Edward Christian Frederic Nicolay DSO, RN
| Birth details unknown | |||
| Died | 6 Dec 1941 | HMS Perseus (i) (N 36) | |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for Edward Christian Frederic Nicolay, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Otus (N 92) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | 14 Jun 1939 | 21 Apr 1941 |
| HMS Taku (N 38) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | 22 Apr 1941 | 5 Aug 1941 |
| HMS Perseus (i) (N 36) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | 5 Aug 1941 | 6 Dec 1941 (+) |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Submarine HMS Taku (N 38)
26 Apr 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) departs Gibraltar for her 11th war patrol. This is her 1st Mediterranean war patrol. She is to patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea and to proceed to Alexandria afterwards.
For HMS Taku's daily positions during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Taku 11th war patrolclick here for bigger map
4 May 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) attacks the Italian merchant Goggiam (1994 GRT, built 1922) ship in position 350 degrees Cape Vaticano 6 nautical miles. Two torpedoes were fired but both missed.
(All times are zone -3)
1234 hours - Sighted a small merchant ship of about 1100 tons bearing 166 degrees, range 6900 yards, speed 9 knots. Commenced attack.
1251 hours - In position 350 degrees Cape Vaticano 6 nautical miles fired two torpedoes from 3000 yards. Both missed. The target altered course away and closed the coast.
6 May 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Cagliari (2322 GRT, built 1907) in the Tyrrhenian Sea off San Lucido, Calabria, Italy in position 39º18'N, 15º59'E.
(All times are zone -3)
1929 hours - In position 39º18'N, 15º59'E sighted a merchant ship (thought to be Belvedere, 7166 tons, built 1913). Started attack.
1944 hours - Fired three torpedoes. The ship was sunk. (No further details in patrol report and log).
17 May 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) ends her 11th war patrol at Alexandria.
1 Jun 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) departs Alexandria for her 12th war patrol. This is her 2nd Mediterranean war patrol. She is to patrol in Gulf of Sirte.
For HMS Taku's daily positions during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Taku 12th war patrolclick here for bigger map
7 Jun 1941
While on patrol off Az-Zuwaytinah, Libya HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) intercepts a small convoy made up of one schooner, one tug towing a leighter and one A/S trawler as escort. She attacks with gunfire but after the first round the gun misfired. As the gun continued to missfire she has to abort the attack. The A/S trawler dropped six depth charges but these did no damage.
(The vessels attacked were the Italian schooners Elisa and Nadia escorted by the Italian gunboat Mario Bianco.)
During the night of 7-8 June 1941 the folbot party was landed on Gharah Island. The island was found to be uninhabited.
8 Jun 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) lands a folbot party at Al Burayqah, Libya. The folbot party made a landing and investigated the old ford. It was found to be ruined and deserted. Then another landing was made but the folbot party was detected and had to leave the beach under a hail of bullits. Fortunately no one was hit. The shore battery at Al Burayqah was bombarded by Taku after the folbot party was recovered. 7 Rounds were fired for one hit and one possible hit.
11 Jun 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German munitions transport Tilly L.M. Russ (1600 GRT, built 1926) at Bengasi, Libya. Sevaral smaller vessels were also sunk or damaged.
(All times are zone -3)
2140 hours - In position 1 nautical mile bearing 270 from the Bengasi breakwater light, fires one torpedo against a supply ship in the harbour. The torpedo hit the target and started a large fire. Three minutes later Taku proceeded up the Bengasi swept channel back out to sea.
Italian sources give the following info: When the ammunition ship Tilly L.M. Russ blew up 15 men were missing including all her AA gunners, the auxiliary schooners Giorgina (253 GRT, raised in July 1941) and Nadia (243 GRT) were sunk by the blast and the steamer Ninfea (607 GRT, built 1918) and the schooners Rosina (244 GRT), [also reported as damaged by aircraft on 9 June] and Luigi (? GRT) were set afire, the water tanker Elisa (216 GRT) was also damaged.
