Origins of the Waffen SS
Adolf Hitler required a private military that was solely loyal to the Nazi party and himself. The commander of the SS, the Schutzstaffel Heinrich Himmler also had even more ambitions of creating a military unit under the SS.
During the invasion of Poland a special unit from the SS, the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) and Hitler’s personal guards, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) participated in military campaigns.
These units would later become the backbone of the Waffen SS. The Waffen SS was reorganized and the initial SS divisions the 1st SS division LSSAH, 2nd SS division Das Reich and the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf first sought action in the invasion of France.
The Waffen SS were the political and fanatical zealots of the Nazi party armed with the radical ideology of Nazism. The Waffen SS meant the “Fighting guards’ unit” and became a paramilitary organization that operated under the SS and the personal army for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.
2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
Formed from the initial SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT), the an ex-military officer Paul Hauser took command of the 2nd SS division Das Reich and led the division during the battle of France.
Paul Hausser was also referred as the father of the Waffen SS as an ex-three-star general who served in the first World War. Paul Hausser adopted the military discipline and training programs that would redeem the political thugs to a paramilitary force.
The 2nd SS division Das Reich fought in France, seizure of Yugoslavia, the Easter front in major battles such as the Battle of Kursk and the battle of Moscow. During Operation Overlord, the division was residing in Montauban in southern France.
In history, the 2nd SS Panzer division Das Reich and the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen attempted a counter attack against the Allied Forces but failed and lost most of their armored vehicles.
Although the 2nd SS panzer division didn’t really seek counter attacks during the first three weeks of the Normandy landings, it appears as the SS division that John H. Miller and his men with private Ryan face at the bridges of Ramelle.
It would have been more historically accurate if the 12th SS division Hitlerjugend attacked them but as many combatants of Hitlerjugend were underaged, it would have been unconvincing. Also, there weren’t any tiger tanks directly equipped with the 2nd SS panzer division and they were mostly armed with panzer 4 tanks and panthers.
Germany military Wehrmacht vs Waffen SS
The German military during World War II was referred as the Wehrmacht more as a common noun. The Waffen SS wasn’t part of the Wehrmacht although it would operate under commands of the Wehrmacht the Waffen SS was a different organization with a different ranking system aside from the German military.
The Waffen SS were under direct control of Adolf Hitler and served the Nazi party, not the German country. The Waffen SS would often participate in the political objectives and dirty work of the Nazi party as well.
The Waffen SS was initially designed as a countermeasure in cases of the military coup within Germany. Thus, the Waffen SS were generally more disgusted and even more feared as initially the Waffen SS had fanatics within.
Steamboat Wille was a soldier of the Wehrmacht, more specifically the Heer the German army. The trooper (technically the Waffen SS is a paramilitary organization) that murdered Stanely Melish with a bayonet is from the Waffen SS not the Germany military and they were different.
Some differences between the Waffen SS and the German Army (Wehrmacht)
1.Waffen SS had the Death Skull (Totenkpof) and SS mark on their Cap and Neck collar
The SS rune insignia and the Death Skull were placed on the cap and neck collar of the Waffen SS. Also the Waffen SS officers had a distinctive oak leaves that would mark their ranks. Also, the death skull Totenkopf of the SS would mark a great difference from the Germany Army members. German military personnel didn’t’ have a SS rune nor a death skull except for tank operators.
2. Wehrmacht(German military) had a different ranking system from the Waffen SS
3. The Eagle and Swastika emblem location
The Waffen SS had the Nazi Eagle and Swastika emblem on the left arm while the German military had the Eagle and Swastika emblem on the chest.
Steamboat Wille was part of the Heer, the Germany Army not the waffen SS. He is a different person from the person who stabs private Melish Stanley and passes by Upham. This trooper is from the 2nd SS division.
101st Heavy SS Panzer Battalion
The Tiger Tank had the emblem of the 1st SS Panzer Corps but it is more likely that the Tiger tank was part of the 101st Heavy SS Panzer battalion. The 2nd SS division didn’t have tiger tanks when they were positioned in France.
Tiger Tanks and heavy tanks were valuable military assets for the German military and the Waffen SS. Such heavy tanks were operated in heavy tank battalions and under direct control of a corps level(usually a three star general) as a strategic task force.
The 101st Heavy SS Panzer battalion was created in July 1943 as part of the 1st SS Panzer Corps during the fierce battels at the eastern front. The companies of the 101st Heavy Ss Panzer Battalion would be divided to France and Russia.
The 101st SS heavy tank battalion would arrive around the outskirts of the Normandy landings around 12th of June. Michael Wittmann a famous Tiger ace was led the 2nd company of the 101st SS heavy tank battalion and his Tiger Tank became infamous for the Battle of Villers-Boccage.
However, this battalion alone was not able to hold of the forces and had to retreat from France along with the other German forces. Later on the 101st Heavy SS Panzer battalion was reformed as the 501st Heavy SS Panzer battalion and equipped with Tiger IIs.
Why the Waffen SS emphasized in many war movies such as Saving Private Ryan
The Waffen SS was the “ideal” forces for the Nazi party as they sought to form a ‘thousand-year Reich’ regime under Nazism.
The Waffen SS along with the general SS were initially formed from only ‘ideal Germans’ which they later fail to achieve and conscript anyone available due to the heavy casualties. The Waffen SS was infamous for war crimes, although the German military wasn’t innocent as well.
The fanatic battle style of the Waffen SS where many would fight to the last and the strong color of Nazism disgusted many Allied Forces so the prisoners of wars of the Waffen SS were often treated brutally as well.
Thus the overall negative perception of the Waffen SS as the monstrous zealots for the Nazi party, have made them a great opponent and antagonists in many war movies.
