U-19, 11 Aug 1916 - 4 Jul 1917 U-52, 19 Sep 1917 - 29 Oct 1917 U-19, 17 Nov 1917 - 31 May 1918 Johannes Spieß (25 July 1888 – 30 March 1972) was an Imperial German Navy U-boat commander during World War I.

Thereafter, Spiess was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and remained a submarine commander until the end of the war.

He also initiated the only confirmed landing of German military personnel on British shores.

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"[2] ("Sechs Jahre U-Boot Fahrten") After World War II broke out, Spiess was recalled for duty and was active in several administrative roles.

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.

It is interesting to note that all Spiess' children names start with the letter 'J' and had the moniker of "the J half-flottilla".