Walther Kölle

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 26)

Successes
7 ships sunk, total tonnage 31,352 GRT

Born	3 Aug 1907		Ulm
Died	10 Jan 1992	(84)

Ranks

26 Oct 1926		Seekadett
1 Apr 1928		Fähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1930		Leutnant zur See
1 Apr 1933		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1936		Kapitänleutnant
1 Apr 1941		Korvettenkapitän
1 Mar 1945		Fregattenkapitän

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-154	2 Aug 1941	7 Oct 1942	3 patrols (164 days)

Walther Kölle joined the German Navy (Reichsmarine) in 1926. He served on the heavy cruiser Graf Spee until August 1939 as was thus not on its famous patrol into the South Atlantic. Kölle was stationed at the Naval College at Mürwik from Sept 1939 to Aug 1940 when he became the senior naval officer of the base Flushing until Oct when he joined the U-boat force.

From Nov 1940 to July 1941 Walther Kölle went through U-boat training, he then familiarized himself with a new U-boat (Baubelehrung) at Bremen, Germany from July until he took command of the new U-boat type IXC boat U-154 on 2 Aug 1941.

KrvKpt Walther Kölle commanded the U-154 on 3 patrols. His first was short and without success but his second, into the Caribbean, was successful as he sank 5 ships for almost 29,000 GRT during his 60 days at sea. His third patrol was even longer at 81 days, also into the Caribbean and then Gulf of Mexico but this time he only sank 2 ships for 2,600 GRT.

When arriving to France after the third patrol in late August 1942 Kölle was sent to other assignments and his boat was given to Heinrich Shuch whose boat U-105 had just been bombed and seriously damaged (Blair, 1996).

Walther Kölle would serve in several staff positions to the end of the war. During Jan - Sept 1944 he was First Officer on the proposed merchant raider Hansa but the ship never sailed.

Sources

Blair, C. (1996). Hitler’s U-boat War. The Hunters, 1939-1942.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1998). German U-boat commanders of World War II.

Patrol info for Walther Kölle

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-154	7 Feb 1942	Kiel	1 Mar 1942	Lorient	Patrol 1,	23 days
2.	U-154	11 Mar 1942	Lorient	9 May 1942	Lorient	Patrol 2,	60 days
3.	U-154	4 Jun 1942	Lorient	23 Aug 1942	Lorient	Patrol 3,	81 days
3 patrols, 164 days at sea

Ships hit by Walther Kölle

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons
4 Apr 1942	U-154	Comol Rico	5,034	am
5 Apr 1942	U-154	Catahoula	5,030	am
12 Apr 1942	U-154	Delvalle	5,032	am
13 Apr 1942	U-154	Empire Amethyst	8,032	br
20 Apr 1942	U-154	Vineland	5,587	ca
28 Jun 1942	U-154	Tillie Lykes	2,572	am
6 Jul 1942	U-154	Lalita	65	pa
			31,352
7 ships sunk (31,352 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel.