Paul Just (206-+-1986)
born 24 December 1915 at Hamburg and was in Naval Class 1936.
Officer training April 1936 to 30 September 1938;
Trained aboard SCHLESIEN winter of 1936-1937;
Seconded to Luftwaffe October 1938 to December 1940;
Aircraft Weapons School Bug/Bugen 1 October 1938;
Observer, I/Küstenfliegergrüppe 306 9/39 to 7/40;
Küstenfliegergrüppe 806/Luftflotte 3 at Nantes and Caen July 1940 to December 1940;
Awarded DEUTSCHES KREUZ in GOLD;
U-Boat training as Watch Officer and Baubelehrung January to September 1941;
I.W.O. on U-156 September 1941 to July 1942;
U-Commander’s Course July and August 1942;
Acting Commander U-6 August to September 1942;
Commander U-151 September 1942 to May 1943;
Baubelehrung April to June 1943;
Promoted to Kapitänleutnant 1 August 1943;
Commander of U-546 2 June 1943 to 24 April 1945;
Prisoner of War 24 April 1945 to 12 March 1946.

His military history included his appointment to the Luftwaffe where he learned some idea of the infrastructure and varied deployment of naval air arm personnel. Following his basic military training at Danholm, JUST was compulsorily listed for the See-Luftwaffe. After a long training voyage to South America aboard SCHLESIEN, he completed his period as Midshipman at Mürwik and was posted to the Aircraft Weapons School at Rügen in October 1938.

EDITOR NOTE – The ‘training’ cruise of SCHLESIEN retraced the route of the cruiser DRESDEN in 1915 when (then) Leutnant Wilhelm Canaris was aboard, and they plotted dozens of hidden coves and anchorages where German ships could hide. The cruise of SCHLESIEN was thinly disguised as a training cruise while one of her main objectives was to refresh German intelligence on these hidden places (U-Plätze) along the route.

At the outbreak of war, he made light bombing raids against Polish positions on the Hela Peninsula as navigator/bomb aimer with Küstenaufklarungsgrüppe I./306 flying He 60 floatplanes.

In October 1939 he spent time in He59 floatplanes, on anti-contraband patrols against neutral shipping in the Baltic and the following month on anti-submarine patrols from Rügen flying the He60 aircraft.

In December, the group was based at Kiel/Holtenau, and made long range reconnaissance patrols over the North Sea in old, antiquated He 111J bombers flying out of airfields at Hamburg/Ütersen and Oldenburg-Jever/Varrelbusch and later on, from Stavanger Norway. After several months training to the Ju 88 bomber, in July 1940 JUST was transferred to Küstenfliegergruppe 806, a coastal group at Nantes, where he flew anti-shipping patrols alongside Stuka-geschwader 3. They came under the umbrella of Luftflotte 3 and because Kriegsmarine personnel remained on an associated basis with the Luftwaffe, this meant that they were the only troops in the Wehrmacht responsible to two Commanders-in Chief.

Luftwaffe uniform was worn except when walking out, when naval dress was required. Naval ranks were always retained. From Nantes, the group made four or five anti-shipping flights weekly to St. George’s Channel, Bristol Docks and the Irish Sea. This was known as ‘armed reconnaissance’, the purpose being to disrupt seaborne traffic by dive bombing freighters and ports.

In August 1940, the Group was absorbed further under Luftwaffe direction when it received orders to begin high level night bombing raids against British inland cities, continuing to use the Ju88. By day, formation flying was practiced for Operation SEALION. After a shift of airfield to Caen in the wake of the setback in September 1940, single bomber nighttime nuisance raids on London were instituted.

On 15 November 1940, nearly all bomber aircraft in Luftflotte 3, including the naval air group, were committed to the attack on Coventry. Other cities bombed by the Group were Liverpool, Bristol & Southampton. By 31 Dec. 1940 when JUST was ordered to report to the U-Bootwaffe, he had flown 162 operational missions and held the DEUTSCHES KREUZ in GOLD.

The only ship attacked (and sunk) by JUST and U-546 in World War II was the American destroyer escort USS DAVIS. Almost immediately, several American DE’s pounced on U-546, sinking her. After the war, JUST became good friends with ARTHUR HUNTLEY (2283-+-1982), sonarman from USS DAVIS – the ship JUST sank, and for decades, JUST kept a house trailer on the property owned by HUNTLEY in California, where he and his wife spent winters. What a great example of: “Yesterday’s Enemies are Today’s Friends”

Both of these wonderful veterans have recently begun their “Eternal Patrol” and we like to think that they are together again, living old times and memories – but without bullets flying and without depth charges.

There will be more in KTB #178 next month about U-Boat Skippers who were once fliers, thanks to CHUCK MYLES.

WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 170]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 172]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 173]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 174]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 175]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 176]
WWII Vom Seeflieger Zum U-bootfahrer From Naval Aviator to Submariner [KTB 177]