Johannes Lohs

Johannes Lohs
Born 24 June 1889
Einsiedel, Saxony
Died 14 August 1918 (aged 29)
North Sea
Allegiance  German Empire
Service/branch  Kaiserliche Marine
Years of service 1909 - 1918
Rank Oberleutnant zur See
Commands held SM UC-75, 17 March 1917 – 30 January 1918
SM UB-57, 2 January 1918 – 14 August 1918
Battles/wars U-boat Campaign (World War I)
Awards Iron Cross 1st class
Pour le Mérite

Lieutenant junior grade Johannes Lohs (24 June 1889 – 14 August 1918) was a successful and highly decorated German U-boat commander in the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I.

In his time as commander of SM UC-75 and SM UB-57 he succeeded in sinking several ships for a total tonnage of approximately 165.000 gross register tons (GRT).

Early life

Johannes Lohs was born on 24 June 1889 at Einsiedel, Saxony. He was son of plant owner Oswald Lohs. He first went to school in his home village and later a grammar school in Chemnitz.

He entered the Kaiserliche Marine on 1 April 1909 and had several commands as Fähnrich zur See and served from 1 October 1912 on the cruiser SMS Straßburg on which he saw half of the world.

World War I

Lohs saw action for the very first time on 28 August 1914 and was promoted Leutnant zur See in the autumn of 1915. He then moved to U-Bootschule for a period, but got his first U-boat command on UC-75 on 17 March 1917, on which he did 9 patrols off the British coast. On 2 January 1918 he became Commanding officer of the UB-57, taking over the command of this boat from another legendary U-boat commander, Otto Steinbrinck. Lohs had also some very good ideas on U-boat warfare and new tactics and on 24 April 1918 he received the Pour le Mérite.

On 3 August 1918 he sailed from Zeebrugge for the last time. The last contact he made with the base was on the evening of 14 August as UB-57 was homeward bound roughly in the area of the Sandiette Bank, east of the Strait of Dover. Nothing more was heard. UB-57 is believed to have run onto a mine. Lohs' body washed up on shore a week later and he is buried in the military cemetery at Vlissingen.

On 4 October 1937 the 3rd U-boat Flotilla was named after him at Kiel.

References