How Did 'Ordinary' German Soldiers Feel About The Waffen SS?

Discussion in 'Axis Units' started by von Poop, Jun 12, 2010.

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  1. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    Some British generals complained that because of his forcefulness Montgomery got what he wanted and when he wanted it.
     
  2. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    A personal friend of mine, a retired Bundeswehr Panzer Officer, once told me of his father who was a Major in the 14th Panzer Division on the Eastern Front in 1942 trying to relieve Stalingrad.

    Before this offensive he was apparently approached and asked if he would transfer to the Waffen SS, where he would command from a Tiger I and not a MkIV Panzer with a short barrelled 75mm.

    He respectfully declined as he had no wish to be associated with the SS.

    A short time later the Regiment was almost completely wiped out as the Division faced an overwhelming number of T34's and ran out of ammunition.

    Major Haßel was captured and spent the rest of the war and several more years in a Siberien camp.

    He was one of the few that managed to return home to Germany.

    Apperently a True Heer Officer.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  3. neal02

    neal02 New Member

    for a Wehrmacht combat unit it was kinda sense of security lie next to an SS Battalion. Incidentally, the SS wasn't a collection of thieves as some claim here. there were well equipped combat -proven soldiers.
     
  4. neal02

    neal02 New Member

    that war crimes were committed by SS, is beyond question. War has its own dynamic.
     
  5. steelers708

    steelers708 Junior Member

    That all sides committed war crimes is beyond question, the scale may have differred, but a war crime is a war crime regardless. As has been shown in Afghanistan and Iraq British and American forces are not immune, as much as we'd like to think it doesn't happen. War is hell as they say.
     
  6. Combover

    Combover Guest

    They were. They were also, in the words of one Canadian 3rd Division Soldier at the time, "Murdering Little Bastards".

    Let's not forget that.
     
  7. aurora-7

    aurora-7 Junior Member

    I believe the Wehrmacht saw the SS as direct competition. They grew from Hitler's personal security force to a personal army.

    They were completely and personally loyal to Hitler while the Wehrmacht soldiers mostly saw themselves loyal to Germany as a whole.

    They SS were ideology driven which made them fanatic fighters
     

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