Waffen SS
Active	1940-1945
Country	Third Reich
Allegiance	Axis
Branch	Independent military formation
Size	over 1. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries million
Garrison/HQ	Europe
Nickname	"Skull and Bones"
Patron	Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler
Motto	"Meine Ehre heißt Treue"
Colors	black, grey/green
March	Goose-Step
Anniversaries	2 March
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	SS-Obergruppenführer Josef Dietrich SS-Obergruppenführer Theodor Eicke SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Monhke SS-BrigadeführerOtto Kumm SS-Brigadeführer Fritz Freitag SS-Brigadeführer Léon Degrelle

The Waffen-SS (German for "Armed SS", literally "Weapons SS") was the combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron") or SS. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945 Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. Der Stechschritt (literally piercing step) commonly known in English speaking countries as " the Goose-Step Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945 Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945 Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945 Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945 The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The ComBat was an Aluminium Cricket bat and the subject of an incident that occurred at the WACA cricket ground in Perth in December 1979. The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the In contrast to the Heer (often mistakingly called the Wehrmacht, but the Wehrmacht was the entire armed force, comprised of the Heer, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe and, unofficially, Waffen SS), Germany's regular army, the Waffen-SS was a combat unit composed of volunteer troops with particularly strong personal commitments to Nazi ideology and selected on racial basis, so that people such as Jews or Poles were not allowed within the organisation. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German As stated by Himmler, the primary goal of SS formations was to fight Jewish people, people considered subhuman by the racist Nazi ideology (e. Untermensch ( German for under man, sub-man, sub-human; plural Untermenschen is a term from Nazi racial Ideology g. , Poles, Jews, Roma people) and communists[1].

It was founded in Germany in 1939 after the SS was split into two units^[1] but the title of Waffen-SS only became official on 2 March 1940. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[2] Although nominally under the leadership of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, a political and internal security appointee, the Waffen-SS saw action throughout the Second World War under de facto operational control of the Wehrmacht. was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945 Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 During the war it grew to 39 divisions, which served as elite combat troops alongside the regular army. ^[1][3]

After the war, at the Nuremberg Trials the Waffen-SS was condemned as a criminal organisation due to their political connections to the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP), and involvement in war crimes and The Holocaust, this is all except conscripts sworn in after 1943, who were exempted from the judgment on the basis of involuntary servitude. The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after "Crime syndicate" redirects here For the DC Comics group of villains see Crime Syndicate. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as Involuntary servitude is a United States legal and Constitutional term for a person laboring against that person's will to benefit another under some form Therefore Waffen-SS veterans were denied many of the rights afforded to other German combat veterans who had served in the Heer, Luftwaffe or Kriegsmarine. A veteran (from Latin vetus, meaning "old" is a person who has or is working in the armed forces The German Army (Deutsches Heer heɐ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the ^[4] Waffen-SS soldiers were held in separate, more rigorous confinement by the Western Allies and were punished severely by the Soviet Union. As well, many Waffen-SS men recruited from German-occupied countries in Europe were punished by their home countries.

In the 1950s and 1960s Waffen-SS veteran groups fought legal battles in the newly founded West Germany to overturn the Nuremberg ruling and win pension rights for their members. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (

Origins (1929 - 1939)

Dress uniforms of the SS-Verfügungstruppen, a pre-war Waffen-SS organisation. SS uniform refers to the various uniforms worn by the units and departments of the Schutzstaffel (SS between 1925 and 1945

The origins of the Waffen-SS can be traced back to the creation of a group of 322 men who were to act as Hitler's bodyguard. This bodyguard was created by Hitler in reaction to his unease at the size and strength of the Sturmabteilung (abbreviated 'SA'; English translation 'assault battalion'). The, abbreviated SA, ( German for "Assault detachment" or "Assault section" usually translated as " stormtroop(ers While the SA was part of the party, the fact that it pre-dated Hitler's leadership and had ambitions of its own meant that its loyalty to Hitler was not assured. The SA had grown so large that Hitler felt he needed an armed escort that was totally dedicated to him, thus the Schutzstaffel (SS) was created. After Hitler's imprisonment and subsequent release in the wake of the failed Beer Hall Putsch in Munich in 1923, he saw an even greater need for a bodyguard, and the place of the SS was solidified in the Nazi hierarchy. The Beer Hall Putsch (also known as the Munich Putsch) was a failed Coup d'état that occurred between the evening of Thursday November 8 Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany.

Until 1929 the SA was still the dominant force in the Nazi Party, however the SS was growing in strength and importance. In January 1929, Hitler appointed Heinrich Himmler to lead the SS with the rank of Reichsführer, and it was Himmler's goal to create an elite corps of armed soldiers within the party. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. However, the SS was still a very small organisation, and Hitler wanted an effective force by 1933. Himmler set out to recruit men who represented the elite of German society, both in physical abilities and political beliefs. So a group of armed men that were used for security and ceremonial purposes was established called the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SSVT). Included in this group was Hitler's protection squad, known as the Stabwache. This protection squad had been created in March 1933. Through his active recruitment, Himmler was able to increase the size of the SS to about 52,000 by the end of 1933.

