German submarine U-432

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-432
Ordered	23 September 1939
Builder	Schichau-Werke, Danzig
Yard number	1473
Laid down	14 January 1940
Launched	3 February 1941
Commissioned	26 April 1941
Fate	Sunk on 11 March 1943
General characteristics
Class & type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced; 871 t (857 long tons) submerged;
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a; 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a; 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels); 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced; 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged;
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft); Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft);
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds); 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun;
Service record
Part of	3rd U-boat Flotilla; 26 April 1941 – 11 March 1943;
Identification codes	M 41 658
Commanders	Kptlt. Heinz-Otto Schultze; 26 April 1941 – 15 January 1943; Kptlt. Hermann Eckhardt; 16 January – 11 March 1943;
Operations	8 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 25 August – 19 September 1941; 2nd patrol:; 11 October – 2 November 1941; 3rd patrol:; 10 – 23 December 1941; 4th patrol:; 21 January – 16 March 1942; 5th patrol:; 30 April – 2 July 1942; 6th patrol:; 15 August – 4 October 1942; 7th patrol:; 30 November – 5 January 1943; 8th patrol:; 14 February – 11 March 1943;
Victories	20 merchant ships sunk ; (67,991 GRT); 1 warship sunk ; (1,340 tons); 2 merchant ships damaged ; (15,666 GRT);

German submarine U-432 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II that carried out eight patrols, sinking 20 enemy ships and one warship. Two other vessels were damaged. U-432 was a member of seven wolfpacks and was eventually sunk by a Free French Navy escort in mid-Atlantic on 11 March 1943.