Naval Special Forces Command, also called the ("Combat Swimmers", abbreviated "KSM") or (Deployment Group 3402) are an elite
special forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
unit of the
Germany Navy
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
, specializing in
commando and
amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...
operations. They are the only special-purpose force of the
German Navy. The Kampfschwimmer were set up when Germany joined
NATO in 1955.
During the existence of the
GDR
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
(East Germany), the People's Navy (Volksmarine) of the GDR also had a commando frogman force, the Kampfschwimmerkommando 18, which was stationed in
Kühlungsborn
Kühlungsborn () is a ''Seebad'' (seaside resort) town in the Rostock district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the Baltic Sea coast, 11 km northwest of Bad Doberan, and 25 km northwest of Rostock.
The town has an ...
. They trained at
Prora on
Rügen.
History
The first German frogman commando unit was formed under the direction of
Alfred von Wurzian
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
during World War II, an Olympic swimmer originally from Austria. Wurzian was initially an artilleryman. He had to overcome a lot of hurdles to form this specialized unit as many brass types could not buy into the concept of such a specialized unit. The unit's name was
Küstenjäger-Abteilung "Brandenburg".
1942 – 1943
*1942 onwards: Amateur diver Alfred von Wurzian tested
breathing apparatus
A breathing apparatus or breathing set is equipment which allows a person to breathe in a hostile environment where breathing would otherwise be impossible, difficult, harmful, or hazardous, or assists a person to breathe. A respirator, medical ...
(
Dräger oxygen
rebreathers from
Hans Hass) for the
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
.
*1942: German frogmen clashed with Soviet frogmen at a Tsemes Bay seaport at
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...
. The skirmish resulted in some knife battles underwater.
*1943:
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz (sometimes spelled Doenitz; ; 16 September 1891 24 December 1980) was a German admiral who briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler as head of state in May 1945, holding the position until the dissolution of the Flensburg Government follo ...
orders Vice-Admiral
Hellmuth Heye to create a special unit. It is originally named ("small ordnance association") but it is better known under the name of or (ocean warriors). Its first men, including von Wurzian, were trained by experienced Italian ''
Decima Flottiglia MAS'' men. (The German
Waffen-SS also had a frogman section called .)
1944
*1944 June: Three German frogman units called "" (MEK) became active. Each unit had one officer and 22 men. But they were not ready for
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
.
*1944 June 23: German naval frogmen blow up two bridges on the
Orne river, using two torpedoes of 800 kg.
*1944 July: There were several attacks by German
Neger craft in the
English Channel, setting off from
Villers sur Mer. On July 8, these attacks badly damaged the cruiser
ORP Dragon
HMS ''Dragon'', also known in Polish service as ORP ''Dragon'' ( pl, dragoon), was a D- or ''Danae''-class cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in Glasgow, in December 1917, and scuttled in July 1944 off the Normandy beaches as p ...
(which was scuttled on July 20), and sunk the destroyer
HMS Isis. 12 attack boats were used in attacks in the mouth of the
Orne river.
*July 1944: German frogmen destroyed the lock gates on the Orne river.
*26 August 1944: MEK 60 German frogmen destroyed the Vascouy coastal artillery battery position.
*1944 September 16: By this time the Allies had taken
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, . Two teams of five German frogmen left
Rotterdam on two
attack boats, to attack
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, docks. When they were stopped by defence nets, the teams continued by swimming, each towing a torpedo with a
ton of explosive. One team placed its torpedo on the main
canal lock
A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats, ships and other watercraft between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water lev ...
in Antwerp. The lock was out of use for three months.
*1944, night of September 28–29: By now the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
had taken intact a road bridge at
Nijmegen
Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...
and a railway bridge at
Moerdijk, and had immediately installed a strong anti-aircraft defence there. In order to assist with a
German counter offensive against the Nijmegen salient, three groups of four German frogmen set off from 10 km upstream from the bridges. They were to place explosives under the bridges and then to continue with the river current 24 km further to return to their lines. The railway bridge was blown up. The road bridge was only slightly damaged because the mine had been badly placed. Of the 12 men, three were killed, seven were captured, and two returned to their lines.
*Soviet EPRON Diver K.D. Zolotovskiy claims his
Soviet frogman team had underwater skirmishes with German frogmen in the
Svir river.
*1944 December: German frogman operations in the
Vistula river.
*After Italy changed sides, the German frogman unit MEK71 based in
Jugoslavia made numerous attacks against liberated
Italy, using two-man
canoes.
1945
*February 1945: German frogmen operations in the
Oder
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows thr ...
river.