Although the SS was growing exponentially, the SA mirrored the growth of Hitler's private army. The SA had over 2 million members at the end of 1933. Led by one of Hitler's old comrades, (Ernst Röhm), the SA represented a threat to Hitler's attempts to win favour with the German army. The SA threatened to sour Hitler's relations with the conservative elements of the country as well, people whose support Hitler needed to solidify his position in the German government. Hitler decided to act against the SA, and the SS was put in charge of eliminating Röhm and the other high ranking officers of the SA. The Night of the Long Knives on 30 June 1934 saw the execution of 82 SA men, including almost the entire leadership, and effectively ended the power of the SA. The Night of the Long Knives (German) or " Operation Hummingbird " was a Purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This attack was largely carried out by two companies of the bodyguard and illustrates the criminal behaviours for which it was later condemned.

During the Night of the Long Knives, the SS performed precisely as Hitler had envisioned, and from that point on, Himmler and his SS would be responsible only to Hitler, becoming a major force in the NSDAP second only to the Politisch Organisation (PO), the party cadre organisation. With his new-found independence, Himmler expanded the SS and created several new departments within the existing infrastructure. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. In particular, Himmler created the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) which was to act as the Reich's security service. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. In 1936, Himmler was appointed Chief of the German police. Himmler then reorganized the Reich's police service to include the Ordnungspolizei, and the Sicherheitspolizei (security police - in effect, the detective force). The Sicherheitspolizei was further divided into the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) and the Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo), respectively the criminal police and the secret police. The ( contraction of ge heime Sta ats' po' lizei: "Secret State Police" was the official Secret police of Nazi Germany At this time the SSVT was established as an armed police unit for domestic deployment and not a combat unit. This was perhaps to calm the fears that the army had already had about the challenge posed by the SA to their role. In 1936 Himmler selected former Lieut. General Paul Hausser to be appointed Inspector of the SSVT and he seems to have downplayed the police aspects of the force whilst building a military force. Paul "Papa" Hausser ( October 7, 1880 &ndash December 21, 1972) was an officer in the German Army, achieving the high However, the type of function that the SS head office thought suitable for the SSVT before the war was evident during the ‘Kristallnacht’ of 9 November 1938, when the SSVT in Vienna helped burn down the synagogues.

In 1938 Hitler declared that the SSVT would have a role in domestic as well as foreign affairs, which transformed this growing armed force into the rival that the army had feared. Special schools at Bad Tölz and Braunschweig were created to train future SS officers. Hausser also created two new SS regiments. Deutschland and Germania were formed from various battalions of the Verfügungstruppe and would be the foundation for the Das Reich and Wiking divisions. The SS Division Das Reich (germ 2SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich) was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during SS Division (motorised Wiking was a German Waffen SS division recruited from foreign volunteers After the annexation of Austria, another regiment, named Der Führer, composed of Austrians was created.

The OKW, opposed as it was to any expansion of the SSVT, would not allow army draftees to join the SS, so Himmler was forced to draw on outside sources of manpower. These included the men of the Totenkopfverbände concentration camp guards and the Ordungspolizei who were already in Himmler's organisation. Himmler agreed to the drafting of the Totenkopfverbände because he feared that the army would soon begin recruiting them since service with the organisation did not count as national military service. Rather than let the army poach the Totenkopfverbände guards, Himmler used them to expand the Waffen SS. In any case, the Reichsführer viewed the SSVT as an integral part of his SS order, so he saw nothing wrong in linking the two. Hitler’s acceptance of the expansion of the SSVT meant that the SSVT and Leibstandarte were now linked to the most notorious unit within the SS. In August 1939 Hitler placed the SSVT under the operational command of the OKW. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Thus, at the outbreak of hostilities, there were four SS armed regiments (although Der Führer was not ready for combat).

Both the army and the SS command found the performance of the SSVT in Poland to be unsatisfactory. This was blamed by some on the piecemeal deployment of the SSVT, so on the conclusion of the campaign against Poland they reorganised the three regiments of the Verfügungstruppe to form the Verfügungsdivision, and Leibstandarte was transformed into a motorized regiment. Also, two other divisions were created, the Totenkopf and Polizeidivision. SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head" or "Skull" is also known as 3 In March 1940, after an agreement between the Army and the SS, the title of Waffen-SS was officially given.

Early history

"Volunteer for the Waffen-SS". SS recruitment poster.

The original cadre of the Waffen-SS came from the Freikorps and the Reichswehr along with various fascist paramilitary formations. The designation of Freikorps ( German for "Free Corps " was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of 18th century The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status Formed at the instruction of Adolf Hitler in 1933, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was the first formation of what was to become the Waffen-SS. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler ( SS-LAH) founded in September 1933 was Adolf Hitler 's personal Bodyguard Regiment. When the SA was rendered powerless in the Night of the Long Knives, many ex-SA men requested transfer to the SS, swelling its ranks and resulting in the formation of several new units including the SS-Verfügungstruppe, SS-VT (to become the SS Division Das Reich) and the SS-Totenkopfverbände, SS-TV, the concentration camp guard unit (to become the SS Division Totenkopf). The, abbreviated SA, ( German for "Assault detachment" or "Assault section" usually translated as " stormtroop(ers The Night of the Long Knives (German) or " Operation Hummingbird " was a Purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July The SS-Verfügungstruppe ( The Combat Support Force) (short SS-VT) were combat divisions of the SS, trained according to the German Army ( Wehrmacht The SS Division Das Reich (germ 2SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich) was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during SS-Totenkopfverbände ( SS-TV) was a German Nazi formation of concentration camps guards Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head" or "Skull" is also known as 3

