8 SS-Kavallerie-Division Florian Geyer and the SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Landstorm Nederland.
Well, seems we are talking about the SS divisions we just like the most due to different reasons and not about the divisions what were the best in combat situation.
It is hard to say what division was "the best" but I belive divisions Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, Das Reich, Totenkopf and Wiking were among the strongest. Hitler Jugend was also good in Normandy but mostly because it consisted of fanatical young brainwashed nazis. Fanatics fight allways better because they have something to die for. Also LAH, Das Reich, Totenkopf and Wiking were so good in combat because there were many nazi-fanatics in these divisions.
It is not right to compare for example Latvian or Estonian W-SS divisions with LAH or Totenkopf. In Latvian and Estonian divisions most soldiers and officers just fought for their own homeland and not for some nazi ideas or Hitler.
Last edited by Frundsberg; 05-13-2014 at 09:31 PM.
Dean please dont get this thread nuked ! We should be discussing the fighting ability and tactics of these units
Nick
Last edited by Larry C; 05-13-2014 at 03:02 PM.
"In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem
Prinz Eugen simply because a good friend of mine (Fred Umbrich) is a highly decorated soldier of that division.
Totenkopf for their fighting spirit and they didn't take shit from nobody.
Das Reich for their fighting prowess.
Wiking for their legendary breakout from Cherkassy.
LAH because they had the best early black helmets.
Don't let the thread start leaning now
It is not the size of a Collection in History that matters......Its the size of your Passion for it!! - Larry C
One never knows what tree roots push to the surface of what laid buried before the tree was planted - Larry C
“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” - Winston Churchill
Sorry Nick, I did not want to hijack the thread. Just a sore spot with me as I have been to a couple of the places where they did their deeds. And to be honest, once word got out to the Canadians, they didn't take too many of the 12th as POW.
A Friends Father VS Radley-Walters was a tank Commander in Normandy, he became the most Decorated Canadian Tank Man of WW2, knocked out 18 or 19 German Tanks. You see him on many of the Shows about Normandy, He said he Respected the 1st and the 12th as they were both very good and hard fighters, however he hated the 12th
In the photos below you can see the small Park named after him in Normandy, all the German Tanks he knocked out were 1st or 12 SS
I have always wondered about the 13th from the East, I find that to be an interesting Unit, however I know little about their fighting abilities.
Dean O
I have been to the Ardennes Abbey and Chateau d’Audrie as well as the road near Authie and Buron, where the North Novies were gunned down as well as Le Mesnil-Patty, all sites where the 12th SS committed unarmed massacres of Canadian prisoners. As Dean said, the Canadians responded in kind.
The mindset I believe was ported over from the 1st LSSAH officer cadre of the 12th SS and their experiences on the Russian Front where prisoner execution was the norm combined with the fanaticism of the young men of the 12th.
Larry with respect, I do not think the thread is going off kilter with vein of discussion of the 12th SS. I have read now countless times in the thread about the fanaticism of the 12th SS, but these deeds are a part of that very fanaticism and are part of their history.
My favourite division is the Totenkopf. When I say they didn't take shit from anyone, that includes multiple atrocities. I don't hide or cleans the history of these units but accept them as facts without admiration.
No problem here Doug just a friendly heads up ... If it does go in the wrong direction. I remember a thread called game face which started off great
and eventually went sour with irrelevent execution photos posted.
I agree that some of these division s were well disciplined and battle hardened. No doubt the TTK div.. Was just that. Regards Larry
It is not the size of a Collection in History that matters......Its the size of your Passion for it!! - Larry C
One never knows what tree roots push to the surface of what laid buried before the tree was planted - Larry C
“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” - Winston Churchill
Thank you, again, I kinda went off on my own direction, I want to Thank those that put me back on track, as I said, I did not mean to hijack this thread...just that 12th SS thing, Kinda bothers me, but I have researched them, and I understand why they were they way they were.
Not all their fault.
I remember being at a Military show here in Ontario, some guy that was near 300 pounds was pretending he was 12...Grenades sticking out of everywhere..never serves a day in the Militia or Army..telling those that know no better, what it was like, turned my tummy!!!
Again sorry for becoming politicl..guess in some way, we are no better than them.
Just My Thoughts
Dean O
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