12 Jun 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) intercepts a convoy and torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Silvio Scaroni (1367 GRT, built 1921) in the Gulf of Syrte 70 nautical miles bearing 283 off Benghazi, Libya in position 32º27'N, 18º42'E.
(All times are zone -3) 0435 hours - In position 32º20'N, 18º49'E, HMS Taku sighted a convoy. The convoy is identified as an Italian Orione class torpedo boat, an Italian MAS boat and three merchant ships of 1500, 2600 and 2500 tons respectively.
0503 hours - Two torpedoes were fired against the last ship in line. One of these torpedoes was seen to hit just abaft the foremast. The ship sank.
0505 hours - The torpedo boat was seen heading strait for Taku so Lt.Cdr. Nicolay went deep.
22 Jun 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) ends her 12th war patrol at Alexandria.
1 Jul 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) is docked at Alexandria for repairs to her Asdic dome and some other small repairs.
5 Jul 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) is undocked.
8 Jul 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) departs Alexandria for her 13th war patrol. This is her 3rd Mediterranean war patrol. She is to patrol in the Gulf of Sirte.
For HMS Taku's daily positions during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Taku 13th war patrolclick here for bigger map
13 Jul 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian passenger / cargo ship Caldea (2703 GRT, built 1928) 10 nautical miles bearing 312 of the Bengasi lighthouse, Libya.
(All times are zone -3)
0956 hours - Taku sighted the target about 7000 yards away. The target was escorted by three A/S trawlers. Taku closed for a torpedo attack.
1014 hours - Fired four torpedoes. The first torpedo missed the target but the remaining three all hit. The ship sank and there was no counter attack on Taku.
15 Jul 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) sinks the Italian auxiliary minesweeper Vincenzo P. (270 GRT, built 1918) and damages the tug Nettuno (406 GRT, built 1921) in position 30º41'N, 18º19'E.
(All times are zone -3)
1430 hours - An armed tug and a schooner were sighted in position 30º56'N, 17º56'E. Weather conditions were unfavourable for gunnery action. Taku shadowed the ships.
2126 hours - The ships were at anchor close inshore in position 30º41'N, 18º19'E. Taku surfaced to launch a folbot party. The folbot however broke in a wave and the idea of a folbot attack was abandoned. (A folbot is a folding kayak).
2314 hours - The armed tug was engaged with gunfire from 300 yards. A lighter was sighted laying astern of the tug. The lighter was slipped and drifted ashore. The tug was hit, the crew slipped the anchor cable and beached itself. Taku now shifted fire to the schooner. 12 rounds were fired from 150 yards. The schooner was then boarded. Charts, books, etc. were captured. The schooner was the Vincenzo P. and was loaded with provisions. The schooner was then sunk by gunfire. (Italian sources give the tug as Italian tug Nettuno. She was badly damaged and beached, The crew was saved and the tug was later salvaged.)
21 Jul 1941
In the early morning HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) lands a folbot party of 2 off Benghazi. They were to attack a ship in the harbour. Several explosions were observed in the harbour 40 minutes after launching the folbot party. The folbot party did not show up on the rendez-vouz point. They were obviously captured.
28 Jul 1941
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) ends her 13th war patrol at Alexandria. This was the last patrol of Taku. She is now sent back to the U.K. for a refit due to engine problems.
Submarine HMS Perseus (i) (N 36)
5 Sep 1941
HMS Persues (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian tanker Maya (3867 GRT) south of Tenedos Island in position 39º43'N, 25º57'E.
2 Oct 1941
HMS Persues (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Castellon (2086 GRT) about 50 nautical miles north-west of Benghazi, Libya in position 32º30'N, 19º09'E. Perseus missed the German merchant Savona (2120 GRT) during the same attack.
4 Dec 1941
HMS Persues (Lt.Cdr. E.C.F. Nicolay, DSC, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Eridano (3586 GRT) 6 nautical miles bearing 280 from Cape Dukato, Lefkada island, Greece.