This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Kurt Fricke" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Kurt Fricke
Born(1889-11-08)8 November 1889
Berlin
Died2 May 1945(1945-05-02) (aged 55)
Berlin
Allegiance German Empire (to 1919)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Imperial German Navy
 Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service1910–45
RankAdmiral
UnitSMS Hertha
SMS Moltke
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Kurt Fricke (8 November 1889 – 2 May 1945) was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine (navy) of Nazi Germany during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Biography

Fricke entered the Kaiserliche Marine as a cadet on 1 April 1910. He served on SMS Hertha during his cadetship and graduated from the Naval Academy at Mürwik. After graduating he was posted to the battlecruiser SMS Moltke. On 27 September 1913 Fricke was promoted to lieutenant. During World War I, Fricke served at the Battle of Dogger Bank. Fricke was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See in 1916 and transferred to torpedo boats. He served on G103 and G101. On 7 March 1918 he became an aide-de-camp to the commander of the torpedo boats, in which position he ended the war.

After the war he served in the administration of the German navy as adjutant to the commander in chief of the navy. From 1922 to 1924 he served on the I. Flottille, in which he commanded destroyers T139 and T148. In September 1924, Fricke became a company officer in a coastal defence unit. Fricke was promoted to Korvettenkapitän (corvette captain) in 1928. He served three years as a marine adjutant to the Reichswehrminister.

In 1929 Fricke was made commander of half a squadron of torpedo boats. On 16 September 1931 he became commander of the I. Torpedobootsflottille (1st Torpedo-boat Flotilla). In 1933 he became Führer der Torpedoboote (commander of the torpedo-boat branch). On 1 April 1934 Fricke was promoted to Fregattenkapitän (frigate captain). Fricke then was posted as chief of staff to the inspectorate of destroyer and mine-warfare in the rank of Kapitän zur See (captain at sea) (1935). From October 1936 to September 1937 he served at the Wehrmacht-Akademie. After this academic posting, Fricke served on the Oberkommando der Marine as Chief of the Operations department of the Seekriegsleitung (Naval War Staff). On 30 April 1939 Fricke became liaison officer to the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring.

After the start of the Second World War, Fricke was promoted to Konteradmiral (rear admiral) on 1 November 1939 and Vizeadmiral (vice admiral) on 1 June 1941. From 13 June 1941 to 20 February 1943 Fricke was Chief of Staff of the Seekriegsleitung. Promoted to Admiral on 1 April 1942, Fricke was named commander of the Marinegruppenkommando Süd (21 March 1943 – 11 December 1944). In December 1944 Fricke was placed in the Führerreserve. Fricke was killed on 2 May 1945 during the Battle of Berlin.

Awards

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Dörr 1995, p. 189.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Dörr 1995, p. 190.
  3. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 319.
  4. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 187.

Bibliography

  • Dörr, Manfred (1995). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Überwasserstreitkräfte der Kriegsmarine—Band 1: A–K [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Surface Forces of the Navy—Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2453-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Navy]. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
Military offices Preceded byAdmiral Otto Schniewind Chief of Staff of the Seekriegsleitung 13 June 1941 – 20 February 1943 Succeeded byAdmiral Wilhelm Meisel


Categories