I know I said I'd shut up.... but.... I think its pretty sad how some people like to ignore obvious historical fact just because it creates inconvenience to a certain narrative..............
Everything I said can be easily researched...... and as to the comment regarding wanton fish butchery by science types being hard to believe....... Watch Cousteau's iconic Le Monde du Silence (
Jacques Cousteau - Le Monde Du Silence - YouTube) for a great, well shot, full-color illustration of how scientists treated our oceans in the 1950s. My favorite part begins around 21:30 when some scientists dynamite a reef to conduct a fish survey. They even drag all the dead and dying fish onto the beach so they don't have to get wet while documenting. Later on, after running over an immature whale with their ship, they massacre all the oceanic whitetip sharks that show up for a free meal in a bizzare orgy of rifle fire, gaffing, and clubbing.
I digress......
Here's some tidbits of info regarding Hans Hass' work with Drager in 1941/2. Trust me, there was not a whole lot of recreational diving going on in Germany between the Battle of Britain in 1940 and Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Drager was a state controlled enterprise at the time and 100% dedicated to Hitler's war effort. This was no secret in Germany and Mr Hass was no idiot... he knew exactly what the technology he was helping advance would be used for.
Hans Hass
Modell 138 the Hass rebreather
@clownfish: Spell-check? Really.... what are we? 12? You are, however, right about one thing... not everyone that fought for Germany was a Nazi...... Certainly, OTOH, everyone that fought for Germany
when they had a choice was a Nazi. Mr Hass clearly had a choice. He could travel freely and often did. He even owned a ship at a time when most of Europe was in flames and owning a pot to piss in was considered a luxury for most people. If he was not supportive of the Nazi regime, he could have easily fled to England or America like so many other scientists and engineers did. The Allies would have welcomed his skills and expertise. Lack of employment would not have been his problem. Instead, he
chose to stay in Germany and work with Drager and the Kreigsmarine. The "conscription" story was told later to make it seem like he was some poor chump that was simply drafted into the army. Every other ex German soldier was telling the same story in the late 1940s and 50s. Pure bull****, that is.
Re the groupers: Page 237 quotes Hass in his own words taking pleasure in spearing and killing fish purely for fun... fish that by his own admission are too large to haul out:
The Unnatural History of the Sea - Callum Roberts - Google Books
Don Stewart, a man who commands real respect and coincidentally DID NOT contribute to the most evil enterprise this side of the middle ages, is widely quoted as blaming Hass, crew, and those who followed his example (of course he didn't do it alone!!!) for decimating marine life in Bonaire. There is nothing to believe or disbelieve here; this is not religion. It simply happened!!
I'm done....... continue your idolizing, if you will.....