the first thing that came to my mind while reading this was your affirmation about SS being "elite" divisions. Nothing more untrue, according to many sources, specially Erich von Manstein is his book Lost Victories. Here follows a post from axis history forum http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=142584&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
"Here's something that might be of interest to fellow forum members: This is what v.Manstein has to say about the Waffen SS. While he considers the Totenkopf the best SS unit overall, he continues:
"None of these things, however, could compensate for deficient training in leadership. The division suffered excessive losses because its troops did not learn until they got into action what army units had mastered long ago. Their losses and lack of experience led them in turn to miss favourable opportunities, and this again caused unnecessary actions to be fought. The upshot of all this was that I repeatedly had to come to the division's assistance, without even then being able to prevent a sharp rise in casualties.
It was an inexcusable mistake to set them up as a separate military organization. Hand-picked replacements who could have filled the role of N.C.O's in the Army were expended on a quite inadmissible case in the Waffen S.S, which in general paid a toll of blood incommensurate with its actual gains."
Interesting indictment of Himmler and Co. there.
This quote is from "Lost Victories" pg.188 Zenith Press. "
That pretty much sums up how incompetent and wasted resources the formation of the Waffen-SS as a separated military branch was.
There is more information on this subject on axis history forum topic and in the section dedicated to them. You can also try to google the subject for info.
Cheers,
CG
"Here's something that might be of interest to fellow forum members: This is what v.Manstein has to say about the Waffen SS. While he considers the Totenkopf the best SS unit overall, he continues:
"None of these things, however, could compensate for deficient training in leadership. The division suffered excessive losses because its troops did not learn until they got into action what army units had mastered long ago. Their losses and lack of experience led them in turn to miss favourable opportunities, and this again caused unnecessary actions to be fought. The upshot of all this was that I repeatedly had to come to the division's assistance, without even then being able to prevent a sharp rise in casualties.
It was an inexcusable mistake to set them up as a separate military organization. Hand-picked replacements who could have filled the role of N.C.O's in the Army were expended on a quite inadmissible case in the Waffen S.S, which in general paid a toll of blood incommensurate with its actual gains."
Interesting indictment of Himmler and Co. there.
This quote is from "Lost Victories" pg.188 Zenith Press. "
That pretty much sums up how incompetent and wasted resources the formation of the Waffen-SS as a separated military branch was.
There is more information on this subject on axis history forum topic and in the section dedicated to them. You can also try to google the subject for info.
Cheers,
CG