Karl-Friedrich Merten
Date Ship Nationality Tonnage Fate
22 September 1941 Silverbelle United Kingdom 5,302 Sunk at 25°45′N 24°00′W / 25.750°N 24.000°W / 25.750 ; -24.000 ( Silverbelle ( ship ) )
22 October 1941 Darkdale United Kingdom 8,145 Sunk at 15°55′S 5°43′W / 15.917°S 5.717°W / -15.917 ; -5.717 ( Darkdale ( ship ) )
28 October 1941 Hazelside United Kingdom 5,297 Sunk at 23°10′S 1°36′E / 23.167°S 1.600°E / -23.167 ; 1.600 ( Hazelside ( ship ) )
1 November 1941 Bradford City United Kingdom 4,953 Sunk at 22°59′S 9°49′E / 22.983°S 9.817°E / -22.983 ; 9.817 ( Bradford City ( ship ) )
3 March 1942 Helenus United Kingdom 7,366 Sunk at 6°01′N 12°02′W / 6.017°N 12.033°W / 6.017 ; -12.033 ( Helenus ( ship ) )
8 March 1942 Baluchistan United Kingdom 6,992 Sunk at 4°13′N 8°32′W / 4.217°N 8.533°W / 4.217 ; -8.533 ( Baluchistan ( ship ) )
16 March 1942 Baron Newlands United Kingdom 3,386 Sunk at 4°35′N 8°32′W / 4.583°N 8.533°W / 4.583 ; -8.533 ( Baron Newlands ( ship ) )
17 March 1942 Allende United Kingdom 5,081 Sunk at 4°00′N 7°44′W / 4.000°N 7.733°W / 4.000 ; -7.733 ( Allende ( ship ) )
17 March 1942 Ile de Batz United Kingdom 5,755 Sunk at 4°04′N 8°04′W / 4.067°N 8.067°W / 4.067 ; -8.067 ( Ile de Batz ( ship ) )
17 March 1942 Scottish Prince United Kingdom 4,917 Sunk at 4°10′N 8°00′W / 4.167°N 8.000°W / 4.167 ; -8.000 ( Scottish Prince ( ship ) )
30 March 1942 Muncaster Castle United Kingdom 5,853 Sunk at 2°02′N 12°02′W / 2.033°N 12.033°W / 2.033 ; -12.033 ( Muncaster Castle ( ship ) )
5 June 1942 L.J . Drake United States 6,693 Sunk at 17°30′N 68°20′W / 17.500°N 68.333°W / 17.500 ; -68.333 ( L.J . Drake ( ship ) )
5 June 1942 C.O . Stillman Panama 16,436 Sunk at 17°33′N 67°55′W / 17.550°N 67.917°W / 17.550 ; -67.917 ( C.O . Stillman ( ship ) )
10 June 1942 Ardenvohr United Kingdom 5,025 Sunk at 12°45′N 80°20′W / 12.750°N 80.333°W / 12.750 ; -80.333 ( Ardenvohr ( ship ) )
10 June 1942 Port Montreal United Kingdom 5,882 Sunk at 12°17′N 80°20′W / 12.283°N 80.333°W / 12.283 ; -80.333 ( Port Montreal ( ship ) )
10 June 1942 Surrey United Kingdom 8,581 Sunk at 12°45′N 80°20′W / 12.750°N 80.333°W / 12.750 ; -80.333 ( Surrey ( ship ) )
15 June 1942 Frimaire Free France 9,242 Sunk at 11°50′N 73°40′W / 11.833°N 73.667°W / 11.833 ; -73.667 ( Frimaire ( ship ) )
23 June 1942 Arnaga Panama 2,345 Sunk at 13°08′N 72°16′W / 13.133°N 72.267°W / 13.133 ; -72.267 ( Arnaga ( ship ) )
12 September 1942 Trevilley United Kingdom 5,298 Sunk at 4°30′S 7°50′W / 4.500°S 7.833°W / -4.500 ; -7.833 ( Trevilley ( ship ) )
15 September 1942 Breedijk Netherlands 6,861 Sunk at 5°05′S 8°54′W / 5.083°S 8.900°W / -5.083 ; -8.900 ( Breedijk ( ship ) )
Summary of career -- Ships attacked
Map all coordinates using : OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as : KML · GPX As commander of U-68 , Merten is credited with the sinking of 27 ships for a total of 170,151 gross register tons ( GRT ) .
Karl-Friedrich Merten (15 August 1905 - 2 May 1993) commanded the U-boat U-68 in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Merten was credited with the sinking of 27 ships for a total of 170,151 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping. Merten joined the Reichsmarine (navy of the Weimar Republic) in 1926. He served on the light cruisers Karlsruhe and Leipzig during the Spanish Civil War patrols. At the outbreak of World War II, he was stationed on the battleship Schleswig-Holstein, participating in the Battle of Westerplatte and Battle of Hel. He transferred to the U-boat service in 1940, at first serving as a watch officer on U-38 before taking command of U-68 in early 1941. Commanding U-68 on five war patrols, patrolling in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Indian Ocean, he was awarded Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 June 1942 and the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 16 November 1942. On the second patrol, Merten helped rescue the crews of the auxiliary cruiser Atlantis and the refuelling ship Python, which had been sunk by the Royal Navy. In January 1943 Merten became the commander of the 26th U-boat Flotilla and in March 1943, Merten was given command of the 24th U-boat Flotilla. In February 1945, he was posted to the posted to the Führer Headquarters in Berlin. At the end of the war, he was taken prisoner of war by US forces and released again in late June 1945.