Werner Lott
Encyclopedia
Werner Lott was a German
U-boat
commander
in World War II
. He was taken prisoner on 29 November 1939 after his boat was scuttled in the North Sea
at position 60°53′N 2°47′E after having been depth-charged by , and .
One of the more famous incidents involving Lott happened while a prisoner of war in the Tower of London
. He complained about the accommodations, and asked to talk to the officer in charge. Instead, he was visited by Lord Louis Mountbatten, who allowed him and his second-in-command to dine at Scott's Restaurant on the condition they not try to escape. Lott kept his promise, and was returned to the Tower later that night. A few days later, he and the other officers were moved to the Grizedale P.O.W. camp. Later, the entire crew was moved to P.O.W. camps in Canada.
He was also responsible for saving the lives of 28 Greek sailors whose ship he torpedoed; his submarine rescued the sailors and landed them safely on a Kerry
beach in what was one of only two such instances when a German submarine crew risked its own safety to protect the crew of a vessel they torpedoed and sank.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was taken prisoner on 29 November 1939 after his boat was scuttled in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
at position 60°53′N 2°47′E after having been depth-charged by , and .
One of the more famous incidents involving Lott happened while a prisoner of war in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. He complained about the accommodations, and asked to talk to the officer in charge. Instead, he was visited by Lord Louis Mountbatten, who allowed him and his second-in-command to dine at Scott's Restaurant on the condition they not try to escape. Lott kept his promise, and was returned to the Tower later that night. A few days later, he and the other officers were moved to the Grizedale P.O.W. camp. Later, the entire crew was moved to P.O.W. camps in Canada.
He was also responsible for saving the lives of 28 Greek sailors whose ship he torpedoed; his submarine rescued the sailors and landed them safely on a Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
beach in what was one of only two such instances when a German submarine crew risked its own safety to protect the crew of a vessel they torpedoed and sank.