The Men - The Commander listing

Jost Metzler

Korvettenkapitän (Crew 32)

Successes
10 ships sunk for a total of 50.873 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 4.887 GRT
1 ship a total loss for a total of 5.445 GRT

Born	26 Feb, 1909	Altshausen, Württemberg
Died	29 Sep, 1975	Bavendorf-Ravensburg

Jost Metzler

Ranks

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

Personal information

Kapitänleutnant Jost Metzler

Before Jost Metzler started his Navy career he spent eight years in the merchant marine, for some years on sailing ships. In October 1933 he joined the Kriegsmarine as 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 mine sweeper Grille, 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 for a total of 18,576 tons.

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

He took over U-847 for four months in 1943, and then in autumn 1943 was for two months the 5th Flotilla's commander in deputize. From October 1943 to the end of war, Metzler served as commander of the 19th Flotilla, first in Pillau, later in Kiel.

Patrol info

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

Ships hit by Jost Metzler

Date	Boat	Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy	Fate *
17 Feb, 1941	U-69	Siamese Prince	8.456		br
19 Feb, 1941	U-69	Empire Blanda	5.693		br	HX-107
23 Feb, 1941	U-69	Marslew	4.542		br	OB-288
30 Mar, 1941	U-69	Coultarn	3.759		br	OB-302
3 Apr, 1941	U-69	Thirlby	4.887		br	SC-26	damaged
21 May, 1941	U-69	Robin Moor	4.999		am
21 May, 1941	U-69	Tewkesbury	4.601		br
31 May, 1941	U-69	Sangara	5.445		br		total loss
4 Jun, 1941	U-69	Robert Hughes [Mine]	2.879		br
27 Jun, 1941	U-69	Empire Ability	7.603		br	SL-78
27 Jun, 1941	U-69	River Lugar	5.423		br	SL-78
3 Jul, 1941	U-69	Robert L. Holt	2.918		br	OB-337
			61.205
* Unless otherwise noted the ships listed here were sunk. [Mine] indicates the vessel was hit by a mine.