The majority of the Waffen-SS men originally received second rate weapons and equipment with many formations receiving Czech and Austrian weapons and equipment. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich With the exception of a select few of the 'Germanic' SS Divisions, this policy was continued throughout the war. The majority of the best equipment went to the Heer's elite divisions (Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland and Panzer-Lehr-Division)

The premier Waffen-SS divisions began to receive standard equipment once they proved themselves in the Eastern front and were upgraded to panzergrenadier and later panzer divisions. The German Army (Deutsches Heer heɐ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Infanterie-Division Großdeutschland (mot Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland Panzer-Korps Großdeutschland The Panzerlehrdivision (also called Panzer-Lehr-Division commonly known as Panzer Lehr, was a German armored division during World The remainder of the SS Divisions made do with either standard or second rate equipment.

Although it varied through divisions, in the early stages of the war, recruits had to be at least 5"11 tall, extremely fit, and also of Aryan appearance (though this policy would relax over the years). It was also generally required that they come from rural areas, as opposed to the cities -- the Wehrmacht were made up of men from urban backgrounds. ^[5]

SS combat training consisted primarily of several months of intensive basic training with three objectives; physical fitness, small-arms proficiency and political indoctrination. Recruit training is the initial Indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel Physical fitness is used in two close meanings general fitness (a state of Health and well-being and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability A firearm is a Tool that projects either single or multiple Projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people The training was so challenging that two in three potentials failed to pass the course. After basic training, the recruits were sent to specialist schools (such as Panzertruppenschule I) where they received specific-to-trade training in their chosen combat arm. Panzertruppenschule I (Armoured Troops School No1 was the first of two major schools set up by the German Panzerwaffe in World War II to train German As the war progressed and replacements were required more frequently, the intensity of the training was relaxed somewhat. This was particularly true after the expansion of the Waffen-SS following the success of the SS-Panzerkorps at Kharkov. The IISS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured Corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World

For officers, the focus was on leadership and combat command, usually at the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz. Junker was a paramilitary Nazi rank that was used by the Schutzstaffel (SS between the years of 1933 and 1945. Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen. The principle of Auftragstaktik which underpinned Wehrmacht and SS training is standard in all armies today, although the concept was invented by the Heer General Staff (and its precursors) rather than the SS. Mission-type tactics ( German: Auftragstaktik, from Auftrag and Taktik" also known as Mission Command in the US have (arguably been a central A strong emphasis was placed on creating a bond between the officers and men, and officer candidates were made to pass through basic training alongside the enlisted candidates. This created a mutual trust and respect between the officers and men, and meant that the relationship between these groups was very relaxed, unlike the Heer (German Army), where strict discipline and a policy of separation between the officers and enlisted men existed. In the Waffen-SS, it was not a requirement to salute officers and a more casual salute was adopted (the right arm raised vertically from the elbow - a relaxed version of the Heil salute. This salute is portrayed in many war films. Added to this, the practice of addressing a superior as Herr ("Mr. ") was also forbidden, with everyone up to Himmler being addressed simply by their rank.

During the war the Waffen-SS was presented as a multinational force protecting Europe from the terrible evils of Communism (see Black Edelweiss). Black Edelweiss A Memoir of Combat and Conscience by a Soldier of the Waffen-SS is a book by Johann Voss detailing the experiences of a soldier in the Waffen-SS

See also: List of German divisions in World War II

World War II

German prisoners being searched by Red Army soldiers. This is a list of German divisions in World War II. Only ground units are covered "divisions" of aircraft are not In the foreground, two dead German soldiers - the one on the right is an SS trooper.

As the outbreak of war neared, Hitler ordered the formation of several combat formations from the SS-Standarten (units of regimental size). A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel. The resulting three formations (the LSSAH, SS-VT and SS-TV) took part in the Invasion of Poland as well as Fall Gelb. The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries During this campaign, as for most of the war, Waffen SS units were operationally under the control of the OKW. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command This meant that they functioned completely as army units but their parent was not the army. During the campaign in the west, both the Totenkopf and LSSAH were implicated in atrocities. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" The overall performance of the Waffen-SS had been mediocre during these campaigns.

The poor initial performance of the Waffen-SS units was mainly due to the emphasis on political indoctrination rather than the long and effective military training achieved by the army before the war. This was largely due to the shortage of experienced NCOs, who preferred to stay with the regular army. A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force Despite this, the experience gained from the Polish, French and Balkan campaigns and the peculiarly egalitarian form of training soon turned the best Waffen-SS units into elite formations.

On several occasions, the Waffen-SS was criticised by Heer commanders for their reckless disregard for casualties while taking or holding objectives (See Totenkopf's actions during the early months of the Russian Campaign). However, the Waffen-SS divisions eventually proved themselves to a skeptical Heer as capable soldiers, although there were exceptions such as Kampfgruppe Nord's rout from the town of Salla during its first engagement in Lapland. The SS Division "Nord" was a German unit of the Waffen-SS. Salla (former name Kuolajärvi until 1936 is a municipality of Finland and is located in Lapland. The Province of Lapland ( Lappi in Finnish and Sami Lappland in Swedish is one of the Provinces of Finland.

