Fallschirmjäger or Waffen-SS

[robert263]

ok im new on here and I have some ? ok from what ive read then Waffen-SS where elite troops but my grandfather was in the us army and fought in italy and he said the german 1st paratrooper div. was the best troops in the world at that time his words them guys don't give up you had to kill them is there any truth to this cause ive always thought the Waffen-SS where the best troops for Germany but granddad said the german paratroopers where the best in the world at that better then anything the allieds had is this true thank you

[fredleander]

ok im new on here and I have some ? ok from what ive read then Waffen-SS where elite troops but my grandfather was in the us army and fought in italy and he said the german 1st paratrooper div. was the best troops in the world at that time his words them guys don't give up you had to kill them is there any truth to this cause ive always thought the Waffen-SS where the best troops for Germany but granddad said the german paratroopers where the best in the world at that better then anything the allieds had is this true thank you

Hi, Robert - your grandpa is not far off the point even if his statement is lacking a little in nuance. There is a lot to be said about differences in organisation and missions. German paratrooper units and equipping in 1940 were different from those in 1944.

They certainly made an impression upon the Allied forces in Italy.

Fred

[Christoph Awender]

ok im new on here and I have some ? ok from what ive read then Waffen-SS where elite troops but my grandfather was in the us army and fought in italy and he said the german 1st paratrooper div. was the best troops in the world at that time his words them guys don't give up you had to kill them is there any truth to this cause ive always thought the Waffen-SS where the best troops for Germany but granddad said the german paratroopers where the best in the world at that better then anything the allieds had is this true thank you

Do YOU think it is true?

/Christoph

[ptimms]

What about Waffen SS paratroopers?

[robert263]

thank you fred

[Dunnigan]

Robert,

Everyone has an opinion on what and who is the best. Are McDonald's the best hamburger? Many people say yes, others will say no. Are the US Marines better than the US Army? Is the Delta Force better than the Navy SEALs? There is no scientific qualification that says one branch of service is better than the other. Both the SS and the Fallschirmjagers were OVERALL excellent troops. Note that some SS and Fallschirmjager were also poor troops as well, especially later in the war and with poorer quality replacement troops. It also depends on which unit within the SS and Luftwaffe Fallschirmjager you are talking about. It's like saying that the NFL is better than the CFL and then the Broncos are better than the Jaguars within the NFL.

The 1st Fallschirmjager Division in Italy was certainly very good troops. Calling them elite is subjective. They defended Monte Cassino very well. Your Grandfather was certainly right that the 1st Fallschirmjager were good troops, but that is from his experience. Did he face SS troops in Italy? It's a single person's experience and you are comparing with what you've read in history books. Both are correct, but both are opinions.

Hope this helps.

[sunbury2]

Well said Dunnigan, an excellent post. My grand uncle fought the Fallschirmjager on Crete at Retimo. The Fallschirmjager were defeated there, so fighting qualities are subjective. My grand uncle said they were excellent soldiers but he rated the Japanese as superior enemy troops. The forum is euro-centric, so what other axis forces were like doesn't get covered much.

[fredleander]

Well said Dunnigan, an excellent post. My grand uncle fought the Fallschirmjager on Crete at Retimo. The Fallschirmjager were defeated there,

You mean they were captured, killed or did not achieve their objective? What happened to your grand uncle?

Fred

[Sarge]

Well the answer to your question is found in a quote from none other then hitler himself -"Better even than the Waffen-SS"
Can't remember where I found that, it was a long time ago.
All this is subjektive as experiences will varry over the course ofthe war and the spefik units involved, But about everyone agrees that the Fallschirmjagers were among the best Axis soldiers in WW 2.
Sarge

[sunbury2]

Well said Dunnigan, an excellent post. My grand uncle fought the Fallschirmjager on Crete at Retimo. The Fallschirmjager were defeated there,

You mean they were captured, killed or did not achieve their objective? What happened to your grand uncle?

Fred

He had an interesting war, fighting the Italians, Germans and Japanese. He was at Bardia, Tobruk, Benghazi before being shipped to Greece then Crete. At Retimo the Germans were defeated, all were captured or killed. The battle was lost elsewhere on Crete and flowed on. He was evacuated and returned to Australia to fight the Japanese. His point was the Japanese would fight to the death literally, something that is alien and very rare for European soldiers.

Those who worship the Waffen SS always turn blind eye to their murdering of POW's and civilians. 7% of all Canadian dead in Normandy were killed as POW's of the SS, and some still admire them. I never understand why. On the Eastern Front, their butchery was wide spread, again a blind eye is always turned. Yes the Waffen SS were very hard fighters but were not a shadow of the Japanese Imperial Guard for ferocity and fighting to the death.

[fredleander]

"....At Retimo the Germans were defeated, all were captured or killed."

Not that it matters very much.....but this description isn't entirely correct, is it?

Fred

[Sarge]

More like Not all correkt!
Wonder what (IF any) historical references he has been using?
Sarge

[fredleander]

More like Not all correkt!
Wonder what (IF any) historical references he has been using?
Sarge

Yes, I believe it was more like the other way around....

Fred

[jeger]

Like it or not,-The Waffen SS was most prob the best as they also were political soldiers, they had the background, training, experience and spirit like no other German troops and a brotherhood to promote it before, during and after the battle and even after the war.
Jeger

[Ironmachine]

Making such generalizations about the Waffen-SS just does not make any sense. Who wants to talk about the background, training, experience and spirit of the 21. SS Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS Skanderbeg (albanische Nr. 1), for example?