Kurt Nölke

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 35)

Successes
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 12,376 GRT

Born	5 Sep 1914		Hannover
Died	20 Jan 1944	(29)	Bay of Biscay

Decorations

Nov 1939	U-boat War Badge 1939
11 Jun 1940	Iron Cross 2nd Class
30 Nov 1942	Iron Cross 1st Class

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-20	5 Dec 1941	27 Mar 1942	No war patrols
U-263	6 May 1942	Dec 1942	1 patrol (34 days)
U-584	20 Dec 1942	11 Feb 1943	1 patrol (44 days) (Acting CO)
U-263	1943	20 Jan 1944 (+)	1 patrol (2 days)

Kurt Nölke commanded the U-263 from May 6 1942 until its loss on 20 Jan 1944. The boat was heavily damaged by aircraft on 24 Nov 1942 and was decommissioned the following month while undergoing extensive repairs for one year. During that time Nölke as still officially in command of the unmanned boat-in-repair but was also engaged elsewhere.

He took temporary command of the U-584 from Deecke on 20 Dec 1942 and completed one patrol with that boat.

Nölke died with his entire crew of 51 men when his U-263 was lost in the Bay of Biscay only two days out on its first patrol on 20 Jan 1944 after long repairs (Niestlé, 1998). The boat had reported that an external fuel tank had collapsed during deep dive trials and that the boat needed immediate help. Search for the boat and its crew were unsuccessful.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Niestlé, A. (1998). German U-boat losses during World War II.

Patrol info for Kurt Nölke

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-263	27 Oct 1942	Kiel	29 Nov 1942	La Pallice	Patrol 1,	34 days
2.	U-584	30 Dec 1942	Brest	11 Feb 1943	Brest	Patrol 2,	44 days
3.	U-263	19 Jan 1944	La Pallice	20 Jan 1944	Sunk	Patrol 3,	2 days
3 patrols, 80 days at sea

Ships hit by Kurt Nölke

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
20 Nov 1942	U-263	Grangepark	5,132	br	KMS-3
20 Nov 1942	U-263	Prins Harald	7,244	nw	KMS-3
			12,376
2 ships sunk (12,376 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel.