Jost Metzler
Jost Metzler | |
|---|---|
 Jost Metzler | |
| Born | 26 February 1909 Altshausen |
| Died | 29 September 1975 (aged 66) Bavendorf-Ravensburg |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service |  Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1933–45 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
| Commands | U-69 U-847 19th U-boat Flotilla |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
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 (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
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]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 27 June 1941
References
Notes
- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ a b c d e 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 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
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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.
Template:Knight's Cross recipients of the U-boat service
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