Vizeadmiral Kurt Utke

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: Vizeadmiral Kurt Utke

PW NO: A938915
RANK: Vizeadmiral
CAPTURED:
DATE:

PERSONAL

D.O.B: 2 December 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH: Frankfurt an der Oder
DIED: 30 September 1970
PLACE OF DEATH: Near Leermoos/Tirol (He apparently accidentally fell to his death while on
a mountain trip to the Sonnenspitze summit. His body was not found until August 1971)
NATIONALITY: German
RELIGION:
OCCUPATION: Naval Officer
HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
NEXT OF KIN:

Promotions:

Seekadett: 13 April 1912
Fähnrich zur See: 12 April 1913
Leutnant zur See: 22 March 1915 (Patenting reserved)
Leutnant zur See: 12 October 1916 (Patent 22 March 1915)
Oberleutnant zur See: 25 December 1917
Kapitänleutnant: 1 January 1924
Korvettenkäpitan: 1 October 1931
Fregattenkapitän: 1 April 1936
Kapitän zur See: 1 October 1937
Konteradmiral: 1 March 1942
Vizeadmiral: 1 February 1944

Commands & Assignments:

13 April 1912: Entered the Imperial German Navy as a Sea Cadet.
13 April 1912-10 March 1913: Initial training aboard the protected cruiser Victoria Louise.
11 March 1913-11 August 1913: Naval School Mürwick and Special Course.
12 August 1913-4 November 1914: Assigned to the armored cruiser Yorck. [On 4 November 1914, Utke survived the sinking of the Yorck after it struck a mine off the Jade with the loss of 336 crewmembers.]
15 November 1914-March 1915: Assigned to the 5. Matrosen-Regiment of the Marinekorps in Flanders.
March 1915-March 1917: Assigned to the battlecruiser von der Tann. [Assigned to Vizeadmiral Franz Hipper’s I Scouting Group, the von der Tann took part in the epic Battle of Jutland against the British Grand Fleet, 31 May-1 June 1916.

von der Tann

The ship sustained four heavy shell hits (two 15-inch and two 13.5-inch) during the battle and suffered the loss of 11 crewmembers killed and 35 wounded. Although all of the ship’s turrets were put out of action at one point, she gamely held her place in the German battle line to help draw British fire. As such, she took part in the “death ride of the German battlecruisers,” a desperate, Wagnerian-like rearguard action to cover the main German battle fleet’s third Gefechtskehrtwendung (16-point battle turn-about) to avoid having its “T crossed” by the British Grand Fleet. Upon receipt of the signal “Battlecruisers at the enemy! Give it everything!” from the fleet flagship, Hipper’s already battered ships grimly held their course toward the enemy while exposed to the fire of virtually the entire British battle line. Covered by torpedo attacks carried out by three German torpedo boat flotillas, the battlecruisers turned about it when it became apparent that the main German battle fleet had successfully made its escape.]
March 1917-June 1917: Submarine training at the U-boat School.
June 1917-April 1918: Watch Officer aboard the submarine UC 71 in the Flanders Flotilla.
April 1918-26 June 1918: Commander of the submarine UC 11 in the Flanders Flotilla.
26 June1918-30 May 1920: Prisoner of war when the UC 11 sank after apparently striking one of its own mines in the North Sea (Kurt Utke was the only survivor); returned to Germany and on leave.
31 May 1920-24 October 1920: Platoon Leader in Coast Defense Regiment Wilhelmshaven.
25 October 1920-8 March 1922: Company Leader in the North Sea Schiffsstammdivision [Ship’s Cadre Division].
9 March 1922-30 September 1924: Watch Officer aboard the light cruiser Berlin.
1 October 1924-24 September 1926: Company Leader in Coast Defense Battalion IV.
27 September 1926-23 September 1928: First Torpedo Officer aboard the pre-dreadnought battleship Elsaß.
24 September 1928-4 October 1932: Military Consultant at the Eckernförde Torpedo Development and Proving Institute.
6 January 1933-26 September 1934: First Officer of the light cruiser Leipzig.
27 September 1934-3 October 1937: Commander of the IV. Naval Artillery Battalion.
4 October 1937-17 April 1939: Commander of the Torpedo School.
20 April 1939-16 November 1939: Commander of the pre-dreadnought battleship (cadet school ship) Schlesien. [Utke’s ship bombarded Polish fortifications on the Hela peninsula in September 1939].

Schlesien.

18 November 1939-17 February 1943: Commander of the Eckernförde Torpedo Development and Proving Institute.
22 February 1943-3 December 1944: Inspector of Torpedo Matters.
6 December 1944-26 April 1945: Inspector, Regional Recruitment Inspectorate Bremen.
1945-17 May 1948: Prisoner of war in British captivity.

Decorations & Awards (included):

German Cross in Silver: 28 December 1943, Konteradmiral, Inspector of Torpedo Matters.
Prussian Iron Cross, 1^st Class (1914)
Prussian Iron Cross, 2^nd Class (1914)
War Merit Cross, 1^st Class with Swords
War Merit Cross, 2^nd Class with Swords
Bavarian Military Merit Order, 4^th Class with Swords
Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1^st Class (25-year Service Cross)
Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3^rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
Imperial Navy U-boat War Badge – World War I award

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