Waffen-SS Panzergrenadiers of SS-Panzergrenadier Division Totenkopf during the Battle of Kursk. The Battle of Kursk (Курская битва refers to a series of German and Soviet operations on the Eastern Front of World War II

The Waffen-SS demonstrated their mature combat ability during the Third Battle of Kharkov, where the II.SS-Panzerkorps under SS-Brigadeführer Paul Hausser recaptured the city and blunted the Soviet offensive, saving the forces of Erich von Manstein's Army Group South from being cut off and destroyed. The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of offensive operations undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov ( The IISS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured Corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World Paul "Papa" Hausser ( October 7, 1880 &ndash December 21, 1972) was an officer in the German Army, achieving the high Erich von Manstein ( November 24, 1887 &ndash June 9 1973) served the German military as a lifelong professional soldier Army Group South (Heeresgruppe Süd was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.

In mid 1943, the II. SS-Panzerkorps took part in Operation Citadel and the Leibstandarte, Das Reich and Totenkopf (all now Panzergrenadier divisions) took part in the immense armour battles near Prokhorovka on the southern flank of the Kursk salient. The Battle of Kursk (Курская битва refers to a series of German and Soviet operations on the Eastern Front of World War II (abbreviated PzGren or Pzg) (Literally armored grenadeer is a German term for motorised or Mechanized infantry, as introduced during Prokhorovka (Про́хоровка is an Urban-type settlement in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located along the Psyol River southwest History KurskOld2jpg|thumb|200px|Pre-1917 view of Kursk]] Archaeology indicates that the site of Kursk was settled in the fifth or fourth century B

In the wake of the defeat at Kursk, the divisions of the Waffen-SS, particularly those considered 'elite' such as the Leibstandarte and the Wiking were increasingly deployed as armoured 'fire brigades', hurried to the most crucial sectors of the German theatres of operation. Hitler's increasing reliance on the men of the Waffen-SS during the final years of the war is well-exemplified by their prominence in the final major German operations, such as the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Spring Awakening. The Ardennes Offensive (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 was a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes Mountains Operation Spring Awakening ( Unternehmen Frühlingserwachen) ( 6 March 1945 &ndash 16 March 1945) was the last major German offensive

War crimes

The Waffen-SS--the Armed or Fighting SS was not directly involved in the Holocaust, as the separately organised Allgemeine-SS was responsible for the death camps (although many members of the later organisation subsequently became members of the Waffen-SS when formed the initial core of the 3rd SS, or Totenkopf Division). The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as The Allgemeine SS (German for "General SS" literally "Universal SS" was the biggest SS branch in terms of members Extermination camps were two types of facilities that Nazi Germany built during World War II for the systematic killing of millions of people in what has become SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head" or "Skull" is also known as 3 Many Waffen-SS members were responsible for war crimes, and the Schutzstaffel organisation as a whole was held a criminal organization after the war by the post-war German government because there was undeniable evidence that many of its members perpetrated serious war crimes. The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Although some argue that the evidence in the cases of many Waffen-SS divisions is of individual rather than organisational culpability, this is unacceptable as a defence in a military unit. While formations such as Dirlewanger and Kaminski Brigades, though many others were involved - either in large-scale massacres or smaller scale atrocities such as the Houtman affair. [2]

The linking of the SS-VT with the Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV) in 1938 posed important questions about Waffen SS criminality, since the latter were already responsible for the torture and murder of Jews and other political opponents. Their leader was Theodore Eicke, commandant of Dachau, inspector of the camps, murderer of Ernst Röhm and later General of the Totenkopf Division. With the invasion of Poland the Totenkopfverbände troops were called on to carry out ‘police and security measures’. What these measures involved is demonstrated by the record of SS Totenkopf Standarte Brandenburg. It arrived in Wloclawek on 22 September 1939 and embarked on a four day ‘Jewish action’ that included the burning of synagogues and executing en masse the leaders of the Jewish community. Włocławek (Leslau is a town in northern Poland on the Vistula (Wisła and Zgłowiączka rivers with a population of approximately 117000 Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On 29 September the Standarte travelled to Bydgoszcz to conduct an ‘intelligentsia action’. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Approximately 800 Polish civilians and what the SD termed ‘potential resistance leaders’ were killed. The Totenkopfverbände was to become one of the elite SS divisions, but from the start they were among the first executors of a policy of systematic extermination.

Several formations within the Waffen-SS were found guilty of a war crime especially in the opening and closing phases of the war[3]. War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied What is not clear is whether the rate of actual war crimes was higher than in non-Waffen-SS units. In the West the most infamous incidents included the following:

• Wormhoudt massacre by SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, 1940, Belgium
• Le Paradis massacre by SS Totenkopf, 1940, France
• Oradour-sur-Glane massacre by SS Das Reich, 1944, France
• Tulle massacre by SS Das Reich, 1944, France
• Marzabotto massacre by Reichsführer-SS, 1944, Italy
• Malmedy massacre by Kampfgruppe Peiper part of 1st SS Panzer Division, 1944, Belgium
• Ardeatine massacre by two SS Officers, 1944, Italy
• Distomo massacre by 4th SS Polizei Panzergrenadier Division, 1944, Greece
• Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre SS Reichsführer SS, 1944, Italy
• Ardenne Abbey massacre 12th SS Panzer Division, 1944, France

