Nummer: 26023
| Area : | Indic Ocean |
| Date of attack : | 04.03.1942 |
| Time of attack : | 13:00 |
| Nationality of U-boat : | Japanese |
| U-boat : | I-7 |
| Commander : | Koizumi |
| Grid : | 250nm N Cocos Is. |
| presumed target type : | Steam Freighter |
| presumed result : | sunk |
| Used weapon(s) : | Gunfire |
| Date of observation : | 04.03.1942 |
| Nationality of target : | Dutch |
| Actual type of target : | Motor Freighter |
| Name of target : | Merkus |
| Year of launch : | 1937 |
| Actual tonnage : | 865 BRT |
| Actual result : | sunk |
| Position of target : | 08.40s 94.30e |
| Footnote : | I-7 reported one combined freight-passenger steamer sunk at a position bearing 330° at 250 miles from Cocos Islands. - "Merkus" had left Tjilatjap on Feb.27th with a cargo of rubber and a few passengers for Colombo and was sunk on Mar.4th by a Japanese submarine with artillery, while passengers were allowed to abandon ship in four lifeboats. |
| updated on: | 03.07.2003 |
| Remark: | Anm.: Merkus |