Hans Johannsen

Hans Johannsen
Born	(1913-01-29)29 January 1913 Stadum, Nordfriesland
Died	5 March 1961(1961-03-05) (aged 48) Burg on Fehmarn
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Kriegsmarine
Years of service	1935–45
Rank	Oberleutnant (Ing.)
Unit	U-6, U-3, U-5, U-96, U-802
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Hans Johannsen (29 January 1913 – 5 March 1961) was a German chief engineer on a U-boat in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was the basis for the character of "Johann the Ghost" in the submarine action film Das Boot.

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (1 January 1939)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (20 April 1940)
  • 1st Class (2 March 1941)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (3 January 1941)
• German Cross in Gold on 17 November 1942 as Leutnant (Ing.) on U-96 in the 7. Unterseebootflottille
• U-Boat Front Clasp in Bronze (13 November 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 31 March 1945 as Oberleutnant (Ing.) and chief engineer on U-802

References

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)