Note: this is not a complete list of massacres perpetrated by the Waffen SS. The Wormhoudt massacre (or Wormhout massacre) was an atrocity against soldiers Hors de combat in World War II that occurred on Tuesday 28 The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Le Paradis massacre was a War crime committed by members of the 14th Company SS Division Totenkopf, under the command of Hauptsturmführer This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Oradour-sur-Glane (Orador de Glana is a town and commune in the Haute-Vienne département of central-western France. Tulle ( Occitan: Tula) is a commune of France, capital of the Corrèze department in the Limousin region The Marzabotto massacre was a World War II Mass murder that took place in the territory around the small village of Marzabotto in the mountainous area Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Malmedy massacre refers to a War crime in which about 90 unarmed American prisoners of war were executed by their German captors The Fosse Ardeatine massacre (Eccidio delle Fosse Ardeatine was a mass execution carried out in Rome on 24 March 1944 by Nazi The Distomo massacre ( Greek: Η σφαγή τού Διστόμου; German: Massaker von Distomo or Distomo-Massaker) was a Nazi Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre was a World War II atrocity in the village of Sant'Anna di Stazzema, Italy. Ardenne Abbey, or "l'Abbaye d'Ardenne", is the site of a Premonstratensian monastery in Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe, near Caen, There were many other incidents.

In the East massacres and atrocities were far more widespread than in the West, due to fact that population in those territories was believed to be subhuman. Untermensch ( German for under man, sub-man, sub-human; plural Untermenschen is a term from Nazi racial Ideology

That the Waffen-SS had been held to be part of a criminal organisation (the SS) may have encouraged greater intensity of search for, or attribution of, war crimes to these units. For example, the Waffen SS murdered over 150 Canadian soldiers taken prisoner in the Battle of Normandy (see the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend article for details). In the ten or so years after the war it became possible to re-examine the facts in a 'cooler' environment and in some cases reverse the imposed penalties. For example, Major-General Kurt Meyer's death sentence was commuted following a review by Canadian military officials, although his conviction for inciting his men to 'give no quarter' remained intact. Mercy ( Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, "price In the east, many of the premier combat divisions within the Waffen SS were tainted by numerous battlefield and civilian atrocities.

The Dirlewanger and Kaminski Brigades (later to become the 36.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS and 29.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (russische Nr.1) respectively) were notorious for their reputation in the east. These formations, composed mostly of ex-Einsatzgruppen, pardoned poachers, released criminals, dishonorably discharged Wehrmacht officers and Russian Prisoners of War and commanded by the fanatical Nazis Oskar Dirlewanger Nicolaus Uhl and Bronislaw Kaminski, were engaged in numerous atrocities throughout their existence. Einsatzgruppen ( German: "task forces" "intervention groups" were Paramilitary groups formed by Heinrich Himmler and Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Oskar Dirlewanger ( September 26, 1895 Würzburg - June 5, 1945 Altshausen) was a World War II officer with Bronislav Vladislavovich Kaminski (Ками́нский Бронисла́в Владисла́вович 16 June 1899, Vitebsk - 28 August After their actions in putting down the Warsaw Uprising, complaints from the Wehrmacht resulted in these units being dissolved and several members ) being tried and executed for their role in several incidents. The Warsaw Uprising ( Powstanie Warszawskie) was a World War II struggle by the Polish Home Army ( Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw

Similarly, the Waffen-Sturm-Brigade RONA had a combat record riddled with atrocities as well as abysmal conduct when faced with front line service.

While some Waffen-SS divisions such as Nordland and Nord are not associated with battlefield atrocities, the debate over the culpability of the organisation as a whole is the center of much revisionism. For the critical reexamination of historical facts see Historical revisionism.

On one end of the debate, in addition to documented atrocities, Waffen-SS units did assist in rounding up[4] Eastern European Jews[5]for deportation and utilised Scorched-earth tactics during anti-partisan operations[6]. A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method (possibly more often referred to as a tactic but this is not entirely correct as there is a difference between Also, some SS-Division Totenkopf personnel convalesced at concentration camps, from which they were drawn, by serving guard duties. SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head" or "Skull" is also known as 3 Other members of the Waffen-SS were more directly involved in genocide. [7][8]

The entire Waffen-SS was declared a criminal organisation by the International Military Tribunal during the Nuremberg Trials, except conscripts, who were exempted from that judgment as they were forced to join. The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after

In 2003, the British government reported that over 1,400 former members of the Waffen SS were living in the UK. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[6]

Morale and discipline

Several divisions are seen by historians as being elite, notably those with higher proportions of ethnic Germans in them. It is stated by various German military sources (Guderian and Manstein) that when first deployed some of these units were not as combat effective as regular army units. These divisions were characterized by extremely high unit morale and combat ability, as well as commitment to the ideals of Nazism.

These divisions included the LSSAH, Das Reich, Totenkopf, the multi-national Wiking, the Hohenstaufen and Frundsberg, and the Hitlerjugend. SS Division (motorised Wiking was a German Waffen SS division recruited from foreign volunteers The 9 Waffen SS Panzerdivision "Hohenstaufen", also known as SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9 Hohenstaufen or

In spite of heavy casualties, some of the Waffen-SS units retained their reputations as crack formations until the end of the war, though the quality of formations raised late in the war was often dreadful, and some of the Freiwillige troops were prone to mutiny (see, for instance, 13.Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS Handschar (kroatische Nr.1)). Europäische Freiwillige is a German term meaning 'European Volunteers'

Foreign volunteers and conscripts

"Be a worthy Dutchman, up against Bolshevism!". The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Poster urging Dutchmen to volunteer in the Waffen-SS at the Eastern Front. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands

Himmler, wishing to expand the Waffen-SS, advocated the idea of SS-controlled foreign legions. The Reichsführer, with his penchant for medieval lore, envisioned a united Aryan 'crusade', fighting to save what Nazis saw as Aryan race from what they described as Subhuman (Jews, Slavs, Gypsies) and "Bolshevik hordes". The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents Untermensch ( German for under man, sub-man, sub-human; plural Untermenschen is a term from Nazi racial Ideology While native Germanic-speaking volunteers were approved almost instantly, Himmler eagerly pressed for the creation of more and more foreign units.

