Ever Drink a Gelbe Stuka?

[zauber1]

Originally Posted by Mitch

You guys were getting pretty close.

they do it in Eckernförder.

Seebattalione? In April 1958 a marine engineer battalion was raised for the Federal German Navy and was initially under the command of the destroyer forces commander. After several reorganizations, the amphibious groups of the federal navy were dissolved or reassigned in 1993. I didn't think these guys were parachute qualified.

And I agree that GSG9 would do nearly anything.

[RichL025]

KSK

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by RichL025

KSK

Richtig!

[mojaveman]

Originally Posted by Mitch

Richtig!

Ok, we know the folks who drink it but the contents remain a mystery. Should I ask or should I stick with my imagination? Eeeeyuu!

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by RichL025

KSK

Originally Posted by mojaveman

Ok, we know the folks who drink it but the contents remain a mystery. Should I ask or should I stick with my imagination? Eeeeyuu!

Well, I remember a few ingredients - and one major one, but there were others that I can only guess at. When I have more time, I'll tell how all this came to pass - but essentially, my team went through about 3 weeks of training with the Kampfschwimmerkompanie back in 1974. It was tough and they worked us pretty hard - at the end of our time there, we were finally allowed to go into their private Kantine - up on the second floor of their HQ. It was a nice place, thick wooden tables and a bar. Once inside, we noticed this large bowel on one of the tables. They told us that we were being brought into the "brotherhood" but we had to drink the initiation drink, they called it "Gelbe Stukka". They gave each of us a special pewter cup to drink from - then they told us that if we could keep it down, we could keep the cup.

The primary mixture, according to them, was Addler-pisse or eagle piss. Well we had come that far, this last little indignity was really nothing. As we started to dip our cups, they told us to wait – they started to add a few other things in there – various bottles of schnapps and bier – there were things floating in there too – sea weed, kelp, who knows. Anyway – finally they were ready. We all filled our cups – I took a sniff – it definitely had a piss smell – I knew I was going to puke – but after all we had been through – there was no way I was not going to drink that stuff.
Finally – “Eins, Zwei– G’suffa.

Just like Mom’s castor oil – we all survived. But that little cup quickly went into my pocket and I went looking for a Beer.

One more thing – just a while after that – they brought in these beautiful Beer Steins that had the KSK logo on them - and to our surprise, our names too ( I guess they had confidence in us). I’ve still got mine (see the picture). To me, it’s priceless.


Gelbe Stukka Cup.jpg Gelbe Stukka Cups.jpg

[alfromcolorado]

Originally Posted by Mitch

Richtig!

That logo of theirs passed through my head but I couldn't think of what their name was... I never hung around them either, just remembered seeing it.

You'd think they would have come up with something that wasn't WWII era LUFTWAFFE to call it!!!

Maybe a Gelbes Fisch

[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.