Summary
Jost Metzler (26 February 1909 – 29 September 1975) was a German submarine commander during World War II. He commanded the U-boats U-69 and U-847, and was recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
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 held | U-69 U-847 19th U-boat Flotilla |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Career edit
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][2]
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]
Awards edit
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (1 June 1936)[4]
- Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)[4]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (12 April 1941)[4]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 July 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-69[5]
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c d e Busch & Röll 2003, p. 149.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 309.
Bibliography edit
- 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 edit
- Jost Metzler in the German National Library catalogue
