Need a quick History Lesson

[Military]

Im rather new to the history of SS but the fascination has grown and I'd like to ask a few questions:

1. There were several SS troops - what made them different?

2. Would you have any books to recommend that details the general history of the SS? I would prefer a general easy to read book for a start.

Many thanks gentlemen.


The full list as from wikipedia (may not be correct)

Waffen SS Armies
Sixth SS Panzer Army
Eleventh SS Panzer Army

Waffen SS Corps
I SS Panzer Corps
II SS Panzer Corps
III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps
IV SS Panzer Corps-formerly VII.SS-Panzerkorps
V SS Mountain Corps
VI SS Corps
VII.SS-Panzerkorps-see above IV SS Panzer Corps
VIII SS Kav Corps-planned in 1945 but not formed
IX Waffen Alpine Corps of the SS (Croatian)
X SS Corps (Germany)-made up of disbanded XIV SS Corps headquarters
XI SS Panzer Corps
XII SS Corps
XIII SS Corps
XIV SS Corps headquarters-see above X SS Corps
XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps
XVI SS Corps
XVII SS Corps

Waffen SS Divisions
1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (previously SS VerfügungstruppeDivision: later SS Panzergrenadier Division Das Reich)
3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf (previously SS Panzergrenadier Division Totenkopf)
4th SS Polizei Division
5th SS Panzer Division Wiking (previously SS Panzergrenadier Division Wiking)
6th SS Mountain Division Nord
7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)
14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Ukrainian) (unofficially known as Galizien)
15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)
16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel
19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)
20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian)
21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderberg (1st Albanian)
22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresia
23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian)
23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland (1st Dutch), formed after the dissolution of the 23rd Kama division.
24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS (Karstjäger)
25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi (1st Hungarian)
26th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hungaria (2nd Hungarian),.
27th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Langemarck (1st Flemish)
28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien
29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Russian)
29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian), formed after the disbanding of the 29th "1st Russian" division.
30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian)
30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Belarussian)
31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division, variously reported as being named Böhmen-Mähren (Bohemia-Moravia) or Batschka.
32nd SS Volunteer Grenadier Division 30 Januar
33rd Waffen Cavalry Division of the SS (3rd Hungarian)
33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French), given its number after the "3rd Hungarian" division was destroyed in battle.
34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland
35th SS and Police Grenadier Division
36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS
37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Lützow
38th SS Grenadier Division Nibelungen
Also:
Panzer Division Kempf, a temporary unit of mixed Heer and Waffen-SS components.
1st Cossack Division
26th SS Panzer Division (Brigade size only, Division title used as a deception)
27th SS Panzer Division (Brigade size only, Division title used as a deception)

Waffen SS Brigades
1 SS Infantry Brigade
2 SS Infantry Brigade
3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland
5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien
6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Langemarck
Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS
8th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade France
SS Cavalry Brigade
SS Brigade Westfalen
Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling
SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger
SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 49 aka 26th SS Panzer Division (Brigade size only, Division title used as a deception)
SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 51 aka 27th SS Panzer Division (Brigade size only, Division title used as a deception)
SS Panzer Brigade 150
SS Volunteer Grenadier Brigade Landstorm Nederland

Waffen SS Foreign Legions
American Free Corps
Azeri Waffen SS Volunteer Formations
British Free Corps
Blue Division
Estonian Legion
Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS
Frikorps Danmark
Indische Legion
Kaminski Brigade
Latvian Legion
SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger
Tatar Legion

Other Waffen SS units
SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 101
SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 102
SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 103
500th SS Parachute Battalion
600th SS Parachute Battalion

[leib1]

the order of the deaths head the story of hitlers ss
by heinz hohne

[Military]

thank you lieb1.
other books to recommend would be appreciated.

[Kolbenheyer]

ss regiment Ney

Can not see the hungarian ss regiment Ney in your list

[Lasse L]

1. There were several SS troops - what made them different?

2. Would you have any books to recommend that details the general history of the SS? I would prefer a general easy to read book for a start.

1. What exactly do you mean? Yes there where around 38 divisions of the Waffen-SS, but the SS in general consisted of an impressive amount of organisations as SD, KriPo, RSHA, Allgemeine-SS, Totenkopfverbänd, OrPo, Waffen-SS, SS-Hauptamt, Rasse und Seidlungshauptamt and so on. SS was a massive organisation but a lot of people seams to belive that it was just the Waffen-SS, Gestapo and Allegemeine-SS.

2. Waffen-SS Encyclopedia by Marc J. Rikmenspoel and Waffen-SS: Hitlers elite guard at war by George H. Stein, both books should be quite easy to find and quite cheap, gives a general good overview of the SS, esp. the Waffen-SS.

[Pascal Bernhard]

this one: think the different branches on the SS are well explained

[Bobwirtz]

I would recommend the Axis History Forum too for many of your questions. They focus on the history more than the artifacts. Check out their threads and you might find many of your questions answered there.

Bob

[Thorsten B.]

It must be SS-Panzerbrigade Westfalen - you can find infos about that unit formed and equipped at Sennelager near Paderborn in "In jenen Tagen - Kriegsende zwischen Weser und Harz" by Bölte.