In late 1940, the creation of a multinational SS division, the Wiking, was authorised. SS Division (motorised Wiking was a German Waffen SS division recruited from foreign volunteers Command of the division was given to SS-Brigadeführer Felix Steiner. Felix Martin Julius Steiner ( 23 May 1896 – 12 May 1966) was a German Heer and Waffen-SS officer who served Steiner immersed himself in the organisation of the volunteer division, soon becoming a strong advocate for an increased number of foreign units. The Wiking was committed to combat several days after the launch of Operation Barbarossa, proving itself an impressive fighting unit. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II

Soon Danish, French, Azeri, Armenian, Belgian, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Dutch Freiwilligen (volunteer) formations were committed to combat, gradually proving their worth. The 33 Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS Charlemagne (französische Nr Origins The sweeping initial victories of Operation Barbarossa produced hundreds of thousands of non-Russian soldier prisoners in the POW cages of the German The Finnisches Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS was a Finnish Volunteer combat Battalion of the German Waffen-SS. Hitler, however, was hesitant to allow foreign volunteers to be formed into formations based on their ethnicity, preferring that they be absorbed into multi-national divisions. Hitler feared that unless the foreign recruits were committed to the idea of a united Germania, then their reasons for fighting were suspect, and could damage the German cause.

Himmler was allowed to create his new formations, but they were to be commanded by German officers and NCOs. A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force Beginning in 1942–43, several new formations were formed from Bosnians, Latvians, Estonians, and Ukrainians. This is page about Bosnians (as citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Latvians or Letts (latvieši the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which Estonians ( Estonian: eestlased, previously maarahvas) are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting primarily the country Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens There were plans for a Greek division, but the plan was abandoned after the Greek partisan resistance blew up the organizing party's headquarters. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Panhellenic Union of Fighting Youths (Πανελλήνιος Ένωσις Αγωνιζόμενων Νέων - PEAN (ΠΕΑΝ for short was a Greek Resistance For the American artist see ESPO (artist The ESPO ( Εθνικο-Σοσιαλιστική Πατριωτική Οργάνωσις Many Greeks from Southern Russia, however, entered the divisions as Ukrainians. Himmler ordered that new Waffen-SS units formed with men of non-Germanic ethnicity were to be designated Division der SS (or Division of the SS) rather than SS Division. In some of these cases, the wearing of the SS runes on the collar was forbidden, with several of these formations wearing national insignia instead.

All soldiers of non-German citizenship in these units had their rank prefix changed from SS to Waffen (e. g. a Latvian Hauptscharführer would be referred to as a Waffen-Hauptscharführer rather than SS-Hauptscharführer). An example of a Division der SS is the Estonian 20.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (estnische Nr.1). 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian (German 20 The combat ability of the divisions der SS varied greatly. For example, the Latvian, French, Spanish and Estonian formations performed exceptionally, while the Albanian and Croatian units performed poorly.

While many adventurers and idealists joined the SS due to their dedication to Nazi ideology , many of the later recruits joined or were conscripted for different reasons. For example, Dutchmen who joined the 34.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Landstorm Nederland were granted exemption from forced labour and provided with food, pay and accommodation. The SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland was a German Waffen SS volunteer brigade comprising volunteers of Dutch background Recruits who joined for such reasons rarely proved good soldiers, and several units composed of such volunteers were involved in atrocities.

Many Latvian "volunteers" were actually conscripted after February 1943, even though Nazi propaganda claimed that they had consented to join the Waffen-SS (Latvian Legion 15th and 19th Divisions). The Nazis called these Latvian conscripts volunteers in order to avoid the 1907 Hague Convention Rules (which stated that citizens from occupied countries could not be conscripted by occupying forces). However, prior to February 10th, 1943 some Latvians actually did join these divisions as volunteers but the vast majority did so not for Nazi ideals but because they wanted arms and financing to liberate their country from the Soviet occupation that began in 1940. Therefore, amongst themselves they referred to their divisions as the "Latvian Legion" (in a fight for national self-determination) rather than as Waffen-SS fighting for Hitler.

