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Eug_garnet

Second Lieutenant
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Mar 2, 2017
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  • Eugen Systems Staff
  • Steel Division: Normandy 44
  • Steel Division: Normandy 44 Deluxe Edition
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FIRST BLOOD, the free anniversary update for Steel Division: Normandy 44, will be available on May 17th and will feature 2 new FREE divisions and unlock 2 ace models.

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In this new blog article, let’s focus today on the most famous and dreaded division of the Waffen-SS, 1. SS-Panzerdivision “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler“! Come discover the LSSAH's story!
 
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Ok this is going to be a interesting addition and can't wait to see the lineup in numbers and slots.

But I have to say that there being a Disheartened SS unit is welcome but having it named as SS-Volksdeutsche is bit weird considering that 17th SS is mostly made from same material.
 
Indeed, but in 17.SS, Volksdeutsche(n?) blended well in, which wasn’t always the case with those just recently pressed within 1.SS ... especially when they were French Alsacians or Moselans given an opportunity to desert to the Western Allies.
 
I'm curious, what is the "greatest tank battle" in ww2? In the blog you say battle of Prokhorovka is falsely thought to be greatest.
 
Indeed, but in 17.SS, Volksdeutsche(n?) blended well in, which wasn’t always the case with those just recently pressed within 1.SS ... especially when they were French Alsacians or Moselans given an opportunity to desert to the Western Allies.

Dear Madmat,

I assume that the statements posted here are based on your work:

https://www.eugensystems.com/divisions-1-ss-panzer-division/

I am specifically interested in these statements:

"LSAAH (sic) had to lower its harsh criteria to replace its losses: men were either conscripted Germans (while the SS had up to then been an all-volunteer forces) or even pressed Volksdeutsche of dubious loyalty to the Reich.

To make matter worse, the Allies landed in Normandy barely two months after the division had been put to rest in Belgium. In May, LSSAH was still missing about 4.000 men of all ranks and had about another 1.000 detached in Germany to attend technical courses. That was about 1/4 of its authorized manpower missing, the same thing for over half its authorized trucks. Besides, when ordered to move from Pas de Calais to Normandy on June 17th, it had to leave some units behind in Belgium for training or because they simply hadn’t received their equipment yet: most of its Nebelwerfer battalion, one-third of its artillery, some individual recon & Flak companies…"

"Here are some of the LSSAH features:

  • RECON: half the division’s armored scouts were missing, but LSSAH was among the first to receive a full complement of Pumas.
  • INF: a mix of elite & veteran infantry and disheartened SS-Volksdeutsche pressed in large number in its ranks. The elite Ostkampfer are represented by SS-Stosstrupp with MP-44.
  • TANK: more tanks and/or less expensive than a regular Panzerdivision, although many of them are downgraded Panzer IV J.
  • AT: few towed anti-tank guns, but assault guns in the AT tab instead as Panzerjäger StuG. Meaning the StuG do not come in competition with tanks for TANK slots but can be taken in addition to them.
  • SUPP: with no fire support half-track delivered before or during the campaign, LSSAH has to rely on towed IG 18 or Grille in that role.
  • AA: more Flak 88mm than a regular Panzerdivision but missing almost all of its Flak 37mm guns.

Can you supply me with the sources that you have consulted to arrive at the statements above.

In other words, what books and or primary source data have you used to arrive at these statements?

Regards
 
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Well, you're quoting half the blog's article, so it is quite hard to pinpoint what you're looking for.

So, from memory, I used:
* Zetterling's Normandy 1944: German Military Organization, Combat Power & Organizational Effectiveness (a.k.a The Bible about German troops in Normandy)
* Niehorster's OOB
* Jean-Luc Leleu's La Waffen-SS: Soldats Politiques en Guerre
* Eddy Florentin's Stalingrad en Normandie
*
Nicolas Mengus' Histoires extraordinaires de Malgré-Nous

I'll add more if I remember any.