*March 1945: Multiple failed attempts to destroy the Ludendorff Bridge near Remagen by German frogmen. The final failed attempt was performed by seven German
Waffen SS frogmen.
*March–April 1945:German frogmen destroyed two important supply bridges in Stettin harbor. Three bridges were destroyed between the island of Wollin and the Pomeranian mainland. Another bridge was destroyed by German frogmen near Dievenow.
*May 1945 German frogmen failed in their initial attempt to blow up the pontoon bridges at Nipperwiese and Fiddichow.
*May 1945 German frogmen succeed in their second attempt to blow up the pontoon bridges at Nipperwiese and Fiddichow. Frogmen Siegfried Koneke and Walter Lewandowski were awarded the
German Cross in Gold for their actions.
Craft developed by Germany during World War II
*The "
lentil". It is a fast silent boat carrying 300 kg of explosive. The pilot directs it and then jumps in the sea and is collected by another boat.
*A "chariot" copied from that of the British who copied it from the Italian ''maiale''. The Italians never transmitted to the Germans the plans of their ''maiale''.
*The "Neger" (German for "
negro"), a single-seat torpedo sailing awash at four knots. Its pilot leaves it before precipitating it on the objective.
*Creation of pocket submarines (one-seater and two-seater).
Incompletely planned operations
* Plan to attack the underwater oil pipeline
PLUTO.
* Plan to block the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
by sinking boats in it.
Post World War II
:'' This section was translated from
:de:Kampfschwimmer (Bundeswehr); refer back there in case of query about the translation.''
The Kampfschwimmer were set up particularly because Germany joined
NATO and there was felt to be risk of war with the
Soviet Union. A unit was needed which could help to secure the Baltic Sea exits through the
Danish Straits. On 1 August 1958 Group 3402, as these commando frogmen were called by the navy, was set up. It consisted of men without a
Nazi past, who had served in
World War II in the small combat forces and the naval employment commands.
The first Kampfschwimmer were trained first with the ''
Nageurs de combat'' in
France. France had developed the role of the commando frogmen further in the
Indochina war, to the modern single fighter.
The Kampfschwimmer should carry out their tasks both in the water and ashore, like German commando frogmen did in World War II. But now a new dimension was added: airborne operations. This three-role concept of the French became the basis of the commando frogmen of the German navy.
On 1 April 1964, the Kampfschwimmer appeared for the first time as an independent body. In the following years they extended their tasks, but lacked money. Thus e.g. they had to buy their own
drysuit undersuit
A dry suit or drysuit provides the wearer with environmental protection by way of thermal insulation and exclusion of water, and is worn by divers, boaters, water sports enthusiasts, and others who work or play in or near cold or contaminated ...
s.
Roles
In the Gulf War, German frogmen completed various operations that are classified by German Intelligence and such. Frogmen have decreased ten times in size as in the 1990s they had est. 3,500-4,000 troops.
The naval commandos were also active from 1994 to 1996, during the NATO arms embargo against former
Yugoslavia. The frogmen conducted boarding operations of suspicious freighters from German frigates and destroyers. Due to insufficient berthing capabilities on board the German warships, the boarding parties were usually undermanned. The commandos had to train ordinary crewmembers as auxiliaries in tasks such as keeping watch and taking control of the engine room and bridge of the boarded vessels.
Organization
Since 1974 the Kampfschwimmer have been stationed in the naval base at
Eckernförde
Eckernförde ( da, Egernførde, sometimes also , nds, Eckernför, sometimes also ) () is a German town in Schleswig-Holstein, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, on the coast of the Baltic Sea approximately 30 km north-west of Kiel. The population is ...
near
Kiel. In October 1994 they were subordinate to the Flotilla of
Mine Warfare. In Eckernförde a combat frogman group was set up, it consists of a mine clearance diver company and a commando frogmen company. Allegedly the weapon diver group has 250 men. The commando frogmen company had, according to strength and equipment records, 3 groups, each with 16 men. Of it, approximately 40 men are actively operational.
In 2001 the Waffentauchergruppe ("Armed Diver Group") became the Bataillon Spezialisierter Kräfte ("Specialised Forces Battalion").
By a transformation in 2003 the
:de:Spezialisierte Einsatzkräfte Marine ("Specialised Task Forces of the Navy") was formed. The SEK M was divided further into the Combat Swimmer Company, a
mine clearance diver company, and two naval companies for special employments (e.g. to board ships), a training inspection group, and further support elements.
Conditions for entry
Success rate is approximately 30% which is up from the previous 5-10 percent over the three-year training period.
