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 | Germany
HE L/4,4 3: 33.3 lbs. (15.1 kg) Incendiary L/4,4 Br: 34.8 lbs. (15.8 kg) Illum L/4,1: 32.4 lbs. (14.7 kg) Norway
|
| Bursting Charge | Germany
HE L/4,4: 2.80 lbs. (1.270 kg) TNT 4 Incendiary L/4,4: 2.53 lbs. (1.150 kg) TNT + Incendiary Norway
|
| Projectile Length | Germany
HE L/4,4: 18.1 in (45.9 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) 5 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 & Incendiary 2,560 fps (780 mps) 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 6 | T1, T22 and M261: 120 rounds
Minesweepers: 120 rounds Type I U-boat: 120 rounds Type IX U-boat: 110 rounds |
- ^
Actual German designations HE L/4,4 10,5 cm Spgr. L/4,4 Incendiary L/4,4 10,5 cm Spgr. L/4,4 Illumination L/4,1 10,5 cm Lg L/4,1 - ^HE projectiles were supplied with both instantaneous impact fuzes and with time fuzes. HE was also supplied with and without tracers.
- ^Burster weight (reiner Sprengstoff) from M.Dv. Nr. 170,21 and was made from Fp 2.
- ^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
"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