Military Effectiveness of the Waffen SS

Originally posted by beorna Among the western Europeans were 50.000 Dutch, 40.000 people from Belgium (Vlamish and Wallons), 20.000 from France, from Danmark and Norway about 6.000 and 1200 from Switzerland, Sveden, Luxemburg, Danmark (500), Britain. About 1000 finnish soldiers served until 1943 in the SS.   There was a muslim-division wich was planned with 26000 men, but  I don't know hom many served laster.

The numbers for Western Europe seem a little high.   German officials were known to exaggerate the number of volunteers through creative counting methods.

For example, Western European recruits enlisted for contracts.  If the same soldier extended his contract, he was counted again as a new volunteer.  This same man may have already been counted once before he even enlisted by joining a right wing, German sponsored sports association etc. .)    Thus one volunteer could  be counted as three.

Originally posted by beorna There was a muslim-division wich was planned with 26000 men, but  I don't know hom many served laster.

I think that it fielded about 8,000 Muslims and Croats.  When in the Balkans, the division quickly developed a bad reputation for discipline.  The division was then moved to France for anti partisan duties.  Soon after the move,  the division mutinied and some German officers and NCOS were killed.   After the mutiny, the unit was disbanded.


Edited by Cryptic - 31-Dec-2007 at 22:21

i actually noticed that the Soviet Union themself had quite numerous Lithuanians (including some who got awarded Hero of the Soviet Union) amongst their soldiers, though i don't udnerstand why Lithuanians, as opposed to Latvians and Estonians who all three had been invaded and annexed by the SU, cooperated with their masters. Batlic Germans have been repatriated to Germany in 1939 according to the Hitler-Stalin pact, the predecessor of the better known Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

Originally posted by Cryptic The Lithuanians also supplied a good number of recruits for auxiliary SS formations.  Following the Soviet  victory, Lithuanian "Forest Brothers"  resisted both Russian and Pro Soviet Lithuanians until the early 1950s. It is interesting that the Soviets had more support in Lithuania than the other two states.  Several large Jewish resistance groups were  able to  survive in Lithuania as well.

Probably, because after Poland was smashed by both sides - the Soviets gave part of the Vilnius region back to Lithuania (For the most of the 20 and 30 ties Lithuania had very bad relationships with Poland due to Vilnius region issue).

But then again Lithuanian partisans showed fiercer and longer resistance to Soviet occupation compared with other Baltic states. The last "Forest brother" is said to come out of the forests when Lithuania regained independence.


Edited by axeman - 01-Jan-2008 at 17:39

Originally posted by Svyturys Why there were no Lithuanian SS? Because lithuanians didn't want to go. It was unlucky for germans who wanted to create such a mob. Later germans changed them tactic and let lithuanians to have them own forces. And it was lucky. Then again, Germany wanted to incorporate that mob to SS police. But again... LITHUANIANS JUST LOVE FREEDOM. Hey. Why do you, Temujin, say that lithuanians didn't make resistence agains USSR? Just try google to read about lithuanian partisans that were best organised and strongest amongst three Baltic countries. They controlled many villages, forests. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOLNWtqafdI - something for education..

Originally posted by Svyturys http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voldemārs_Veiss As we see he was working in Latvia, not Lithuania. ;) General Plechavičius refused germans try to incorporate that lithuanian mob to german police and he was arrested, and mob of lithuanians was demilitarized.

Also there were two more lithuanian brigades that i know of, both served as part of SS occupation forces but as far as i know none of them ever took part in any of the atrocities.

Come on. Give us a links that prooves it, cause i have never heard about it. We here know fact that here germans attemps had no lucky.

Originally posted by Cryptic Originally posted by beorna Among the western Europeans were 50.000 Dutch, 40.000 people from Belgium (Vlamish and Wallons), 20.000 from France, from Danmark and Norway about 6.000 and 1200 from Switzerland, Sveden, Luxemburg, Danmark (500), Britain. About 1000 finnish soldiers served until 1943 in the SS.   There was a muslim-division wich was planned with 26000 men, but  I don't know hom many served laster. The numbers for Western Europe seem a little high.   German officials were known to exaggerate the number of volunteers through creative counting methods. For example, Western European recruits enlisted for contracts.  If the same soldier extended his contract, he was counted again as a new volunteer.  This same man may have already been counted once before he even enlisted by joining a right wing, German sponsored sports association etc. .)    Thus one volunteer could  be counted as three. Originally posted by beorna There was a muslim-division wich was planned with 26000 men, but  I don't know hom many served laster. I think that it fielded about 8,000 Muslims and Croats.  When in the Balkans, the division quickly developed a bad reputation for discipline.  The division was then moved to France for anti partisan duties.  Soon after the move,  the division mutinied and some German officers and NCOS were killed.   After the mutiny, the unit was disbanded.

Edited by Osman-pasha Kazanac - 20-Apr-2008 at 17:36