Minentaucher
Encyclopedia
- For other nations' naval work divers, see Clearance DiverClearance DiverA clearance diver was originally a specialist naval diver who used explosives underwater to remove obstructions to make harbours and shipping channels safe to navigate, but later the term "clearance diver" was used to include other naval underwater work...
.
Minentaucher (Mine Clearance Divers) are particularly trained military divers of the German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
. Their operational areas are:-
- Searching, identifying, and removing or salvaging underwater weapons such as minesNaval mineA naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
or explosives in the water. - Servicing underwater droneRemotely operated vehicleA remotely operated vehicle is a tethered underwater vehicle. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air. ROVs...
s. - Removing weapons in water and ashore, in particular removing explosives attached by enemies to hulls and underwater equipment.
- Rescuing and salvaging.
Mine Clearance Divers are highly-qualified specialists, who are stationed partly on board schwimmenden Einheiten (= "swimming units"), which can be ordered to be in standby if necessary. A part of the trained mine clearance divers is available as a special-purpose force in the mine clearance diver company in Eckernförde
Eckernförde
Eckernförde is a German city in Schleswig-Holstein, Kreis Rendsburg-Eckernförde at the Baltic Sea near Kiel. The population is about 23,000.All German submarines are stationed in Eckernförde....
.
In 2001 the Bataillon Spezialisierter Kräfte (= "Battalion of Specialized Forces") was separated from the German commando frogmen
German commando frogmen
This article is about Germany's commando frogmen. See also Minentaucher.For other nations' commando frogmen, and information about frogmen in general, see Frogman....
group.
The Bataillon Spezialisierter Kräfte (SEK M) (= "Specialized Task Forces Battalion" was formed by the transformation of 2003. SEK M was divided further into the Kampfschwimmerkompanie (= "combat diver company
German commando frogmen
This article is about Germany's commando frogmen. See also Minentaucher.For other nations' commando frogmen, and information about frogmen in general, see Frogman....
", one mine clearance diver company, and two naval companies for special employments (e.g. boarding
Boarding (attack)
Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
ships), a training inspection, and further support elements.
See :de:Bild:MiTa Wappen.JPG for the coat of arms of the Minentaucherkompanie.
Training
The mine clearance divers are trained in the mine clearance diver company (MiTaKp) in EckernfördeEckernförde
Eckernförde is a German city in Schleswig-Holstein, Kreis Rendsburg-Eckernförde at the Baltic Sea near Kiel. The population is about 23,000.All German submarines are stationed in Eckernförde....
. This unit is subordinated to the Flottille Minenstreitkräfte (= "flotilla of mine armed forces").
Conditions for entrance
To qualify for armed divers diver training, which includes mine clearance divers and combat frogmen, these conditions are to be fulfilled:-Examination without restriction
- Serving as a soldier on time for at least 4 years or as a career soldier.
- Completing the basic training at a naval school;.
- Undergo the TuKV (diver and combat frogman suitability) examination at the Schiffahrtsmedizinisches Institut (= Shipping-medical Institute) in KielKielKiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. - Top condition (physical fitness), which is examined in special tests before and during the training.
- Strength of will, which makes the applicant loadable over the borders of reflexes and physical pain.
They are taught much more about diving physics and medicine than a sport diver or civilian work diver is taught, and knowledge about (any kind of) underwater weapons, tactics and employment procedure. This forms the largest part of the training practical exercises, Fitness training and associated "sifting out" weeds out over 70% of the course participant in the first 6 weeks of the mine clearance diver training.
See :de:Bild:Schwimmtaucher.jpg for the German armed forces diver badge.
Expiration of the training
Starting from which week:-- 0: general military basic training at the naval technique school at Parow, GermanyParow, GermanyParow is a village a few miles north of Stralsund in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is part of the municipality Kramerhof. The German Navy's Engineering School is at Parow. It moved from Kiel in 2002. The Minentaucher train there....
. - 13: Swimming diver training course in the naval training centre of the navy in NeustadtNeustadt in HolsteinNeustadt in Holstein is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Bay of Lübeck , approx...
/ Holsten. - 19: Initial mine clearance diver training in the training inspection of the specialized task forces of the navy (MiTaKp, combat frogmen company and naval weapon school in Eckernfōrde)
- 24 Mine clearance diver employment training (as above)
- 36. Week: Explosive training course for divers (as above)
- 38: Armed Forces boat driving licence (as above)
- 41: Ship security detachment leader
- 42: NCO course 1 (MUS PlönPlönPlön is the district seat of the Plön district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and has about 13,000 inhabitants. It lies right on the shores of Schleswig-Holstein's biggest lake, the Great Plön Lake, as well as on several smaller lakes, touching the town on virtually all sides...
