Karl August Nerger
Fregattenkapitan Karl August Nerger,
Commander of the German armed merchant raider, SMS Wolf.
Nerger became an officer in 1896 and as the commander of the Konigsberg class light cruiser, SMS Stettin, he was involved in the battle of Helgoland. He served during the Boxer Rebellion, and while serving aboard SMS Iltis in 1900, he displayed distinction in action during the attack on the Chinese Taku Forts.
On 30 November 1916, SMS Wolf sailed from Kiel, Germany, with a complement of 348 sailors and commanded by Fregattenkapitan Nerger.
During the 451 days she was deployed in Allied territory around Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, South Asia and Africa, she destroyed 35 trading vessels and two war ships, amounting to approximately 110000 tons. She returned to Kiel on 24 February 1918 with 467 prisoners of war and substantial quantities of rubber, copper, zinc, brass, silk, copra, cocoa and other essential materials to the German war effort.
SMS Wolf, without any support, had made the longest voyage of a warship during the First World War. On her return to Germany, the Kaiser presented every crew member with the Iron Cross and Fregattenkapitan Nerger was awarded the highest German decoration, the Pour le Merité
On his return to Germany with the SMS Wolf, he was appointed to the Staff of Admiralty, German Naval Forces, and progressed to the rank of Konter-Admiral (Rear Admiral).
After the cessation of hostilities at the end of the Second World War, he was captured by Soviet forces and interned at Sachsenhausen Prisoner of War (POW) Camp, where he died on 10 January 1947.