Jost Metzler

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 32)


Successes
10 ships sunk, total tonnage 50,873 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 4,887 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 5,445 GRT

Born  26 Feb 1909 Altshausen, Württemberg
Died  29 Sep 1975(66)Bavendorf-Ravensburg, Germany


Jost Metzler

Ranks

1 Apr 1932 Offiziersanwärter
1 Jan 1934 Fähnrich zur See
1 Sep 1935 Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Jan 1936 Leutnant zur See
1 Oct 1937 Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct 1939 Kapitänleutnant
1 Oct 1943 Korvettenkapitän

Decorations

21 Dec 1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class
2 Mar 1941 Iron Cross 1st Class
12 Apr 1941 U-boat War Badge 1939
28 Jul 1941 Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-boatFromTo
U-69 2 Nov 1940 28 Aug 1941   4 patrols (117 days) 
U-847 1 Feb 1943 30 Jun 1943   No war patrols 

Jost Metzler
Kapitänleutnant Jost Metzler

Before Jost Metzler joined the Reichsmarine he spent eight years in the Merchant Navy, some of them on sailing ships. He joined the Reichsmarine in October 1933 as a HSO (Handelschiffoffizier, merchant ship officer). He first served on the torpedo boat T-196 and on several minesweepers. In April 1940, after 13 patrols on the Aviso Grille (previously Adolf Hitler's official yacht), he transferred to the U-boat arm. After seven months of training he commissioned U-69 in November 1940. On his first patrol, sailing from Kiel to St. Nazaire, he sank three ships with a total of 18,576 tons.

Jost Metzler Metzler's third patrol on U-69 was very successful. He laid 16 mines in the harbour of Lagos, where they later sank a British steamer. All in all on this patrol in African waters he sank five ships with a total of 25,544 tons. Unfortunately he was taken ill with renal colic some days after leaving St. Nazaire on his fourth patrol, forcing the boat to return to port. After two months in hospital he became the leading training officer for the 25th (Training) Flotilla and 27th Flotillas holding this post until February 1943.

He took over command of U-847 for four months in 1943, and then in autumn 1943 for two months he was deputy commander of the 5th (Training) Flotilla then from October 1943 to the end of war, Metzler commanded the 19th (Training) Flotilla first in Pillau and later in Kiel.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Jost Metzler

 U-boat Departure Arrival  
1. U-69 10 Feb 1941  Kiel  1 Mar 1941  Lorient  Patrol 1,20 days
2. U-69 18 Mar 1941  Lorient  11 Apr 1941  Lorient  Patrol 2,25 days
3. U-69 5 May 1941  Lorient  8 Jul 1941  St. Nazaire  Patrol 3,65 days
4. U-69 21 Aug 1941  St. Nazaire  27 Aug 1941  St. Nazaire  Patrol 4,7 days
4 patrols, 117 days at sea

Ships hit by Jost Metzler

Date U-boat Name of ship Tons Nat. Convoy
17 Feb 1941U-69 Siamese Prince8,456br
19 Feb 1941U-69 Empire Blanda5,693brHX-107
23 Feb 1941U-69 Marslew4,542brOB-288
30 Mar 1941U-69 Coultarn3,759brOB-302
3 Apr 1941U-69 Thirlby (d.)4,887brSC-26
21 May 1941U-69 Robin Moor4,999am
21 May 1941U-69 Tewkesbury4,601br
31 May 1941U-69 Sangara (t.)5,445br
4 Jun 1941U-69 Robert Hughes [Mine]2,879br
27 Jun 1941U-69 Empire Ability7,603brSL-78
27 Jun 1941U-69 River Lugar5,423brSL-78
3 Jul 1941U-69 Robert L. Holt2,918brOB-337
 61,205

11 ships sunk (56,318 tons) and 1 ship damaged (4,887 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.
(d.) means the ship was damaged.
(t.) means the ship was a total loss (included in ships & tonnage lost).
[Mine] indicates the vessel was hit by a mine laid by said U-boat.


About ranks and decorations
Ranks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.

Men who sank over 50,000 tons

Media links


The Laughing Cow

Metzler, Jost


German U-boat Commanders of World War II

Busch, Rainer and Röll, Hans-Joachim

Listing of all U-boat commanders


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