Johannes Merten

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Vice-Admiral Johannes Merten in Turkish uniform (far right) as delegate of the naval command and commander of all floating equipment in Çanakkale during the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II and Enver Pasha on the battlefield of Gallipoli. Far left, Admiral Guido von Usedom, also in a Turkish uniform.
SMS Victoria Louise

Johannes Merten (born December 15, 1857 in Sprauden , Marienwerder district , † April 8, 1926 in Berlin ) was a German naval officer in the Imperial Navy and general of the artillery of the Ottoman Empire .

Service in the Imperial Navy

Merten joined the Imperial Navy in 1875 . After his training and initial experience on board, he became the commander of several warships . He led the gunboat Albatross (May to October 1895 and April to September 1896) and the survey ship Möwe (February 1897 to February 1899), with which he was deployed in the area of ​​the German colonies in the South Seas .

From March 1899 to September 1902 he was first commander of the III., Later the IV. Marine Artillery Division and was promoted to frigate captain on March 23, 1901 . From September 1902 he commanded the two large cruisers Victoria Louise and Friedrich Carl one after the other . On January 27, 1903 he was promoted to sea captain.

In November 1904 Merten was appointed commander of the I. Shipyard Division and in October 1907 inspector of the II. Naval Inspection. On January 27, 1908, he was promoted to Rear Admiral. From October 1908 to November 1910 he was fortress commander of Wilhelmshaven and from August to September 1909 parallel leader of the III. Reconnaissance group. On 19 October 1910, it was character as a Vice Admiral awarded, and with the end of the following month he retired from active service.

Service for the Ottoman Empire

With the beginning of the First World War , Merten was reactivated and deployed in Turkey as the commander of the fortifications of the Dardanelles . He took part in their defense during the Battle of Gallipoli . On January 27, 1916, he received his patent as a vice admiral. The Ottoman Empire gave him the rank of general of the artillery. After the end of the war, he finally retired.

literature

  • Hans H. Hildebrand, Albert Röhr, Hans-Otto Steinmetz: Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe Volume 5, 1st edition, Herford 1982, ISBN 3-7822-0236-8 , p. 66
personal data
SURNAME Merten, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German naval officer, most recently Vice Admiral of the Imperial Navy
DATE OF BIRTH December 15, 1857
PLACE OF BIRTH Sprauden
DATE OF DEATH April 8, 1926
Place of death Berlin