PAUL JUST (206-1986)

Kriegsmarine, U-Bootwaffe

PAUL JUST was another U-Boat Skipper who began his service as a flyboy, but when Göring took control over everything that flew, JUST went into the U-Bootwaffe and commanded U-546. He sank but one ship in the war, the United States Navy destroyer escort FREDERICK C. DAVIS. This was a gutsy move because the DAVIS was part of a U.S. Navy naval task force so when DAVIS blew up, no less than eight U.S. Navy destroyer escorts rushed to the scene and in what must have been a terrifying time aboard U-546, the submarine was destroyed. JUST and other survivors were picked up and sent into POW camps.

Our Member ROBERT SWEITZER (2049-1991) was a crewman aboard USS KEITH (DE 241), one of the USN destroyer escorts that sank U-546.

Our Member ARTHUR HUNTLEY (2283-1992) was a sonarman aboard USS DAVIS when U-546 sank his ship. Our Sharkhunters motto is “Yesterday’s Enemies are Today’s Friends” and so it was in this situation. After the war, PAUL JUST and ART HUNTLEY met, as wartime foes do quite often, and they became fast friends. HUNTLEY had a small ranch in California and JUST put a small travel trailer on the property so when the cold winds and snows of Germany were howling, JUST and his wife were spending the winter in warm California on the ranch of a man who was once his enemy.