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


Ranks

25 Sep 1935 Seekadett
1 Jul 1936 Fähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1938 Leutnant zur See
1 Oct 1939 Oberleutnant zur See
1 Jun 1942 Kapitänleutnant
1 Jan 1944 Korvettenkapitän

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-boatFromTo
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 type VIIC U-boat U-263 from 6 May 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 that would take a year. During that time Nölke was still officially in command of the unmanned boat-in-repair.

He took temporary command of U-584 from Deecke on 20 Dec 1942 for one patrol.

Nölke died with his entire crew of 51 when U-263 was lost in the Bay of Biscay on 20 Jan. 1944, only two days into the newly repaired boat's first patrol. (Niestlé, 1998). A radio message was received that an external fuel tank had collapsed during deep diving trials and that the boat needed immediate help. The subsequent search for the boat and its crew found nothing.

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 Nat. Convoy
20 Nov 1942U-263 Grangepark5,132brKMS-3
20 Nov 1942U-263 Prins Harald7,244nwKMS-3
 12,376

2 ships sunk (12,376 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.

Media links


German U-boat Commanders of World War II

Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans-Joachim

Listing of all U-boat commanders


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