These minimum requirements must be fulfilled by all candidates, to become certified for training:
* Applicants must be German citizens in the sense of the article 116 of the (
Constitution)
* They must be at least 17 years old and no more than 25 years old.
*
Realschulabschluss or
Abitur
''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
, with favorable exam passes.
* 1000m swim in less than 24 minutes
* 5000m run in less than 22 minutes
* 30m distance swim underwater without equipment
* Stay underwater without breathing for at least 60 seconds
* Sport test with at least 20 points; at least 3 points for each exercise
* Active duty soldier must have at least attained the rank of
Feldwebel or be officer. The civilian applicant must be ready to enlist for 12 years.
* Diving fitness is examined by the (naval medical institute) of the navy.
*
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
jump fitness is examined by the same institute.
Training
During the training, it is less about the physical load than the psychological load, which causes many applicants to give up. The physical achievement can be trained, but overcoming the fear is the most important goal of the training. The training includes but is not limited to
swimming,
diving,
navigation,
close combat, weapons handling, and
parachuting
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
For ...
. In the special conclusion exercise their ability and hardness are equally demanded, before they join the circle of the commando frogmen. In further training sections they are trained as team leaders or specialists.
Introductory training
First there are four weeks of introductory training. In this time the applicants are pushed hard physically and psychologically by fixed exercises. All exercises have the goal to take away the fear of water and to make the applicant feel safe in the water. One of the exercises is called (the bound swimming). The applicant is placed on the starting block in the full combat suit, with his hands tied behind his back and his feet tied together, and then pushed in the swimming pool. He must stay for 30 seconds alone clearly; afterwards a safety diver pulls him back up.
In the so-called "hate week" the trainees are deprived of sleep. Between the night exercises, there are night runs. Meanwhile, the normal routine of the day continues: swimming, diving, and
push-ups.
They also have to train to exit and enter a submarine through a torpedo tube. At the final examination they have to swim about 30 km with full equipment in the Baltic Sea to reach the beach after being discharged at the sea.
Equipment
Weapons
Eickhorn S.E.K. Marine knife (designed specifically for this unit)
Eickhorn knives, Various models
Vehicles
Special equipment
Gear
* 3M
** Peltor Comtac XPI Dual Com NATO
* Arc'teryx
** Fire-resistant Combat-clothing
** All-weather clothing
** Bagpacks
* ArmorSource
** AS-600 helmet (rifle-resistant)
* Carinthia
** Military sleeping-bags
* Crye Precision
** Fire-resistant Combat-clothing
** Plate-carriers
** Kinetic support-systems
** Bagpacks
** Pouches
** Belts
* Dräger
** Rebreather (combat-diving)
* FirstSpear
** Plate-carriers (Combat-diving)
** Flotation-systems
** Bagpacks
** Pouches
** Belts
* Harris
** Falcon III RF-7850M-HH
** Combat-electronics
* Heinrichs Weikamp
** OSTC 4
** Diving-electronics
* JFD
** Divex Stealth CDLSE
** Divex Dual Mode Mask
** Divex Low Magnetic Fins
* L3-Insight
** GPNVG-18
** AN/PSQ-36 FGS
* Leo Köhler
** Fire-resistant Combat-clothing
** All-weather clothing
** Plate-carriers
** Bagpacks
* MATBOCK
** Parachuting-gear
** Bagpacks
** Medic-gear
* Meindl
** All-weather Combat-boots
* MEN
** Ammunition
* Nivisys
** DVS-110
* Rheinmetall
** Ammunition
** Combat-electronics
* SeaBear
** HUDC
** Diving-electronics
* TEA
** H2O U94 PTT
** Sub Assault
** OSK Maritime Kit
* Team Wendy
** Retention-Kits
** Liner-Kits
** ARC-Rails
* '
UF PRO''
** Fire-resistant Combat-clothing
** All-weather clothing
* Ursuit
** Combat-diving dry-suits
** Combat-diving gear
* W+R PRO
** Combat-gloves
(site under construction)
See also
*
*
*
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*Soviet Combat Divers in World War Two by Pavel Borovikov
*German Combat Divers in World War Two by Michael Jung
External links
* http://www.sondereinheiten.de/einheiten/kampfschwimmer/ (in German)
* http://www.marine.de Seiten der Marine (in German).
* http://www.minentaucher.net—the German/English spoken Minentaucher website
* http://www.kampfschwimmer.de—the German/English spoken Kampfschwimmer website
{{DEFAULTSORT:German Commando Frogmen
Frogman operations
Armed forces diving
Special forces of Germany
Military units and formations of the German Navy
Counterterrorist organizations
Naval special forces units
Special forces of West Germany