World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseKurt Frike was born in Berlin, Germany in 1889. He joined the German Navy in 1910 and then studied at Naval Academy Mürwik in Flensburg in northern Germany. His early postings included protected cruiser Hertha and battlecruiser Moltke. During WW1, he participated in the Battle of Dogger Bank in the North Sea. In 1916, he was transferred to torpedo boats, culminating in his appointment as aide-de-camp to the commander of the torpedo boats by the end of the war. During the inter-war years, he served a variety of roles which included the command of torpedo boats and destroyers. In 1935, he was promoted to the rank of Sea Captain and was made the Chief of Staff to the Inspector of Destroyer and Mine Warfare. Between Oct 1936 and Sep 1937, he was an instructor at the Wehrmacht Academy. In 1938, he served as the Chief of the Operations Department at the Department of Naval Operations at the Navy High Command. In Apr 1939, he was made the liaison officer to the German Air Force. He was promoted to admiral rank in Nov 1939. Betwen Jun 1941 and Feb 1943, he was made the Chief of the Department of Naval Operations; during this tenure, he was promoted to the rank of admiral. Between Mar 1943 and Dec 1944, he was the commanding officer of Naval Group Command South. In Dec 1944, he was placed in reserve. He was killed in May 1945 during the Battle of Berlin.

Kurt Frike Timeline