) - 46: Use as a mine clearance diver leading seamanLeading SeamanLeading seaman is a junior non-commissioned rank or rate in navies, particularly those of the Commonwealth. When it is used by NATO nations, leading seaman has the rank code of OR-4. It is often equivalent to the army and air force rank of corporal and some navies use corporal rather than...
on board a mine hunter or in the MiTaKp
Starting from which month:-
- 25: NCO course 2 (MUS Plön)
- 28: Ship security group leader
- 29. Month: Mine clearance diver leader training course in the training inspection of the specialized task forces of the navy (MiTaKp, combat float company and naval weapon school in EckernfördeEckernfördeEckernförde is a German city in Schleswig-Holstein, Kreis Rendsburg-Eckernförde at the Baltic Sea near Kiel. The population is about 23,000.All German submarines are stationed in Eckernförde....
) - 32: Explosives leader training course (as above)
- 33: Ammunition technician training course and training course in naval weapon removal
- 40: Special training course (weapon removal EODEODEOD may refer to:* Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the disposal of bombs* End Of Day, a financial markets term* Evolve Or Die, A Political Party, started in Montana, with the beliefs that humanity must move forward or die out...
) - 42: Use as mine clearance diver boat man or officer on board mine hunters, in the MiTaKP or in EODEODEOD may refer to:* Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the disposal of bombs* End Of Day, a financial markets term* Evolve Or Die, A Political Party, started in Montana, with the beliefs that humanity must move forward or die out...
/IEDD groups in the SEK M as combat frogmanFrogmanA frogman is someone who is trained to scuba diving or swim underwater in a military capacity which can include combat. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver or combatant diver or combat swimmer....
Armed forces diver
Armed forces divers are trained and used in nearly all countries as part of its navy.- In the USA they are the EODUnited States Navy EODUnited States Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians render safe all types of ordnance, including improvised, chemical, biological, and nuclear. They perform land and underwater location, identification, render-safe, and recovery of foreign and domestic ordnance...
. - In Great Britain their training is merged in the Special Boat ServiceSpecial Boat ServiceThe Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
(SBS). - In France the unit of the Plongeurs Démineurs is comparable to the German mine clearance divers.
In all countries are subject the employments, operating conditions and employment regulations of the weapon divers to the secrecy.
Combat frogmen and mine clearance divers differ clearly in their equipment, due to their different tasks.
Combat frogmen
Combat frogmen (Kampfschwimmer) operate offshore undiscovered and in shallow water, but mine clearance divers are used also in lakes and partly into deeper water. The preferred diving equipment of the combat frogmen is accordingly oxygen rebreatherRebreather
A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
s, which reprocesses breathed out air and delivers only small masses of gas to the environment, so that the combat frogman cannot be discovered by riiising bubbles. See also German commando frogmen
German commando frogmen
This article is about Germany's commando frogmen. See also Minentaucher.For other nations' commando frogmen, and information about frogmen in general, see Frogman....
.
Mine clearance diver
Clearance divers use either compressed air or mixed gas devices. With "oxygen cycle devicesRebreather
A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
" the depth is limited to 15 –; with "compressed air diving devices
Aqua-lung
Aqua-Lung was the original name of the first open-circuit free-swimming underwater breathing set in reaching worldwide popularity and commercial success...
", which are used also in sport diving, the depth is 40 –; with "mixed gas devices" with trimixes the oxygen portion according to the depth is reduced, thus the possible depth is higher.
Since 2002 their compressed air diving devices
Scuba set
A scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving....
"FTG" were replaced by computer-controlled mixture rebreathers called "Stealth".
Apart from the mechanical and electronic special tools used by mine clearance divers, items of equipment are used which are also used by civilian divers.
Diving safety
The mine clearance diver boat "Mūhlhausen" (replacement for the "Stier" which was decommissioned in 1994) and the diver school boat "Langeoog" (replacement for the "Hansa") in EckernfördeEckernförde
Eckernförde is a German city in Schleswig-Holstein, Kreis Rendsburg-Eckernförde at the Baltic Sea near Kiel. The population is about 23,000.All German submarines are stationed in Eckernförde....
have stationary decompression chambers for up to 6 persons, in whom divers can be treated immediately after accidents. To these, mobile decompression chambers can be clamped on by flanges. They are transported if necessary (e.g. by SAR helicopters in low-altitude flight) to Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, where is the largest pressure chamber of the German Federal Navy, in which up to 12 people can be subjected to pressure, as a simulation of deep diving as part of training, or to treat decompression sickness
Decompression sickness
Decompression sickness describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurization...
