In an interesting addendum to the STV Gorch Fock affair comes news today March 01, 2011 via the BBC from Germany of the resignation of their Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. He has been found to have copied large parts of his thesis for his university doctorate. Since this is the civil crime of plagiarism he has been stripped of his PhD. The 39-year-old aristocrat is a member of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) party. He came under pressure after a Bremen University law professor began reviewing his 2006 thesis. In view of the fact that Bremen is a seaport city it would seem reasonable to conclude that the Herr Professor was encouraged to investigate due to the Deutsche Marine scandal involving the STV Gorch Fock and the dismissal of her Commanding Officer Kapitän-zur-See Norbert Schatz.
In somewhat typical German humour the now former Defence Minister has been nicknamed "Baron Cut-und-Paste, zu Copyberg und zu Googleburg" by the German media.
zu Guttenburg is the Minister who first waffled and did nothing about reported incidents in the Deutsche Marine STV Gorch Fock which may have resulted in the fall from aloft and resulting death of an Officer Trainee. In turn this resulted in the refusal to obey orders by a group of Officer Trainees from her Watch while the vessel was at sea off Argentina. The ships Commanding Officer then charged them with mutiny, sent them home to Germany where they complained to the Deutsche Marine Ombudsman. Defence Minister zu Guttenburg was thus forced to take some action. The situation deteriorated from that point to the arrival of a Deutsche Marine Commission of Inquiry in Argentina and the relief of the C/O from his Command position. The STV Gorch Fock was then ordered home to Kiel, Germany without any Officer Trainees on board. The final Deutsche Marine report is still being awaited.
Good Watch.
In somewhat typical German humour the now former Defence Minister has been nicknamed "Baron Cut-und-Paste, zu Copyberg und zu Googleburg" by the German media.
zu Guttenburg is the Minister who first waffled and did nothing about reported incidents in the Deutsche Marine STV Gorch Fock which may have resulted in the fall from aloft and resulting death of an Officer Trainee. In turn this resulted in the refusal to obey orders by a group of Officer Trainees from her Watch while the vessel was at sea off Argentina. The ships Commanding Officer then charged them with mutiny, sent them home to Germany where they complained to the Deutsche Marine Ombudsman. Defence Minister zu Guttenburg was thus forced to take some action. The situation deteriorated from that point to the arrival of a Deutsche Marine Commission of Inquiry in Argentina and the relief of the C/O from his Command position. The STV Gorch Fock was then ordered home to Kiel, Germany without any Officer Trainees on board. The final Deutsche Marine report is still being awaited.
Good Watch.
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