to that time, RPC/32 and RPC/38 propellants were in use.
- ^Outfits for torpedo-boats, F-boats and minesweepers included HE, HE incendiary and Illumination. Outfit for U-boats was probably only HE incendiary without time fuzes.
| Elevation | Range |
|---|---|
| 44.4 degrees | 16,600 yards (15,175 m) |
| AA Range @ 80 degrees | 33,800 feet (10,300 m) |
| Elevation | Range |
|---|---|
| 45 degrees | about 16,800 yards (15,350 m) |
| Designation 1a 2a | Single mounts 3a Schlesien (6): MPL C/32gE 4a Type 35 and Type 37 Torpedo Boats (1): MPL C/32 Type 39 Torpedo Boats (4): MPL C/32 or MPL C/32gE Type 44 Torpedo Boats (4): MPL C/32gE Type I and early Type IX U-Boats (1): Ubts LC/32 Later Type IX and Type X U-Boats (1) 5a: Ubts LC/36 Smaller boats: MPLC/30 (originally built for 8.8 cm guns) Emden as rearmed in 1944 (3): MPL C/32gE |
|---|---|
| Weight | MPL C/32: 14,297 lbs. (6,485 kg)
MPL C/32gE: 14,771 lbs. (6,750 kg) Ubts LC/32: 10,957 lbs. (4,970 kg) Ubts LC/36: 10,141 lbs. (4,600 kg) MPLC/30: 15,234 lbs. (6,910 kg) |
| Elevation | MPL C/32: -10 / +50 degrees
MPL C/32gE: -10 / +70 degrees Ubts LC/32: -10 / +35 degrees Ubts LC/36: -10 / +30 degrees MPLC/30: -9 / +80 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | Hand operated, only |
| Train | 360 degrees |
| Train Rate | Hand operated, only |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
- ^Besides the ships listed above, these guns were used on many smaller ships such as auxiliaries and minesweepers.
- ^I lack information on the mountings used on Spanish warships. Almirante Cervera carried four of these guns after being refitted during World War II.
- ^Many shielded mounts were given time fuze setter mechanisms on the right side of the mounting.
- ^The MPL C/32gE mounting differed from the original MPL C/32 by having a higher max elevation.
- ^Most Type IX and Type X U-boats had these guns removed after 1942 in order to mount additional light AA guns. Guns were then reused on Type 40 minesweepers.
"German Navy at War 1935-1945: The U Boat" by Siegfried Breyer and Gerhard Koop
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"Jane's Ammunition Handbook: Ninth Edition 2000-2001" edited by Terry J. Gander and Charles Q. Cutshaw
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"German Naval Guns: 1939 - 1945" by Miroslaw Skwiot
"German Destroyers of World War Two" (2nd Edition) and "German Capital Ships of World War Two" both by M.J. Whitley
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"Unterrichtstafeln für Geschützkunde - Band II Flak: Zusammengestellt bei der 1. Abtlg. S.A.S. 1942" by Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
"Übersicht über die für die Marinegeschütze und deren Abk K zu verwendende Munition und ihre Einzelteile einschließlich Salut-
und Manöverladungen" M.Dv. Nr. 198 by Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
"Merkbuch über die Munition für die 10,5 cm S.K. C/32 u. 10,5 cm Ubts u. Tbts Flak L/45 (n R) u. 10,5 cm S.K. L/45
(n R) u. 10,5 cm Flak L/45 (n R)" M.Dv. Nr. 170,21 by Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine - This document is not usually found
on the internet. I have added it here to make it available to a wider
audience. Please credit Thorsten Wahl and NavWeaps.com.
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Special help from Jamal Hannah and Thorsten Wahl
09 April 2008 - Benchmark
20 May 2012 - Updated to latest template
22 February 2014 - Adjusted burster weights and added information and photograph about Norwegian ammunition
18 February 2019 - Converted to HTML 5 format, added projectile information from M.Dv. Nr. 170,21, reorganized
notes and added photographs of ammunition, MPL C/32 mounting and MPL C/32gE mounting
10 March 2019 - Added dimensional sketch of MPL C/32gE mounting
19 June 2023 - Added link to "Merkbuch über die Munition für die 10,5 cm S.K. C/32" document
28 August 2024 - Added burster note and propellant information
20 June 2025 - Redid Burster table