U-boats and alcohol and spanking

[joea]

Came across this dude in wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Bargsten


Very interesting read, in line with our eternal discussions on the Nazis and the U-bootwaffen, some interesting tidbits on how uptight those Brown shirts were:

While he was serving as a midshipman on the yacht, Grille, Bargsten had occasion to see many of the leading members of the Nazi party. Once, he said, when a group of these Olympians was aboard, an orchestra was playing for their entertainment, but the ship’s ventilators were making so much noise that the music could scarcely be heard. Joseph Goebbels complained to the captain in his usual high handed manner, ordering him to do something about it. The captain, while engaging Goebbels in conversation, managed to back him into position in front of one of the ventilators. When he gave the order for the ventilators to be shut off, the shutter gave Goebbles a resounding whack on the back side.


Bargsten also spoke somewhat heretically about the alcoholic habits of the Nazi great. Hitler, he said, objected strenuously to drinking and often gave his staff violent temperance lectures. Shortly after having been subjected to one such harangue on board the Grille, the staff gathered in the saloon to sooth their frayed nerves with a bottle of champagne. Suddenly Hitler appeared in the doorway and the bottle, which had just been opened was discreetly hidden beneath a table. Hitler strode into the room, kicked the bottle, spilling its contents, turned on his heel, and walked out without uttering a word.

Sailors and alcohol go together like, subs and periscopes.

Bargsten told many anecdotes about his friends and acquaintances in the U-boat Service. His most intimate friend and classmate was Korvettenkapitän Reinhard Suhren. It was stated that Suhren, good looking and popular, could considerably lower the alcoholic stocks of any port in which he found himself. His personality was described as enthusiastic and carefree.

On another occasion, Suhren was stalking a convoy which he had previously reported to the Commander in Chief U-boats. In due course, he received an "inspirational" message from Dönitz telling him to "pursue relentlessly and attack fiercely". [IE. "Be More Aggressive-Joea] Upon returning from this cruise, which was highly successful, Suhren was summoned to the office of Dönitz to give his report. In the course of the interview, Suhren violated decorum by referring to the signal as unnecessary, if not insulting. Dönitz was taken aback for a moment by this impudence but recovered in time to seize Suhren by the neck, lay him across the table, and administer a sound spanking to the naughty boy.

Ahhh historical trivia.

OMG, Donitz spanking a kaleun?
Damn, a good find!