How Effective Were German SS Units Compared to Non-SS Heer Units?

Original SS (like Leibstandarte) units were better than common Heer divisions, because they had not only better weapons but also because they had more (volunteer) men. These units were quite effective in combat because they were more risk-takers, but the cost was that they had more losses as well.

Was the SS better equipped than Wehrmacht?

Waffen SS units were as a whole never superior to the Wehrmacht – quite the contrary. Certain units (such as heavy tank units) are on par record-wise with the Wehrmacht, but many Waffen SS units are simply inferior to the properly trained German soldiers.

How was the SS different from the regular German army?

The Allgemeine SS was responsible for enforcing the racial policy of Nazi Germany and general policing, whereas the Waffen-SS consisted of combat units within Nazi Germany’s military.

How good was the Waffen-SS?

Although the Waffen-SS gained a reputation during the war for ferociousness and tenacity, and this reputation grew significantly during the postwar period, their actual combat success was more mixed and prosaic. Some Waffen-SS formations fought rather well, but others’ performance was not terribly impressive.

How effective was the German infantry in ww2?

The firepower of a German infantry division far exceeded that of a French, British, or Polish division; the standard German division included 442 machine guns, 135 mortars, 72 antitank guns, and 24 howitzers. Allied divisions had a firepower only slightly greater than that of World War I.

Did the Wehrmacht ever fight the SS?

So yes, what you have heard is true. On May 5th 1945, a total of 14 Wehrmacht soldiers (and the SS defector Kurt-Siegfried Schrader) helped defend Castle Itter from an SS division. Source: Harding, Stephen.

How many Waffen-SS died in ww2?

OKW figures from 9/1/1939 to 12/31/1944

Description Dead Total
Army and Waffen SS 1,750,000 3,360,000
Navy 60,000 160,000
Air Force 155,000 303,000
Total Wehrmacht 1,965,000 3,823,000


What is the difference between the SS and the Gestapo?

The sole purpose supposedly of the SS is to protect personally the Nazi supreme commander Adolf Hitler. The Gestapo is a short-lived police organization that existed around 1934-1939 only while the SS is longer since they existed for sixteen years around 1929-1945 before being abolished.

What did German soldiers call American soldiers?

Ami



Ami – German slang for an American soldier.

What did German soldiers think of Canadian soldiers during ww2?

In his 1929 bestseller Good-Bye to All That, he wrote “the troops that had the worst reputation for acts of violence against prisoners were the Canadians.” Germans developed a special contempt for the Canadian Corps, seeing them as unpredictable savages.

What country killed the most German soldiers in World war 2?

Soviet

Russians also point to the fact that Soviet forces killed more German soldiers than their Western counterparts, accounting for 76 percent of Germany’s military dead.



What happened to the SS soldiers after the war?

Most succumbed to the consequences of SS criminal neglect: starvation, exposure, and disease. Moreover, the SS camp staff and guards shot, hanged, or otherwise killed thousands of prisoners in the last months of the war.

Did the Waffen-SS fight in Stalingrad?

Waffen SS was in Stalingrad! First, this is confirmed by the finds was made diggers in Stalingrad region of Russia. We sometimes find the gorget patches, dogtags, buckles and another items of SS-troops

How many German generals died in ww2?

An equally staggering total of 136 German generals were killed in action or died of wounds during the Second World War. A further 30 died in accidents; 64 took their own lives; and 20 were executed by the Nazis.

Are the German army and the SS the same?

Led by Ernst Röhm from 1931 to 1934, it was distinctly separate from the German army and often used street violence to intimidate Nazi opposition. Quickly growing in numbers due to the Great Depression, the SA was much larger than the army and likely was made up of about 2,000,000 men.

What does SS mean in German army?

Schutzstaffel



The SS. The SS (Schutzstaffel, or Protection Squads) was originally established as Adolf Hitler’s personal bodyguard unit. It would later become both the elite guard of the Nazi Reich and Hitler’s executive force prepared to carry out all security-related duties, without regard for legal restraint.

What is the difference between the SS and the Gestapo?

The sole purpose supposedly of the SS is to protect personally the Nazi supreme commander Adolf Hitler. The Gestapo is a short-lived police organization that existed around 1934-1939 only while the SS is longer since they existed for sixteen years around 1929-1945 before being abolished.

What is a Waffen SS soldier?

The Waffen-SS (German: [ˈvafn̩ʔɛsˌʔɛs], transl. Armed SS) was the combat branch of the Nazi Party’s Schutzstaffel (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. Waffen-SS.

How many Waffen-SS died in ww2?

OKW figures from 9/1/1939 to 12/31/1944



Description Dead Total
Army and Waffen SS 1,750,000 3,360,000
Navy 60,000 160,000
Air Force 155,000 303,000
Total Wehrmacht 1,965,000 3,823,000


Did the Waffen-SS fight in Stalingrad?

Waffen SS was in Stalingrad! First, this is confirmed by the finds was made diggers in Stalingrad region of Russia. We sometimes find the gorget patches, dogtags, buckles and another items of SS-troops

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