Jost Metzler
Jost Metzler (26 February 1909 – 29 September 1975) was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II, commander of the U-boats U-69 and U-847, and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Jost Metzler | |
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Jost Metzler | |
Born | Altshausen | 26 February 1909
Died | 29 September 1975 66) Bavendorf-Ravensburg | (aged
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/ | Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1933–45 |
Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
Commands held | U-69 U-847 19th U-boat Flotilla |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Career
Metzler joined the Kriegsmarine in October 1933, after spending eight years in the merchant marine. He served on the torpedo boat T-196 and on several minesweepers. After 13 patrols on the minesweeper Grille, he transferred to the U-boat arm in April 1940, commissioning U-69 in November 1940.[1]
On his first patrol, sailing from Kiel to St. Nazaire in early 1941, he sank three ships for a total of 18,576 gross register tons (GRT).[1] On his second patrol south-west of Iceland, he sank a single ship of 3,759 GRT and damaged another.[2] Metzler's third patrol on U-69 was the most successful. He laid 16 mines in the harbour of Lagos, Nigeria, where they later sank a British steamer. He then sank another five ships for a total of 25,544 GRT.[1]
Metzler developed renal colic a few days after leaving St. Nazaire on his fourth patrol in August 1941, forcing the U-boat to return to port. After two months in hospital he served as the leading training officer in 25th and 27th U-boat Flotilla until February 1943.[1]
Metzler commanded U-847 from February to June 1943 without sailing on any patrols, and was appointed temporary locum commander of 5th U-boat Flotilla for two months before serving as commander of 19th U-boat Flotilla from October 1943 until the end of war.[1]
In 1954 Metzler published a memoir The Laughing Cow: The Story of U-69. The title is derived from the time when U-69 was first assigned to 7th U-boat Flotilla and the crew were instructed to paint Günther Prien's snorting bull insignia on the U-boat's conning tower. No illustration was enclosed, so U-69's First Watch Officer, Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Jürgen Auffermann instructed a shipyard worker to copy the head of laughing cow which appeared on the packaging of a popular French dairy product instead. This naturally proved to be a source of great amusement.[3]
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As commander of U-69 Jost Metzler is credited with sinking ten ships for a total of 50,873 gross register tons (GRT), further damaging one ship of 4,887 GRT and damaging one ship of 5,445 GRT so severely that it had to be considered a total loss.
Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|
17 February 1941 | MV Siamese Prince | United Kingdom | 8,456 | Sunk |
19 February 1941 | SS Empire Blanda | United Kingdom | 5,693 | Sunk |
23 February 1941 | SS Marslew | United Kingdom | 4,542 | Sunk |
30 March 1941 | SS Coultarn | United Kingdom | 3,759 | Sunk |
3 April 1941 | Thirlby | United Kingdom | 4,877 | Damaged |
21 May 1941 | SS Robin Moor | USA | 4,999 | Sunk |
21 May 1941 | SS Tewkesbury | United Kingdom | 4,601 | Sunk |
31 May 1941 | MV Sangara | United Kingdom | 5,445 | Total loss |
3 June 1941 | barge Robert Hughes | United Kingdom | 2,879 | Sunk (mine) |
27 June 1941 | SS Empire Ability | United Kingdom | 7,603 | Sunk |
27 June 1941 | SS River Lugar | United Kingdom | 5,423 | Sunk |
3 July 1941 | SS Robert L. Holt | United Kingdom | 2,918 | Sunk |
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (1 June 1936)[5]
- Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)[5]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (12 April 1941)[5]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 July 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-69[6]
References
Notes
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Korvettenkapitän Jost Metzler". German U-boat Commanders of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-69 from 18 Mar 1941 to 11 Apr 1941". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- "The Laughing Cow of Lorient". u47.org. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-69". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
- Busch & Röll 2003, p. 149.
- Fellgiebel 2000, p. 309.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links
- Jost Metzler in the German National Library catalogue
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Jost Metzler". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 April 2015.