THE WAFFEN-SS: Divisional Service History, Brigade/Battalion Unit List + Unit Notes.

[Gotthard Heinrici]

Oh those guys had nothing left to fight for. Whats interesting is that there were no MAJOR SS formations with German troops left to defend Hitler. Always thought that Ironic. Norwegians, French, Latvians and some Dutch I think were all that was left to guard the leader of the Aryan Race!

[Christos]

You guys really make me feel good to see the reaction to my posts.....warm thanks to you all, and a promise from me of much more to come....and Ill try to be as accurate as my sources allow me to be, which is all that anybody can ask of anyone writing history.....I'll even tell you what exactly are my opinions, and what are those of others...these are all historical conventions that the wise author will stick to!...

Thankyou all so much!

[Christos]

There exists a photo of a VERY bemedalled veteran of 'Charlemagne' in a march.....these soldiers obviously 'knew their stuff'!..............

Many Frenchmen burnt bridges during WW2....Charlemagne veterans certainly bore the criticism well............Germany placed France in a very unenviable political and social position after their 1940 victory.......

The social and political effects of that victory are still present in Europe, and probably will be for a long time to come...

[T. A. Gardner]

In the final analysis, The Waffen-SS cannot be measured against any other body.

It was unique in history in that it cut across traditional military values and practices and yet existed side by side with one of the most traditional military army's in the world. The fact that for four of the six years of the war, no more than 13 divisions were in the Waffen-SS .......that at the same time 'Das Heer' had over 300! divisions is over-looked due to the IMPACT of the Waffen-SS.

To put the matter more precisely in focus, the true reputation of the Waffen-SS was founded on it's 4 and later, SEVEN elite divisions....

'Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler'
'Das Reich'
'Totenkopf'
'Wiking'
'Frundsberg'
'Hohenstaufen'
'Hitler Jugend'

These units existed as 'Panzer' divisions for only a year and a half of a six-year war.

In the end analysis, no matter how one evaluates the Waffen-SS, mis-guided idealists, base criminals, or somewhere in between.....

This small group of divisions ensured the WAFFEN-SS a position in military history along with the Praetorian Guard and Napolean's "Grognards".

What utter nonsense! The bulk of the SS by numbers was made up of troops no better than, and in many cases worse than those in the Wehrmacht itself. The huge number of "volksdeutsche" and foreigners, many of whom were of dubious quality, are more represenative of the SS as a whole than the mere handful of elite divisions that existed within it.
These few panzer and panzergrenadier divisions fought on the whole no better or worse than their Wehrmacht counterparts.
The SS at its peak in say mid-44 had far more than 13 divisions in existance. The majority were infantry and cavalry formations not mechanized ones. Some like 13th SS Hanschar, and 36th SS Dirlewanger along with the Cossack Cavalry experianced mutinites within their ranks; something unheard of in Wehrmacht divisions.
The list of "elite" divisions is also incomplete and grossly understates the mechanized units the SS had in existance. It forgets 16th SS Panzergrenadier Reichfuhrer SS in Italy, 17th SS PzGr Gotz v. Berlichingen that fought in the West and was a particular nemisis of Patton's Third Army, or 11th SS PzGr Nordland. These too were exceptionally well fought units.
So, if we compare this to the Wehrmacht with about 30 panzer divisions and about 15 PanzerGrenadier the SS contribution is now 10 or nearly 20% of the mechanized forces of the German military! Suddenly, the SS does not seem so exceptional.
If anything, the SS wasn't exceptional. It formed an "elite" only due to its significance as a mechanized body within the framework of the Wehrmacht as a whole. I would also say that anyone would be hard pressed to conclusively prove that the SS mechanized componets fought any better or harder than their Heer counterparts and, in many cases did worse.

[Slipdigit]

It's not too difficult to appear to be successful when the Waffen SS divisions enjoyed a better TO&E than that did comparable Heer division.

[Christos]

Now, except for the additions that we all make to this list, and the color rating system we have for it, then its finished from this point on!....ANYBODY that can come up with information that changes anything here.....PLEASE...drop in and tell us all about it!....Because thats what we are all here for....on the SITE that gives you MORE............WORLD WAR TWO TALK!....Thankyou all so much for your replys and keep em' comin'....

[Christos]

Oh Im sorry...I missed Mr Gardners eply....and a bloody excellent one it is too!

If you look at the majority of divisions listed here, they are mostly of DUBIOS quality and reliability.......

The raw data, which is what this article is all about......backs up the thesis.....

Thanks ever so much for your reply!

[Christos]

I would like to list as many of the divisional COMMANDERS as possible and insert them as we go...

If you have any information on this....or any other addition for that matter...drop in!

[Christos]

OK....Ive just about reached the limits of my researck amterial, so any help from here on would be most appreciated!.....Thankyou you all very much for your replys , and the contributions made, which I've duly credited to the site users concerned (Heinrici and Mr. Hulihan, thankyou both again!).

But for now, I need your help to round this one off....contributions from anywhere and everyone WELCOME

[Christos]

oopps.....just quickly wanted to point out that the views of the author, Steve Packman, do not necessarily correspond to the views of yours truly, Christos.....I present this purely as an information article, whose sources are good......the opinions expressed by Steve Packman are viewws that he came to based on his research and the resulting article that you have just read....

Again, any comments are MOST WELCOME....even bad ones.....your input and constructive criticism is important to me....in the name of one thing and one thing alone....

ACCURACY in historical information.....