Paul Büchel

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 25)

Successes
3 ships sunk, total tonnage 6,697 GRT
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 17,525 GRT

Born	3 Aug 1907		Greifenberg, Pomerania
Died	2 Feb 1986	(78)

FrgKpt. Paul Büchel, probably after capture by US Navy

Ranks

1 Apr 1925		Offiziersanwärter
16 Nov 1925		Seekadett
1 Apr 1927		Fähnrich zur See
1 Jun 1928		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1929		Leutnant zur See
1 Jul 1931		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct 1935		Kapitänleutnant
1 Jan 1940		Korvettenkapitän
1 Oct 1943		Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

6 Jun 1939		Spanish Cross in Bronze without Swords
1 Oct 1939		Iron Cross 2nd Class
Jan 1940		Iron Cross 1st Class
23 Jan 1940		U-boat War Badge 1939

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-32	16 Aug 1937	11 Feb 1940	3 patrols (58 days)
U-860	12 Aug 1943	15 Jun 1944	1 patrol (66 days)

Paul Büchel joined the Reichsmarine in 1925. After seeing service (but not combat) in the Spanish Civil War, he underwent U-boat training, and took command of the type VIIA U-32 in August 1937.

During his second patrol in U-32, mine-laying in the Bristol Channel, Büchel sank two vessels with torpedoes, and two large freighters were damaged by mines U-32 had laid.

For the third patrol, Büchel's mission was to lay mines in the hazardous and well-defended waters of the Firth of Clyde, but he set them in deeper water outside the Firth, where they found no victims. The eight mines U-32 was carrying were the new and more powerful TCM model, and it was hoped they would sink a capital ship (Blair, 1996). BdU Dönitz was unimpressed by Büchel's performance of his duty. He noted that the explanation from the commander had been "unconvincing" and that the mission had been "a difficult one - too difficult for this commanding officer" (BdU War diary).

Krvtkpt. Büchel was relieved of his command on 11 Feb 1940, and subsequently served in several staff positions with training units before being given a boat again, the larger long range U-860, in August 1943. On 15 June 1944, 66 days into his first patrol, en route to the Far East as a Monsun boat, the boat was sunk by aircraft from the escort carrier USS Solomons. Büchel and 19 of his men survived, but 42 died.

Sources

BdU War diary (22 Jan 1940). 16 - 30 Jan 1940. PG number 30256.
Blair, C. (1996). Hitler’s U-boat War. The Hunters, 1939-1942.
Busch, R and Röll, H-J. (1998). German U-boat commanders of World War II.

Patrol info for Paul Büchel

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-32	27 Aug 1939	Memel	1 Sep 1939	Kiel	Patrol 1,	6 days
2.	U-32	5 Sep 1939	Kiel	30 Sep 1939	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol 2,	26 days
3.	U-32	28 Dec 1939	Wilhelmshaven	22 Jan 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol 3,	26 days
4.	U-860	11 Apr 1944	Kiel	15 Jun 1944	Sunk	Patrol 4,	66 days
4 patrols, 124 days at sea

Ships hit by Paul Büchel

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons
18 Sep 1939	U-32	Kensington Court	4,863	br
28 Sep 1939	U-32	Jern	875	nw
5 Oct 1939	U-32	Marwarri (d.) [Mine]	8,063	br
6 Oct 1939	U-32	Lochgoil (d.) [Mine]	9,462	br
31 Dec 1939	U-32	Luna	959	nw
			24,222
3 ships sunk (6,697 tons) and 2 ships damaged (17,525 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged. [Mine] indicates the vessel was hit by a mine laid by said U-boat.