Anti-aircraft weapon used to replace old 8.8 cm Flak 45 guns on the "K" class light cruisers. Later used on other German light cruisers and apparently exported to Spain. Although a less powerful gun than the 8.8 cm SK C/31, it had nearly equivalent performance and a much longer barrel life.
Construction was loose-barrel with a vertical sliding breech-block.
| Designation | 8.8 cm/76 (3.46") SK C/32 |
|---|---|
| Ship Class Used On | Germany: Königsberg, Leipzieg, Nürnberg and "M" Classes
Spain: Navarra |
| Date Of Design | 1932 |
| Date In Service | 1934 |
| Gun Weight | 8,025 lbs. (3,640 kg) (including breech mechanism) |
| Gun Length oa | 263.4 in. (6.690 m) |
| Bore Length | 249.6 in (6.341 m) |
| Rifling Length | 226.2 in. (5.746 m) |
| Grooves | (28) 0.047 in deep x 0.252 in (1.2 mm x 6.4 mm) |
| Lands | 0.137 in (3.47 mm) |
| Twist | Increasing RH 1 in 60 to 1 in 35 |
| Chamber Volume | 224.0 in3 (3.67 dm3) |
| Rate Of Fire | 15 - 20 rounds per minute |
| Type | Fixed | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight of Complete Round | AP 39: N/A
HE L/4,5: 33.4 lbs. (15.2 kg) HE Incendiary L/4,5: N/A ILLUM L/4,4: N/A |
|
| Projectile Types and Weights 1 2 | AP 39: 22.5 lbs. (10.2 kg)
HE L/4,5: 19.8 lbs. (9.0 kg) HE Incendiary L/4,5: 20.9 lbs. (9.5 kg) ILLUM L/4,4: 20.7 lbs. (9.4 kg) |
|
| Bursting Charge 3 | AP 35 | G: N/A
S: 0.14 lbs. (0.064 kg) |
| HE L/4,5 4 | G: 1.71 lbs. (0.775)
S: 1.54 lbs. (0.698 kg) TNT |
|
| HE L/4,5 incendiary | G: N/A
S: 1.23 lbs. (0.560 kg) TNT + 1.42 lbs. (0.646) Incendiary (Brandkörper A) |
|
| Projectile Length | 15.6 in (39.7 cm) | |
| Propellant Charge | 6.46 lbs. (2.93 kg) RPC/38 (4.5/1.5)
Cartridge: 13.2 lbs. (6.0 kg) |
|
| Muzzle Velocity | HE: 3,117 fps (950 mps)
ILLUM: 2,133 fps (650 mps) |
|
| Working Pressure | 20.0 tons/in2 (3,150 kg/cm2) | |
| Approximate Barrel Life | 3,200 rounds | |
| Ammunition stowage per gun | 400 rounds 5 | |
- ^
Actual designations AP 39 8,8 cm Pzgr Patr 32 HE L/4,5 8,8 cm Spgr Patr 32 L/4,4 HE Incendiary L/4,5 8,8 cm Spgr Patr 32 L/4,5 Br Illum L/4,4 8,8 cm Lg Patr 32 L/4,4 - ^The 8.8 cm C/30, C/32, C/35 and rebuilt SK L/45 guns used the same projectiles, but different casings which held different amounts of propellant.
- ^Burster weights (G = Gesamtgewicht and S = reiner Sprengstoff) from M.Dv. Nr. 198.
- ^The HE L/4,5 fuze had both impact and time functions.
- ^Outfit for light cruisers consisted of nose-fuzed HE with and without tracer and illumination rounds.
| Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|
| 45 degrees | 18,810 yards (17,200 m) |
| AA Ceiling @ 80 degrees | 40,680 feet (12,400 m) |
| Designation | Twin Mounts
Königsberg (3), Leipzieg (3), Nürnberg (3): Dop. L. C/32 "M" class (2): Dop. L. C/37 |
|---|---|
| Weight | Dop. L. C/32: 52,139 lbs. (23,650 kg)
Dop. L. C/37: N/A |
| Elevation | -10 / +80 degrees |
| Elevation Rate | 10 degrees per second |
| Train | 360 degrees 1a |
| Train Rate | 8-10 degrees per second |
| Gun recoil | N/A |
- ^These mountings could make one complete revolution in either direction from the mid (fore and aft) position for a total of 720 degrees of train. Firing arc was about -150 / +150 degrees.
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"German Warships 1815-1945" by Erich Gröner
"German Cruisers of World War Two" by M.J. Whitley
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"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
11 February 2007 - Benchmark
22 May 2012 - Updated to latest template
25 August 2024 - Converted to HTML 5 format and added ammunition information
16 June 2025 - Redid Burster table