KSK

[AnnyED]

Hi guys,
I would like to know your opinion about the german special forces, the KSK (Kommando Spezialkräfte).
I know in the moment the Americans don´t consider the germans to be their best friends - because of that damn Iraque thing... but i don´t want to discuss the political side here. Even though i would like to say that i hate to see the relationship between the US and Germany grow worse... i hope this is just temporary (by the way: i am german). But to come back to my question about the KSK. I had the chance to visit a training of them - usually they hide this from the public, for well-known reasons. But sometimes they invite us for a media day to learn something about their work. I found it very similar to the SEALs - of course you can´t compare it, ...oouch, don´t beat me for that! But... how do you think about them? Are they respected among the special forces in the world? It´s a pretty young unit as you may know, founded in 1995.
Anny

[OP06D]

I didn't think it was founded until 1997 or late 1996, but I could be wrong...They are similar to GSG9 but have a wartime and foreign soil capability whereas GSG9 is limited to (recently) operations inside Germany..They are fantastic soldiers, they have some of my favorite toys ( issued HK G36 and G3 ), they were initially trained by the SAS and have adopted techniques from them as well as us and France, but keep in mind a lot of combat tactics that are employed today (US included) are derived from Germany and his tactics developed in WW2.

Do you know anything about Germany's "Werewolves" from the end of WW2???

[AnnyED]

Hey, thanks for the reply!
Well, i think you already know a little about the werewolves. First of all: of course i hate the history of Germany concerning Hitler and the Third Reich and i feel ashamed of it, even though i was not involved in that. But we all had - and still have - dark periods in our countries histories... and we have to deal with them.
Hmm, as you may know the werewolves were founded in the last part of the war, around the late autumn of 1944 and beginning of 1945.
They were a very new type of commando unit Hilter and the remaining Nazi leadership established for some kind of last stand against the Allies. They were guerilla fighters – but as my grandpa told me there entwined (is that the correct expression?) a lot of rumors around the werewolves. So they were also considered to be a kind of secret society. They were built on the framework of the Gestapo, the SS, the Hitler Youth and other Nazi security services – so they were damn cruel and evil but higly well-trained *******s... (sorry , just a quote from my grandpa....). There task was to sneak out from the redoubt and create mayhem among the occupation armies. The plan was that they should continue the fight against the invading Allies when Germany´s Wehrmacht was defeated and the german territory was occupied. They were specialized in ambushes, sniping and sabotage. But the werewolves weren´t just professional fighters, but also a number of fanatic people who lived in the occupied areas – even children and women! To make it short: they were a merciless, ferocious mob.
Hmmm, it is not very easy for a german to talk about those times – because except a very, very, very few (!!!!) fanatic Neo-Nazi idiots most of the german people feel ashamed of those times. Even though i think that they had a number of excellent warriors and i´m very proud of the guys among them who dared to stand up against Hitler and his mob, like Graf von Stauffenberg, Carl Friedrich Goerdeler or Friedrich Olbricht and all the other unnamed...
Oops, that was a very long excursion in german history... hope i haven´t bored you... :-)

Anny

[OP06D]

Thanks..I get different stories about them, mostly unsubstantiated rumors mostly (ie radio propraganda theory). I think that there are only a book or two written solely about them. But back on your topic, There is another KSK unit that is the "equivalent" to the SEALs they are called the Combat diver/swimmer company ( referred to as the Special Power Commando) ((K)ampf(s)wimmer(k)ompanie.) don't know the exact translation My German's a bit rusty, but they were formed in 1964, and originally trained by the French (how'd that happen??). they are stationed @ Eckernförde (sp?) Nanval Academy and were deployed during the gulf war to assist with EOD...

[AnnyED]

Well, they actually started already in 1959, but the real duty was established in 1964, that´s correct. When they moved from the island Sylt to Eckernförde. But i never heard that they were trained by the French, hmmm.... ???? We don´t name them KSK, but KschwKp (pretty stupid..), for Kampfschwimmerkompanie. They work close together with the KSK (Kommando Spezialkräfte), they have some crosstraining programs, and since 1976 they also have something like a „personal exchange program“ with Navy SEAL Team 2.
Your german is rusty? Means you speak german? How did this come?

[AnnyED]

i.e.: "Hitler's Werewolves; the story of the Nazi resistance movement, 1944-1945" -- Charles Whiting;
"Order of Battle: Hitler's Werewolves" -- I. B. Melchior