Ernst Mengersen

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 33)

Successes
12 ships sunk, total tonnage 67,126 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,190 tons
3 ships damaged, total tonnage 20,159 GRT

Born	30 Jun 1912		Bremke, Lippe
Died	6 Nov 1995	(83)	Detmold-Dortmund, Germany

Ernst Mengersen

Ranks

1 Apr 1933		Offiziersanwärter
23 Sep 1933		Seekadett
1 Jul 1934		Fähnrich zur See
1 Apr 1936		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1936		Leutnant zur See
1 Jun 1938		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct 1940		Kapitänleutnant
1 Dec 1944		Korvettenkapitän

Decorations

27 Jan 1940		Iron Cross 2nd Class
23 Oct 1940		Spanish Cross in Bronze without Swords
10 Dec 1940		Iron Cross 1st Class
18 Nov 1941		Knights Cross
25 Feb 1942		U-boat War Badge 1939

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-18	24 Nov 1939	2 Sep 1940	2 patrols (23 days)
U-143	18 Sep 1940	2 Nov 1940	No war patrols
U-101	18 Nov 1940	31 Dec 1941	6 patrols (186 days)
U-607	29 Jan 1942	18 Apr 1943	3 patrols (148 days)

Ernst Karl Mengersen began his naval career in 1933 and served on the 'pocket battleship' Admiral Scheer and the torpedo boat Tiger.

In April 1939 he transferred to the U-boat force and then spent nearly four years commanding U-boats. In June 1943 he became the commander of the 20th Flotilla at Pillau. During the last three months of the war he served in the 25th Flotilla and in April 1945 he was chosen to command the new 15th Flotilla.

Ernst Mengersen

Kapitänleutnant Mengersen among the crew of U-101 after patrol in December 1940.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.

Patrol info for Ernst Mengersen

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-18	18 Jan 1940	Kiel	26 Jan 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol 1,	9 days
2.	U-18	11 Feb 1940	Wilhelmshaven	24 Feb 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol 2,	14 days
3.	U-18	27 Feb 1940	Wilhelmshaven	28 Feb 1940	Kiel		2 days
4.	U-101	24 Nov 1940	Lorient	7 Dec 1940	Lorient	Patrol 3,	14 days
5.	U-101	23 Jan 1941	Lorient	19 Feb 1941	Lorient	Patrol 4,	28 days
6.	U-101	24 Mar 1941	Lorient	2 May 1941	Lorient	Patrol 5,	40 days
7.	U-101	28 May 1941	Lorient	4 Jul 1941	Lorient	Patrol 6,	38 days
8.	U-101	7 Aug 1941	Lorient	4 Sep 1941	St. Nazaire	Patrol 7,	29 days
9.	U-101	4 Oct 1941	St. Nazaire	6 Oct 1941	St. Nazaire		3 days
10.	U-101	11 Oct 1941	St. Nazaire	16 Nov 1941	Kiel	Patrol 8,	37 days
11.	U-607	9 Jul 1942	Kiel	10 Jul 1942	Kristiansand		2 days
12.	U-607	13 Jul 1942	Kristiansand	16 Aug 1942	St. Nazaire	Patrol 9,	35 days
13.	U-607	8 Sep 1942	St. Nazaire	23 Oct 1942	St. Nazaire	Patrol 10,	46 days
14.	U-607	2 Jan 1943	St. Nazaire	9 Mar 1943	St. Nazaire	Patrol 11,	67 days
11 patrols, 357 days at sea

Ships hit by Ernst Mengersen

Date	U-boat	Commander	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
23 Jan 1940	U-18	Ernst Mengersen	Bisp	1,000	nw
30 Nov 1940	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Aracataca	5,378	br
1 Dec 1940	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Appalachee	8,826	br	HX-90
1 Dec 1940	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Loch Ranza (d.)	4,958	br	HX-90
2 Dec 1940	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Kavak	2,782	br	HX-90
2 Dec 1940	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Lady Glanely	5,497	br	HX-90

14 Feb 1941	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Belcrest	4,517	br	SC-21
17 Feb 1941	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Gairsoppa	5,237	br	SL-64
4 Jun 1941	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Trecarrell	5,271	br	OB-327
9 Jun 1941	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	Trevarrack	5,270	br	OB-329
18 Oct 1941	U-101	Ernst Mengersen	HMS Broadwater (H 81)	1,190	br	SC-48

26 Jul 1942	U-607	Ernst Mengersen	Empire Rainbow (d.)	6,942	br	ON-113
4 Aug 1942	U-607	Ernst Mengersen	Belgian Soldier	7,167	be	ON-115
14 Oct 1942	U-607	Ernst Mengersen	Nellie	4,826	gr	SC-104

26 Jan 1943	U-607	Ernst Mengersen	Kollbjørg (d.)	8,259	nw	HX-223
15 Feb 1943	U-607	Ernst Mengersen	Atlantic Sun	11,355	am	ON-165
				88,475
13 ships sunk (68,316 tons) and 3 ships damaged (20,159 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged.

About ranks and decorations
Ranks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.