Best division in the Waffen SS??

German SS and Waffen-SS 1923-1945.
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2nd SS Panzer Das Reich
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Best division in the Waffen SS??

Post by 2nd SS Panzer Das Reich »

What do you think was the best division in the Waffen SS? Most of the great heroes of Germany came from the LAH (like Otto Skorzeny and Michael Wittmann). But the Das Reich division knocked out 3000 tanks and won 72 Knight's Crosses. But what do you think?
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Paul_9686
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Post by Paul_9686 »

No contest; the Leibstandarte.

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Post by Verellen »

How about the Wiking division? who's also high knowed of their actions.
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derGespenst
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Post by derGespenst »

No contest - LeibstandarteDasReichTotenkopfWikingHitlerjugend was clearly the best of the bunch.
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Post by AH »

IMO, Leibstandarte.
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2nd SS Panzer Das Reich
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Post by 2nd SS Panzer Das Reich »

derGespenst wrote:No contest - LeibstandarteDasReichTotenkopfWikingHitlerjugend was clearly the best of the bunch.
argeed!
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Nibelung
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Post by Nibelung »

I wouldn't vote for any of them to be the best, since how can you measure the greateness of one division? By a statistic? It's impossible to be objective and claim something like that...

It's true however that a large part of commanders and aces (even of other SS formations later) came from either LAH or Das Reich in the first place.

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Post by sniper1shot »

Well, they ALL have great statistics. HJ in Caen and holding the breach open in Falais (spelt wrong of crse). Das Reich in Vienna, and Wiking on all their actions....Even the Russians respected the Wiking. LSSAH fought in ALL theatres.
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Post by M.Wittmann »

IMO it's allmost impossible to point out which division was "the best" :?
But I'll vote for:

1. Wiking
2. LAH
3. Das Reich
4. Hitlerjugend

1. First foreign volunteer Waffen-SS unit. Never accused about warcrimes. Outstanding record IMO even the russians respected them.

2. Need to say more :wink:

3. Dito

4. Only 18 months of combat under very experienced officers and NCO's.
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Info about 5.SS-Pz(Gren)Div 'Wiking' and the dutch Waffen-SS volunteers.
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Post by Tom Houlihan »

6.SS-Nord went from being a poorly trained group of men routed in their first engagement, to one of the best divisions in Europe by the end of the war. During Unternehmen Nordwind, they were really the only unit that achieved any of their goals.

Not only were no allegations of warcrimes levied against them, but they have been praised by Americans for their treatment of captured soldiers.
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derGespenst
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Post by derGespenst »

Good point, Tom. Nord is too often overlooked. I'm sure it's because they weren't a Panzer Division (no glory for foot-sloggers).
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Post by Igorn »

M.Wittmann wrote:
1. First foreign volunteer Waffen-SS unit. Never accused about warcrimes. Outstanding record IMO even the russians respected them.
Source of information please.

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Post by Mark C Yerger »

an old and repeated question, replies can only be based on opinion generally. Object of a Panzer Division is to destroy tanks. "Das Reich" destroyed the most tanks of any division in the German Armed Forces (over 4000).

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Post by mikerock »

Mark,

Do you know how many tanks total Das Reich had throughout the war?

--Mike
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Post by 2nd SS Panzer Das Reich »

mikerock wrote:Mark,

Do you know how many tanks total Das Reich had throughout the war?

--Mike
3000
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