. For this reason and due to the outstanding training, the number and the consequences of serious and deadly diving accidents with the mine clearance divers in the German navy are remarkably small compared to the comparable units in other countries.
A component of the training is the Armed Forces boat driving licence and the training about "naval underwater explosives". Afterwards the training takes place to troop leader in the context of the ship safeguard training.
The members of the MiTaKp can participate in numerous special training courses beyond that. Most longer-serving mine clearance divers are qualified e.g. also as motorists BCE, helmet divers (nationally examined diver), the parachutist, and single fighter.
The training and operational planning was aimed originally to defend against conventional and more unconventional underwater weapons in case of emergency in a possible confrontation of NATO with the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
. Since 1985 the tasks and course contents were modified accordingly. The training in "removal of unorthodox exploding and fire devices (IEDD)" still takes place in a "special training course for the fulfilment of special orders for employment".
Employments
Mine clearance divers were predominantly used from 1957 to 1984 in German territorial waters, mainly in the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
and removing naval mines left over from wars. Also they joined in search and salvage of damaged ships, submarines and fallen airplanes. The most dangerous task of the mine clearance divers consisted of seeking out and salvaging weapons, which were sunk after the World War in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, containing chemical agents and therefore today endangering navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
and fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
.
Removing freshly laid mines in autumn 1985 in the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
was the first exterritorial use of German mine clearance divers. With this NATO employment in an international maritime route, with which the clearing equipment (Troika), developed for open ocean, could not be used, German mine clearance divers were used. Afterwards numerous employments took place worldwide also in international waters with NATO Response Forces and the German task Force (EAV).
Unit information
The Mine clearance diver company badge is a sawfishSawfish
Sawfish, also known as the Carpenter Shark, are a family of rays, characterized by a long, toothy nose extension snout. Several species can grow to approximately . The family as a whole is largely unknown and little studied...
.
- The sloganSloganA slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
of the mine clearance divers is "Nec aspera terrent" (= "Adversities do not frighten" (flag saying of the Hannover army 1617 - 1866)). - Unit symbols are:-
- The combat frogmen: a linenLinenLinen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
boot. - The mine clearance divers (as coat of armsCoat of armsA coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
): a sawfishSawfishSawfish, also known as the Carpenter Shark, are a family of rays, characterized by a long, toothy nose extension snout. Several species can grow to approximately . The family as a whole is largely unknown and little studied...
in front of a horned mine. - The mine clearance divers (as badgeBadgeA badge is a device or fashion accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath , a sign of legitimate employment or student status, or as a simple...
): an octopusOctopusThe octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
examining a horned mine
- The combat frogmen: a linen
- There are about 40 active German mine clearance divers in the MiTaKp, and about. 60 active on board "swimming units" and in the ports.
- Number of past employments: on the average 9 employments + approx. 200 exercise employments each year... since 1957!!!
- Stupidest saying of a teacher: "each weapon, from the pistol cartridge to the TNmine, can be made harmless with a hammer. Thereby only the safety margins are to be seen to be important, and not the result."
See also
- Clearance Diving Team (RAN)Clearance Diving Team (RAN)The Clearance Diving Teams of the Royal Australian Navy also act as commando frogmen: they consist of naval personnel who are qualified in diving, demolitions, underwater repairs, and reconnaissance...
- The Australian Navy Clearance Team - Underwater Demolition TeamUnderwater Demolition TeamThe Underwater Demolition Teams were an elite special-purpose force established by the United States Navy during World War II. They also served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War...
- US Navy, 1943–1967 - MinedykkerkommandoenMinedykkerkommandoenMinedykkerkommandoen is Norway's clearance diver group. It is a branch of the Norwegian naval defenses specializing in explosive ordnance disposal. MDK is subordinate to Minekrigsflotiljen , which is a division of the Norwegian Navy...
is Norway's Clearance Diver force. - Clearance DiverClearance DiverA clearance diver was originally a specialist naval diver who used explosives underwater to remove obstructions to make harbours and shipping channels safe to navigate, but later the term "clearance diver" was used to include other naval underwater work...