Description

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.

Gun Characteristics

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
    Almirante Cervera, Eolo class minesweepers and gunboat Canalejas

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

Ammunition

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
    ASP M85: 53.8 lbs. (24.42 kg) 1

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
   ASP M85: 33.3 lbs. (15.1 kg)

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
   ASP M85 1: 3.6 lbs. (1.63 kg) Composition A-3 plus 2.1 - 2.5 oz (60 - 70 gm) zirconium

Projectile Length Germany
   HE L/4,4: 18.1 in (45.9 cm)
   Complete round was 41.4 in (105.2 cm)

Norway
   18.2 in (46.0 cm)
   Complete round was 41.4 in (105.4 cm)

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
   2,575 fps (785 mps)

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
  • ^1.11.2Nammo-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
    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.

Range

Germany: Range with 33.3 lbs. (15.1 kg) HE
Elevation Range
44.4 degrees 16,600 yards (15,175 m)
AA Range @ 80 degrees 33,800 feet (10,300 m)
Norway: Range with 33.3 lbs. (15.1 kg)
Elevation Range
45 degrees about 16,800 yards (15,350 m)

Mount/Turret Data

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.

Additional Pictures

Sources

"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

Page History

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