Years of service 1891–1922, 1939 Name Max Looff Other work Military writer | Commands held SMS Konigsberg Rank Vizeadmiral | |
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Allegiance German Empire (1891–1918) Battles/wars World War I
East African Campaign
Battle of Zanzibar
Battle of Rufiji Delta Died September 20, 1954, Berlin, Germany Awards Order of the Red Eagle, Order of the Crown, Iron Cross Battles and wars World War I, East African Campaign, Battle of Zanzibar, Battle of Rufiji Delta | ||
Service/branch Imperial German Navy | ||
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.
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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 forbidden literature by the Communist regime.
Vizeadmiral Max Looff died on September 20, 1954 in Berlin, East Germany aged 80 years.