Ever Drink a Gelbe Stuka?

[Richard]

Spent time with a number of units throughout the FRG and they all had some form of traditonal challenge (e.g., die Bayerische Olympische Spielen for mountain units) or concoction to drink. Many merely mixed Sekt (champagne-like German wine) with a colored substance to emulate their branch insignia colors (e.g., red = artillery, blue = technical/support, etc.).

We have similar traditions for things like a Prop Blast Ceremony or during a Regimental Dining-In.

Personally, I always enjoyed the camraderie which went along with such traditions and have many fond (and some not so fond) memories of it all.

Mitch - nice mug from the Gruppe 3402 ffolkes.

Richard's $.02

[Stras]

Kampfschwimmers are the guys in Eckenforde (German Navy Seals).


KSK is the Kommand Spezial Krafte in Calw which was formed in 1997/1998 from Fallschirmjaeger Battalion 251 and 252.

[Utah Bob]

Once inside, we noticed this large bowel on one of the tables.

Never a good sign!

[RichL025]

Stras,

Originally Posted by Stras

Kampfschwimmers are the guys in Eckenforde (German Navy Seals).


KSK is the Kommand Spezial Krafte in Calw which was formed in 1997/1998 from Fallschirmjaeger Battalion 251 and 252.

Before they stood up that unit, the Kampfschwimmerkompanie was known (by us, at least) as the KSK - a few of the guys on the B co dive team had T-shirts with that logo from some joint training a few years before I got there.

Rich

[alfromcolorado]

I forgot a few memories down there in Mittenwald shortly after I synapsed them.

Originally Posted by Richard

Spent time with a number of units throughout the FRG and they all had some form of traditonal challenge (e.g., die Bayerische Olympische Spielen for mountain units) or concoction to drink. Many merely mixed Sekt (champagne-like German wine) with a colored substance to emulate their branch insignia colors (e.g., red = artillery, blue = technical/support, etc.).

We have similar traditions for things like a Prop Blast Ceremony or during a Regimental Dining-In.

Personally, I always enjoyed the camraderie which went along with such traditions and have many fond (and some not so fond) memories of it all.

Mitch - nice mug from the Gruppe 3402 ffolkes.

Richard's $.02

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by Richard

Mitch - nice mug from the Gruppe 3402 ffolkes.

Richard's $.02

Not familiar with Gruppe 3402, or maybe I was once and now just CRS!

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Mitch

Not familiar with Gruppe 3402, or maybe I was once and now just CRS!

Official ID of the old KSK.

http://www.sondereinheiten.de/einheiten/kampfschwimmer/

KSK now has a different meaning since the reorganization of 1991.

Richard

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by Richard

Official ID of the old KSK.

http://www.sondereinheiten.de/einheiten/kampfschwimmer/

KSK now has a different meaning since the reorganization of 1991.

Richard

Interesting read (auf Deutsch), never knew they had a specific unit number - guess it just never came up. Also did not realize that the building they were in, in 1974, was that new, although it did look new. Everything they had was state of the art, best quality, very substantial - I just accepted that as being typical German.

The primary purpose, for this training, for us anyway, was to get some experience in their equipment - the Dräger LAR III Rebreathers. We had just purchased a dozen of these units, direct from the factory, but we didn't have any experience with them. Generally rebreathers, provided the stealth and secrecy needed to make swims inside enemy dock and port facilities - virtually no bubbles. These Drägers just happened to be the best, by far, available in Europe at that time.

But the Germans said that if we wanted training, we had to do it their way - which included all their little "small steps" to learning, all their incremental measures for safety and thoroughness - also they wanted to stress the man well beyond his comfort zone.

Once we finished the pool training, which took up the entire first week we were there, we started with swims in and around the small naval port/docks in Eckernförder (see the picture below). Eventually we went out to sea as far out as 20 miles up the coast for some real open water experiences - day and night. The conditions in the Eckernförder Bucht (Bay) were pretty mild and tame - thus the trips north.

By the way, the only limitation with this or any other normal Rebreather was in "depth" - usually limited to no more than 30 feet (we puhed it) - though the book recommended only half that to avoid o2 poisoning (that's another lengthy subject). This problem was in the process of being solved too just a few years later with the introduction of the CCR 1000 (also another lengthy topic).

Our experience was mutually so good - that we were invited back the following year for a refresher, which for the most part, was just to conduct raids on their port - we skipped all the "tediousness" of the first trip up there that time - we also skipped the Gelbe Stukka.


Mitchell - Hebler and Picknell names.jpg
Note: That's Dennis Hebler and Bob Picknell there with me - two excellent divers and good friends too.

[mojaveman]

If you could remember the recipe Mitch perhaps you could market the Gelbe Stuka as an energy drink and make millions. You could even have a label on the bottle with an image of a diver on it.

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by mojaveman

If you coluld remember the recipe Mitch perhaps you could market the Gelbe Stuka as an energy drink and make millions. You could even have a label on the bottle with an image of a diver on it.

Ha Ha, I doubt that anyone would ever buy more than one of those - it was pretty aweful (although, I realy don't think it had any kind of urine in it - we were just led to believe that - and we did). It did have a major kick to it - once you got past the taste.

Also - probably would "piss off" a few Kampfschwimmers.