Were the Schutzstaffel really as feared around Europe as much as media portrays? I feel like people's reactions to them were a bit exaggerated, though being any movie industry it's understandable they wanted to generate a certain level of fear. It just seems in the movies nobody fucked with the Schutzstaffel, period, and went out of their ways to make them feel at home, and I feel like that isn't so true.
>>29366624
Feared? Don't think so, the SS were a bit of a mixed bag when it came to operational effectiveness.
Despised? You fucking betcha. They were murdering British and French prisoners on the retreat in 1940. No one had any sympathy.
My great uncle, a British Int Officer in Italy had to protect SS prisoners en route to interrogation from angry soldiers.
>It just seems in the movies nobody fucked with the Schutzstaffel, period
What movies are you talking about
Also, aren't you ashamed for getting history from Hollywood?
>>29366624
>went out of their ways to make them feel at home
>pic related
wouldnt you?
>>29366624
American and British units had mixed feeling about the waffen SS.
On one hand they couldn't shoot for shit, and had inferior training and command compared to Wehrmacht regulars.
On the other hand they didn't like surrendering, and nobody wanted to waste their lives rooting out waffen SS after the battle is already won.
Overall the waffen SS was a drain on the German war effort, they got prioritized for resupply and rearmament over Wehrmacht units, but couldn't use that equipment as well and lost more men and equipment doing less.
Well, first not all SS members was fighting troops, only the Waffen-SS (SS under arms).
The SS was also involved in things like education, agriculture and even fucking animal protection.
Also the Waffen SS wasn't much more brutal then any other army in the war and mostly shit in combat due to the fact that they was never meant to fight in open combat
>>29366660
fuck the french fuck the anglos
they should have killed them all
>>29366726
>On one hand they couldn't shoot for shit, and had inferior training and command compared to Wehrmacht regulars.
>On the other hand they didn't like surrendering, and nobody wanted to waste their lives rooting out waffen SS after the battle is already won.
Found the History Channel narrator.
>>29366624
Civilians probably did fear them more so than regular German soldiers.
you can all shut up about how Heer > SS or vice versa.
Performance between various units in each branch hinged a lot more on other factors than just
>Heer
or
>SS
>>29366891
>>29366660
>My great uncle, a British Int Officer in Italy had to protect SS prisoners en route to interrogation from angry soldiers.
Yeah good propaganda will get people riled up
>>29366691
Whats the rest of that? I want to know of the "horrifying and bizarre" discussion between the kriegsmarine admirals.
>>29366624
Replace feared with reviled/hated/loathed if we're talking about combat troops ideas of them.
Honestly the Wehrmacht had better combat troops, all the SS had on their side was zeal, which tended to get them into trouble (see an incident in Poland where they had to be rescued by the regular Heer), and their stubborness in defence.
>>29368049
Oh so the SS weren't fanatical or stubborn in the defence, I must have been reading the wrong personal accounts.
>>29368299
That picture doesn't really add anything to your argument though does it.
>>29366891
but they didn't and no amount of wishful daydreaming will change that.
there is no second chance.
>>29368431
>see an incident in Poland where they had to be rescued by the regular Heer
story time?
>>29366726
>On one hand they couldn't shoot for shit, and had inferior training and command compared to Wehrmacht regulars.
Where did you learn this?
>>29366624
The "SS" is a big organization that includes fucking Police and Firemen.
Now if you're referring to the "Waffen SS" then it's mixed. You have these really elite units that rode with the Wehrmacht and then you have the rear-echelon chucklefucks the likes of those cunts guarding death camps.
The "Waffen SS" wasn't meant to be an elite unit (well, some of them at least). It was meant to be a private army of the Nazi Party itself.
