Walter Kell

Kapitänleutnant (Crew 33)

Successes
4 ships sunk, total tonnage 17,157 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,060 tons

Born	4 Dec 1913		Altenwald, Saarland
Died	19 Oct 1941	(27)	off Tangier

Ranks

1 Apr 1933		Offiziersanwärter
1 Jul 1934		Fähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1936		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1936		Leutnant zur See
1 Jun 1938		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Apr 1941		Kapitänleutnant

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-8	10 Jun 1940	6 Jul 1940	No war patrols
U-8	13 Sep 1940	17 Dec 1940	No war patrols
U-204	8 Mar 1941	19 Oct 1941 (+)	3 patrols (97 days)

Walter Kell was born on 4 Dec 1913 in Altenwald, Saarland, entering the Kriegsmarine with Crew 1933. Walter Kell was seconded to the Luftwaffe from Oct 1935 to Dec 1939, during which period he served with Bordfliegerstaffel 1./196 aboard the heavy cruiser Deutschland from Aug to Dec 1939.

Walter Kell began U-boat training from Dec 1939 to Mar 1940. He served as Watch Officer (WO) with the U-boat School Flotilla from Mar to Apr 1940, followed by service with the 1 U-boat Training Unit (1 UAA) and 1st U-boat Training Flotilla from Apr to Sep 1940.

Walter Kell was an acting commander of the type IIB boat U-8 from 10 Jun to 6 Jul 1940. He then commanded the type IIB boat U-8 from 13 Sep to 17 Dec 1940.

Walter Kell was assigned to the 1st U-Flotilla from Dec 1940 to Feb 1941, undertaking U-boat Familiarization (Baubelehrung) from Feb to Mar 1941. Walter Kell was promoted to Kapitänleutnant on 1 Apr 1941. He took commissioned the new type VIIC boat U-204 from 8 Mar. After working up in the Baltic he was assigned to the 1st combat flotilla at Brest, France. He went out on 3 patrols, spending 97 days at sea, sinking 5 ships for over 18,217 BRT.

U-204 was lost with all hands on it's 3rd war patrol on 19 Oct 1941 off Tangier, Morocco.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1998). German U-boat commanders of World War II.

Patrol info for Walter Kell

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-204	24 May 1941	Kiel	27 Jun 1941	Brest	Patrol 1,	35 days
2.	U-204	22 Jul 1941	Brest	22 Aug 1941	Brest	Patrol 2,	32 days
3.	U-204	20 Sep 1941	Brest	19 Oct 1941	Sunk	Patrol 3,	30 days
3 patrols, 97 days at sea

Ships hit by Walter Kell

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
31 May 1941	U-204	Holmsteinn	16	is
10 Jun 1941	U-204	Mercier	7,886	be	OB-330
19 Aug 1941	U-204	HNoMS Bath (I 17)	1,060	nw	OG-71
14 Oct 1941	U-204	Aingeru Guardakoa	97	sp
19 Oct 1941	U-204	Inverlee	9,158	br
			18,217
5 ships sunk (18,217 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel.

About ranks and decorations
Ranks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.