Towards the end of 1943, it became apparent that numbers of volunteer recruits were inadequate to meet the needs of the German military, so conscription was introduced. The Estonian 20.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (estnische Nr.1) is an example of such a conscript formation, which proved to be outstanding soldiers with an unblemished record. 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian (German 20

Not satisfied with the growing number of volunteer formations, Himmler sought to gain control of all volunteer forces serving alongside Germany. This put the SS at odds with the Heer, as several volunteer units had been placed under Heer control (e. g. volunteers of the Spanish Blue Division). The Blue Division (División Azul Blaue Division or 250 Infanterie-Division in the German Army, was a unit of Spanish volunteers Despite this, Himmler constantly campaigned to have all foreign volunteers fall under the SS banner. In several cases, like the ROA and the 5.SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade Wallonien he was successful, and by the last year of the war, most foreign volunteers units did fall under SS command. Russian Liberation Army (Russian Russkaya Osvoboditel'naya Armiya, Русская Освободительная Армия abbreviated in Cyrillic as РОА in Latin The 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien or 5 SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade Wallonien was a Belgian Waffen SS volunteer brigade Still another unit, the Indian Legion was composed of Indian troops, mostly prisoners of war recruited by the Germans with help from a marginal Indian anti-colonial leader named Mohammed Shedai. The Legion Freies Indien, or the Indische Legion, variously known as the Tiger Legion, the Free India Legion (in English the Azad Hind Legion The unit became a part of the political plans of another, more famous, Indian nationalist: Subhas Chandra Bose, who ousted Shedai from his position of favor with the German military authorities, and who wanted the Legion to participate in a German invasion of British India. Subhas Chandra Bose (সুভাষ চন্দ্র বসু (born January 23, 1897; presumed to have died August 18, 1945 After Bose left Germany for Japanese-controlled south-east Asia in 1943 to take charge of the Indian National Army (similar to the Indian Legion, but much larger), the Indian Legion was diverted from its original goal of fighting the British in India and absorbed into the German attempt to hold on to occupied Europe. The Indian National Army ( INA) or Azad Hind Fauj ( Hindi: आज़ाद हिन्द फ़ौज was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists Morale dropped sharply in consequence. The unit was deployed in France, where it earned a reputation for atrocities, although some individual members deserted to the French resistance. The Indian Legion disintegrated in the aftermath of D-Day. D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote

While several volunteer units performed poorly in combat, the majority acquitted themselves well. French and Spanish SS volunteers, along with remnants of the 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland formed the final defence of the Reichstag in 1945.

Among the more unusual units to exist in the Waffen SS was the British Free Corps, a unit composed of citizens of the British Commonwealth, was led by John Amery but never had a strength of more than 27 men at any given time. In World War II, the British Free Corps (BFC or sometimes incorrectly referred to in the German form as Britisches Freikorps was a John Amery ( 14 March, 1912 Chelsea, London &ndash 19 December, 1945) was an English Fascist An attempt to use IRA agents to recruit an Irish unit from among British Army POWs was a similar failure. This article deals with the Irish republican organisation opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty styling itself "Irish Republican Army" as it existed from the time of the Treaty Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world However two Irishmen are known to have served in the Waffen SS, they were James Brady and Frank Stringer.

After the surrender, many volunteers were tried and imprisoned by their countries. In several cases, volunteers were executed. Those volunteers from the Baltic states and Ukraine could at best look forward to years spent in the gulags. The Baltic states (Balti riigid Baltijas valstis Baltijos valstybės or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all members of the Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The Gulag was the government agency that administered the penal labor camps of the Soviet Union. To avoid this, many ex-volunteers from these regions joined underground resistance groups (see Forest Brothers) which were engaged fighting the Soviets until the 1950s. This article is about Baltic WWII anti-Soviet resistance movement

Helped by ODESSA network, Walloon volunteer leader Leon Degrelle, who fought at the Battle of Berlin and was decorated by Hitler, escaped to Spain, where, despite being sentenced to death in absentia by the Belgian authorities, he lived in exile until his death in 1994. ODESSA which stands for the German phrase O rganisation d er e hemaligen SS - A ngehörigen which in turn translates Walloons (Wallons Walons are a Romance people living in Belgium principally in Wallonia. Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle ( June 15 1906 &ndash April 1 1994) was a Walloon Belgian politician who founded For the bombing campaign on Berlin by the RAF from November 1943 to March 1944 see Battle of Berlin (air. John Amery, the leader of the British Free Corps, was tried and convicted of treason by the British government. John Amery ( 14 March, 1912 Chelsea, London &ndash 19 December, 1945) was an English Fascist In World War II, the British Free Corps (BFC or sometimes incorrectly referred to in the German form as Britisches Freikorps was a In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation. He was executed in December 1945. US airman Martin James Monti was charged with treason and sentenced to 25 years and was paroled in 1960. Martin James Monti ( October 24, 1921 &ndash September 11, 2000) was a United States Airman who enlisted in the Army In Estonia and Latvia, the majority of Waffen SS veterans were conscripts who were at least partly considered freedom fighters. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. In an April 13, 1950 message from the U. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. High Commission in Germany (HICOG), signed by General Frank McCloy to the Secretary of State, clarified the US position on the "Baltic Legions": they were not to be seen as "movements", "volunteer", or "SS". In short, they were not given the training, indoctrination, and induction normally given to SS members. Subsequently the US Displaced Persons Commission in September 1950 declared that

The Baltic Waffen SS Units (Baltic Legions) are to be considered as separate and distinct in purpose, ideology, activities, and qualifications for membership from the German SS, and therefore the Commission holds them not to be a movement hostile to the Government of the United States. ^[7]

