Johannes Spieß

Johannes Spieß (25 July 1888 – 30 March 1972) was an Imperial German Navy U-boat commander during World War I.

After the war ended, he retired from the navy in 1920, and lived through the interwar period of the Weimar Republic, the rise of Nazi Germany, World War II, and the subsequent division of Germany.

Early life

Johannes Spiess was born in Berlin on 25 July 1888, to Max Ernst Paul and Margarethe Amalie Anna Spiess. He also had two brothers, both of whom served in the army. One of his brothers was Theodor Spiess (1890-1962).

Spiess joined the Imperial German Navy as a sea cadet in 1907. He gradually rose through the ranks, where from 1908 till 1910 served as an Ensign on the SMS Braunschweig. Later on, from 1910 till 1912 he served as a Torpedo Officer on the SMS Pommern. In the fall of 1912, he was assigned as a Watch Officer on the U-9 under the command of Otto Weddigen, where he participated in early submarine sea trials.

Impressed by Spiess' service, Weddigen arranged with the Imperial German Navy, for Spiess to remain under his command on the U-9. By 1913, he had already attained the rank of First Lieutenant.

World War I

At the start of World War I in 1914, he served as the Executive Officer to Otto Weddigen on the same U-boat. A few days later, the U-9 set sail from Heligoland with nine other submarines for her first mission. This first war action by the German submarines failed, since U-13 and U-15 were lost. The U-9, battered and with technical problems, had to return to the Imperial Shipyard in Wilhelmshaven.

On 20 September 1914, the U-9 set out from the naval base on Heligoland on a reconnaissance mission westwards. In this mission, Spiess directly experienced the action of 22 September 1914, at the often recounted sinking of the British cruisers HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue and HMS Cressy. While patrolling in the region of the southern North Sea known to the British as the "Broad Fourteens", the U-9 intercepted three British warships of the Seventh Cruiser Squadron. Spiess had the watch during that early morning and was the first to notice one of the ships in the far horizon. He immediately alerted Weddigen who ordered his crew to submerge. The warships, which were sailing in line, were sighted about 50 km north of Hoek van Holland. After getting close to the cruisers, Weddigen gradually ordered the firing of all six of the U-9 torpedoes, with the crew reloading while submerged. In the space of 95 minutes, the three British armoured cruisers were sunk.

A few months later due to an injury, Weddigen was forced to hand over command of the U-9 to Spiess in January 1915. Thereafter, Spiess was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and remained a submarine commander until the end of the war. Besides the U-9, he also commanded the U-19, U-52, and U-135. During his career as a commander, he sunk 41 ships (79,449 tons) and damaged 2 others (4,052 tons).

He was active in the North Sea during the 1915 Restricted Submarine Phase where he sunk several British trawlers, patrolled the Baltic Sea during 1915–1916, the English Channel, Irish Sea and again the North Sea in 1917-1918 during the Unrestricted Submarine Phase. He was later was a key actor in suppressing the initial German Naval Mutinies in 1918. He also initiated the only confirmed landing of German military personnel on British shores.

Post-war life and memoirs

When World War I ended in November 1918, and with the subsequent Treaty of Versailles imposing restrictions on Germany's military capabilities, Spiess' naval career transitioned into civilian life. After his retirement from the navy, he married Carola Eckhusen in 1923, and later in 1925 he wrote his memoirs in the book "Six Years of Submarine Cruising" ("''Sechs Jahre U-Boot Fahrten").''

World War II

After World War II broke out, Spiess was recalled for duty and was active in several administrative roles. In 1940, he served in the OKW Wehrmacht propaganda department. Later on, he accompanied, the German advance into France to occupy the French naval ministry and then provisionally took over the docks at Nantes and St. Nazaire.

In 1941, he served with the Abwehr in a station defence role. In 1942, he was appointed Port Commander at La Pallice and St. Jean de Luz. In 1942/1943, he was active with the Marinegruppenkommando West in Paris, while in 1943/1944 he was active with the OKW der Marine.

He was dismissed in 1944.

Later life and death

After the collapse of Nazi regime, Spiess established a salvage company "Spiess & Co." in Hamburg, and also served as a transfer captain or first officer in many naval trips in almost all seas. However, there is no detailed information regarding these trips.

Spiess died in Hamburg on 30 March 1972. His body was cremated and his ashes were placed in an urn grove in the Öjendorf Cemetery.Reply dated 17/02/2025 from the Ohlsdorf advice centre (a Hamburg Cemetery Authority) to a request from a historical researcher enquiring about the location of Spiess grave.

Personal life

Spiess married Carola Eckhusen (b. 11 March 1903) on 7 April 1923.

They had 5 children. Joachim (b. 1923), Jobst Dieter (b. 1926), Juergen (b. 1928), Jutta May (b. 1934), and Jens (b. 1939). It is interesting to note that all Spiess' children names start with the letter 'J' and had the moniker of "the J half-flottilla".

Even though the family lived through the chaos of World War II, they all managed to survive. From this perspective, Spiess seems to have had a blessed life since many naval officers of his generation did not survive World War II, or at least had lost children in the war.

Gallery

File:A young Johannes Spiess with military uniform.png, A young Johannes Spiess in military uniform
File:JohannesSpiessComrades.jpg, Johannes Spiess (middle) with his two brothers. Theodor is the one on the right.
File:U-9 Crew.jpg, Spiess, first row, 4th from left together with Otto Weddigen and the crew of the U-9
File:Kapitänleutnant Spiess.jpg, Kapitänleutnant Spiess
File:SpiessWithFirstOfficer.png, Spiess with his First Officer
File:Spiess on watch.png, Spiess on watch
File:Johannes Spiess with his bride.png, Johannes Spiess with his bride, Carola Eckhusen in 1923
File:OlderJohannesSpiess.jpg, An older Johannes Spiess. Picture was found in the 'Crew Book' of 1907

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spiess, Johannes
1888 births
1972 deaths
U-boat commanders (Imperial German Navy)
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
Recipients of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria)