Max Looff

Max Looff
Born 2 May 1874
Strasbourg, German Empire
Died 20 September 1954(1954-09-20) (aged 80)
Berlin, East Germany
Allegiance  German Empire (1891–1918)
Service/branch  Kaiserliche Marine
Years of service 1891–1922, 1939
Rank Vizeadmiral
Commands held SMS Königsberg
Battles/wars
Awards Order of the Red Eagle
Order of the Crown
Iron Cross
Other work Military writer

Max Looff (2 May 1874 – 20 September 1954) was a naval officer of the Imperial German Navy, who reached the rank of Vizeadmiral and later a military writer. Looff commanded the SMS Königsberg during the Battle of Rufiji Delta before it was sunk by two Royal Navy monitors, HMS Mersey and Severn on 11 July 1915.

Early Career

Looff was born on May 2, 1874 in Strasbourg. He entered the Imperial German Navy on April 10, 1891 and was assigned to the Bismarck-class corvette SMS Stosch, where he attended basic training. He was subsequently transferred to the Naval Academy in Kiel, where he finished his training on April 11, 1892 and was promoted to the rank Seekadett on the same date.

World War I

Looff is granted commanded of the Königsberg on 1 April 1914 and holds this command until the ship is scuttled in the Rufiji Delta in July the next year.

Later life

Max Looff was recalled to the Kriegsmarine service with the rank of Vizeadmiral on 24 May 1939, but remained in the reserve status for the duration of the War. Looff continued in his work and published the book about the combats in German East Africa, "Tufani" in 1941.

After the end of World War II, Looff remained in the Soviet occupation zone of the Berlin and thus his published work had been placed on the list of forbiden literature by the Communist regime.

Vizeadmiral Max Looff died on September 20, 1954 in Berlin, East Germany aged 80 years.


Military decorations

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rangliste der Kaiserlich Deutschen Marine, Hrsg.: German Imperial Naval Cabinet. E.S. Mittler & Sohn. Berlin 1918. S. 12.



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