RISING THROUGH THE RANKS
Ewald Konstantin Ferdinand Friedrich von Lochow was born in Petkus (located in Prussian Brandenburg) on April 1, 1855. Three weeks after turning eighteen, he joined the Second Foot Guard Regiment in Berlin with the rank of second lieutenant. In August 1877, he became a batallion adjutant to the unit.
Lochow began his studies at the Prussian War Academy on the first of October 1882. Two weeks later, he was promoted to first lieutenant. Then in May 1884, Lochow became a regimental adjutant to the Second Foot Guard Regiment.
In June 1886, Lochow became part of the Greater General Staff in Berlin… temporarily detached from his regiment. He was soon promoted to captain in March 1888. Then in April 1889, Lochow joined II Corps (based in Stettin) as part of Ernst von der Burg’s general staff.
On July 2, 1890, Lochow joined the 16th Infantry Division (based in Trier) as part of August von Seebeck’s general staff. In September 1891, he was transferred to the Fifth Westphalian Infantry Regiment Number 53 in Cologne. Lochow became the unit’s company commander while in Aachen.
Lochow then returned to the capital and the Greater General Staff in February 1893. The reason was to fulfill instructor duties at the War Academy. Six months later, he became a major.
In the autumn of 1897, Lochow was named battalion commander of the First Magdeburgese “GFM Graf Blumenthal” Fusilier Regiment Number 36 based in Halle. A little less than two years later (August 16, 1899), he joined IV Corps in Magdeburg and became Richard von Klitzing’s chief of staff.
With the dawn of the 20th century came greater rewards and opportunities for Ewald von Lochow. In April 1900, he was again promoted to lieutenant colonel. Two months later, Lochow was named the provisional chief of Army Department A1 at Berlin’s Prussian War Ministry. He would officially become the department chief a year later.
After being made a full colonel in April 1902, Lochow took command of the Fourth Foot Guard Regiment (based in Berlin) on October 24, 1903. He was then transferred to Posen in February 1906, taking command of the 19th Infantry Brigade. Four months after accepting this post, Lochow became a major general.
Later in October, Lochow became Chief of Army Administration Department BD in the Prussian War Ministry, replacing Max von Gallwitz. In the early spring of 1909, he assumed command of the Second Guard Infantry Division, replacing Dedo von Schenck. That autumn, Lochow attained the rank of lieutenant general.
In October 1912, Lochow replaced Karl von Bülow as commander of III Corps in Berlin. He also became General der Infanterie on June 16, 1913.
A GENERAL EUROPEAN CONFLICT
As war spread across Europe in August 1914, General der Infanterie Ewald von Lochow’s III Corps was a group of elite units attached to Alexander von Kluck’s German First Army driving through Belgium towards Paris. Lochow’s men were instrumental in forcing back the BEF at Mons, one of the many engagements during the so-called Battle of the Frontiers.
As 1915 dawned, Lochow was presented with the Pour le Merite from Kaiser Wilhelm II himself! Later that autumn, III Corps witnessed great success in the Balkans against the Serbs. Lochow was rewarded with the oak leaves that were added to his “Blue Max”.
Then in February 1916, Lochow’s unit joined the Crown Prince Wilhelm’s German Fifth Army in the assault on the fortress of Verdun. Mere days after the opening bombardment, III Corps captured Fort Douaumont and took six thousand prisoners.
But soon, the battle became a bloody stalemate! In April, the German command divided the field of battle into two sections. Lochow replaced Bruno von Mudra as commander of the right bank of the Meuse River.
DOWNFALL AND DEATH
On the last day of November 1916, Lochow became head of the German Fifth Army, replacing Crown Prince Wilhelm. But his time in command lasted a little over two weeks. As the “hell of Verdun” came to a close on December 17th, Lochow was replaced by Max von Gallwitz… and named Offizier von der Armee. Eventually, he retired from the military in late January 1917.
Ewald von Lochow survived long enough to see the rise of Nazi Germany and the start of the Second World War. He died in Charlottenburg, Berlin on April 11, 1942 at the age of eighty-seven.
AWARDS
– Iron Cross of 1914 (First and Second Class)
– Pour le Mérite (January 14, 1915) with Oak Leaves (November 13, 1915)
– Order of the Crown
– Order of the Zähringer Lion
– Order of Albert the Bear
– Hanseatic Cross Lübeck
– Order of the Red Eagle
– Bavarian Military Merit Order
– Albert Order
– Württemberg Order of the Crown
– Friedrich Order
