Quote:
Originally Posted by Juha
Hello RT
IMHO even claim that SS had best equipment was myth, it depended the date, which units were just got rest and refitment. Just before D-Day the two best equipped PzDs in West were Heer’s, then came three SSPzDs but the problem is how to value 21.PzD
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I'm inclined to agree. The main advantage held by certain Waffen SS units was not in tanks or other equipment. It was sheer manpower. This was more obvious in the last year of the war. The SS divisions usually had more infantry and other ground troops, which allowed them to sustain higher losses and therefore stay in the front line for longer periods than a smaller army division.
Most of the SS divisions had fewer draftees than the traditional army divisions, and that was probably the most important distinction.
I do not believe that SS officers tended to be better leaders than "the regulars". But any organization filled with volunteers is always more motivated to pursue its goals, and typically performs more effectively than conscripted workers.