Understandably a touchy subject, and rightfully so. When I started up the 9th SS Panzer Divison. In no way did I have an ideaology of tribute to Himmler or Nazi philosophies as a motive. Possibly nieve to the backlash of sentiment to be recieved on this topic I really just wanted to depict a unit of aunthenticity from the game we play. Yes I could have choosen a Wehrmacht Division or Regiment instead, but as a student of history and knowing the reputation of the SS as being tenacious combatants. I choose a unit which contained better trained, better equiped and more often called apoun soldiers.
Soldiers being the key phrase. In Red Orchestra Ostfront I don't believe there are any senior staff officer kits available. This game is about the
"kids" who fought the battles of the Eastern Front. These kids both Waffen SS & regular Wehrmacht alike were all indoctrinized to believe in what they were doing. Waffen SS most likely had more of this mental training. Yet both were also well aware that retreat was not an option. So being between a rock and a hard place they fought as best they could. Cause they had no choice.
In this document I state to potential recruits why I feel my depiction of the soldiers of 9th SS is acceptable.
http://9th-ss-panzerdivision.com/forum/index.php?topic=4.0
In my opinion to paint all SS units with the same brush and call them war criminals may be stretching the truth about the actions of various units. In regards to some Waffen SS units that were labeled as perpetrators at Nurnberg. According to Charles Syndor Jr. in his publication
"Soldiers of Destruction" http://www.pupress.princeton.edu/titles/847.html
"...The SS Divisions Wiking, Hohenstaufen, and Freundsberg committed no such attrocities..."
Nevertheless if someone provides me uncontestable proof that the 9th SS committed massive war crimes or attrocities against soldiers or civilians. I will glady remove my clans association with this or any unit that served the NAZI party.
Another term being thrown around these forums far too much is "War Crimes" This is far to broad a terminology to be used so carelessly.
"History is always written by the victor, and the histories of the losing parties belong to the shrinking circle of those who were there."
Even thought coined by a senior Waffen SS Officer. As in the case of the outcomes of the Nurnberg trials prove, a true observation nonetheless. If folks are going to use the term war crime as a blanket statement to label all soldiers of the SS. Then we have lost our objectivity on what really happened in WW2.
First off, the Nazi final solution. This is without question a war crime against humanity. And that is all I will say on that topic. Nevetheless labeling units by the same term "WC"
( I hate using it so much) for shooting troops that surrendered in battle, may very well be a topic open to debate.
The 12th SS was accused and one of thier senior officers Kurt Meyer was convicted of murdering Candian POW's on D-Day and the weeks to follow. A good book on this is called
Conduct Unbecoming by Howard Margolian
http://www.goodreports.net/reviews/conductunbecoming.htm
His actions were condemable due to the nature in which he committed these acts. eg. lying Canadian troops down and driving tanks over them ect. ect. Yet Units engaged in battle, especially the SS who were most often on the spearhead of an offensive. Were in no way capable of accepting prisoners and to do so may have compromised thier positions and risked the lives of thier own soldiers. So if you rationalize killing one man to save others, as must be done in war, how is that a crime?
And you compare this to the fact that Allied troops (especially the Airborne Regiments) on D-Day and at Operation Market Garden. Were in the exact same postion and also under order to not take prisoners. So does this also condemn the Allies as war criminals. Only if the Germans were afforded the right to present thier side of the story after the war. Which they were not!
So to summarize this post (sorry bout the length) I myself, and I am am sure I speak for other SS clans (without permission) pay homage to the young men who fought the battles unconditionally for thier egomanic leaders. In war soldiers die on both sides for words like freedom, patriotism, rightousness.
We should celebrate and remember their lives and the sacrifices made by the masses. Not rekindle the madness of the few..
For the record I am not German and my relatives fought against the Axis in WW1 & WW2. So I would like to think I have in my soul made peace with Germany and have objectivity to the real facts of these wars.
One more time....
It's about the soldiers.