Still, much debate is continuing on this issue and because of renewed condemnation of Nazi regime across the globe, official statements of the position of Estonian and Latvian Waffen SS veterans remain ambiguous. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Although a minority of such veterans did (and still do) adhere to the Nazi ideologies, the vast majority of Baltic Legion veterans actually did not like their SS superiors or their ideology. Latvian Legion Day, commemorated on16 March, had been marked privately by Latvian veterans abroad since 1952, and also in Latvia from the early 1990s, as a day to remember those nationals who fought to protect their country from the Soviet dictatorship that was imposed on them in 1940. Latvian Legion Day is a remembrance day on March 16, when soldiers of the Latvian Legion, part of the Waffen SS, are commemorated Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king In 1998, the Latvian Parliament declared 16 March an official commemorative day, but chose to call it the more neutral-sounding "Remembrance Day for Latvian Soldiers" (Latviešu karavīru atceres diena). ^[8]. This distinction was made by the 1998 Latvian government because the vast majority of Latvians do not remember the Nazi years in a positive light and feel that the Waffen-SS not only ruined their international reputation but also pillaged their country during the Nazi occupation years. However, under pressure from the European Union, the members of the cabinet and personnel of National Armed Forces withheld their participation in commemorative events in 1999,^[9] and the parliament eventually reversed its decision in 2000. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

By the end of the war, around 60% of Waffen-SS members were non-German. ^[10]

Uniforms

Main article: SS uniform

Varied from place to place but standard issue for the most part was "Dot 44" a type of green digital looking camouflage that proved itself very useful. SS uniform refers to the various uniforms worn by the units and departments of the Schutzstaffel (SS between 1925 and 1945

The SS Oak B pattern, namely the autumn variation.

Tangible evidence of the elite status of Waffen-SS units was the award of named cuff titles; while the use of cuff titles was common in many military and paramilitary organisations in the Third Reich, there were few combat units permitted to wear them as a means of identification. A cuff title (German Armband) is a form of identification used on German military and paramilitary uniforms most commonly seen in the Second World War but also seen

Camouflage

The Waffen-SS used different camouflage patterns to that of the German Army and used a variety of patterns. These varied from place to place but standard issue for the most part was "Oakleaf" a type of green/orange military camouflage which represented the leaves of an oak tree in either summer or autumn. Camouflage became an essential part of modern Military tactics after the increase in accuracy and rate of fire of weapons during the 19th century Other famous patterns included Dot 44 peas pattern, planetree & Italian camouflage (the most conventional by modern standards).

Rank insignia

Rank was displayed on the left lapel of the uniform (the right lapel holding the SS runes badge) and followed the same pattern of ranks as the German Army but with different names that usually ended with "führer" (e. g. , "Gruppenführer").

See also: Comparative military ranks of World War II

References

Literature

• Davies, W. J. K. (1981). German Army Handbook 1939–1945, 2nd U. S. Edition, New York: Arco Publishing. ISBN 0-668-04291-5.  

• Munoz, Antonio J. (1991). Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS. Axis Europa, Inc. . ISBN 0-7394-0817-8.  

• Quarrie, Bruce (1983). Hitler's Samurai: The Waffen-SS in Action. Arco Pub. 161 pp. . ISBN 0-668-05805-6.  

• Reitlinger, Gerald (1989). Gerald Roberts Reitlinger (born London United Kingdom 1900 died St The SS: Alibi of a Nation, 1922–1945. Da Capo Press 502 pp. . ISBN 978-0306803512.  

• Rikmenspoel, Marc J. (2004). Waffen-SS Encyclopedia. Aberjona Press. 307 pp. . ISBN 978-0971765085.  

• Stein, George H. (1966). The Waffen-SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War 1939–1945. Cornell University Press. 330 pp. . ISBN 0-8014-9275-0.  

• Wegner, Bernd (1990). The Waffen-SS: Organization, Ideology and Function. Blackwell Publishers. ISBN 0-631-14073-5.  

• Williamson, Gordon (1995). Loyalty is my Honor. Motorbooks International. 192 pp. . ISBN 0-7603-0012-7.  

See also

• List of Waffen SS units
• Günter Grass
• Russian Liberation Army

External links

• Das Reich Homepage — By Dan Reinbold - apolitical history site on 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich"
• Axis History Factbook; Waffen-SS part — By Marcus Wendel and contributors; site also contains an apolitical forum about the Axis nations
• Feldgrau.com — By Jason Pipes, Stanford University/University of California, Berkeley; research on the German armed forces 1918–1945
• Waffen-SS.com — By Thomas Wilhelm (webmaster) et. This is an incomplete list of Waffen SS units Sixth SS Panzer Army Eleventh SS Panzer Army Waffen SS Corps Günter Wilhelm Grass (born 16 October 1927 is a Nobel Prize -winning German Author and Playwright. Russian Liberation Army (Russian Russkaya Osvoboditel'naya Armiya, Русская Освободительная Армия abbreviated in Cyrillic as РОА in Latin Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in The University of California Berkeley (also referred to as Cal, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) is a major research university located in Berkeley al. ; a site exploring the combat role of the Waffen-SS in World War II; also includes forum
• Germanic Volunteers of the Waffen-SS (excerpt) — Translated from the German World War II-era original (Germanische Freiwillige im Osten)
• Camouflage uniforms of the Waffen-SS — From Brad Turner's website kamouflage. net; also includes similar information for Heer, Luftwaffe
• Waffen-SS from TM-E 30-451 Handbook on German Military Forces (U. S. World War II manual, March 1945)
• German Wartime newsreels showing Waffen-SS in combat Waffen-SS footage from Normandy, Charkov, Kovel, Kursk, Donets and Leningrad.
• Massacres perpetrated by the SS at Tulle & Oradour