DDR Special Divers

[vacollector]

In the early 1960s did the Volksmarine create KSK units from the special diver groups? Or did the VM Special divers perform different functions other then SEAL-like service?

[ehrentitle]

In the early 1960s did the Volksmarine create KSK units from the special diver groups? Or did the VM Special divers perform different functions other then SEAL-like service?

It sound like your question is centered around the Classification Badge for Special Divers of the Naval Forces / Klassifizierungsabzeichen für Spezialtaucher der Seestreitkräfte which was authorized between 1960 and 1963. According to Feder only 600 were made, so the original badges are rare.

The 18th Combat Swimmer Company or Kampfschwimmerkommandos 18 (KSK-18) existed from 1958 to 1990. So it's possible that early members of this unit wore this badge in the 1960s.

[ehrentitle]

I should also mention that "special diver" is unlikely have any connection with special operations. It probably refers to "hard hat" as well as scuba divers who do specialized tasks like underwater construction, salvage, underwater cutting and welding, and underwater ships maintenance operations. More likely these divers were part of a ships company or assigned to a tug or repair ship.

KSK-18 divers on the other hand were trained like US Navy Seals. They were focused on open water diving using scuba equipment. They would be dropped off in the sea a distance from land and would be required to infiltrate onto a beach. In training they had to navigate underwater so they arrived at a specific location on the beach.

[vacollector]

When I started reading about the Special Diver Certification series badges I was thinking that these refered to the KSK. I wasn't even sure if the units had even form until the late 1960s. That's for the information, I was thinking before that this was the DDR version of the BUD/S badge for the USN/USA.