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The exchange is full of stereotypes on both sides. The SS man’s reference to “subalterns” who purchased their positions and “decrepit old general” reflected a distorted version of the Wehrmacht as the direct descendant of the old Imperial Army. The army man’s accusations of the SS’s inflated self-image and “fathead” officers revived the classic Wehrmacht objection that Nazi soldiers were unprofessional. Significantly, both speakers use the same criteria for evaluating military achievement. The main factor is bravery, which itself is measured in numbers of casualties. The army sergeant counters the argument that the SS troops suffered heavy losses with the statement that Wehrmacht regiments had incurred just as many casualties elsewhere. For the sergeant, that was proof of equivalent courage. Both men also claim that their organization is a central pillar of the German state. The SS man explicitly defines the Waffen SS as a part of the party that rules the country, while the army sergeant sees the Wehrmacht as a power of its own within German society.

The Wehrmacht was extremely critical of the Waffen SS’s military performance in both the Poland and France campaigns. But modest fighting efficiency was by no means a problem unique to the SS. It tended to affect all of the army divisions formed at the start of the war as well. Many of these divisions “failed,” as General Erich von Manstein wrote.⁷⁵⁴ At the same time, the lack of professionalism among SS ranks was perfect fodder for Wehrmacht criticism. Over time, as the Waffen SS did indeed become more professional, the rivalry cooled off. Increasingly, Wehrmacht soldiers came to appreciate the merits of the Waffen SS as an elite troop. Nonetheless, the bickering never ceased entirely, and in official correspondence the two sides constantly accused each other of irregularities. The Wehrmacht, for instance, repeatedly complained that Waffen SS soldiers were insufficiently trained, while SS men reproached the Wehrmacht for allegedly having lukewarm morale.⁷⁵⁵

Although heavy losses and the massive expansion of the Waffen SS changed the force’s structure, basic differences in social structure persisted between it and the Wehrmacht.⁷⁵⁶ Wehrmacht soldiers perceived SS men as “others,” and that impression was reinforced by their appearance. The tattoos of blood groups on their forearms and camouflage uniforms with SS runes carried a symbolic significance that should not be underestimated. Initially mocked as “SS tree frogs,” SS men were immediately recognizable and as such distinguishable from regular army soldiers. Their difference, impossible not to register, spurred on the rivalry between the two military organizations, and their competition for attention and recognition never ceased entirely. General Crüwell, for instance, was outraged that an SS division had received the honorary name “Prince Eugen,” after the Austrian general who conquered Belgrade in 1717, although his men had conquered the Serbian capital and felt his division had earned the appellation. Wehrmacht soldiers also complained that medals were handed out far more liberally within SS divisions. “Supposing, we’ll say, an infantry division got twenty Iron Crosses, Class 1 for some affair or other, then the S.S. undoubtedly got forty,” Crüwell groused.⁷⁵⁷ “They are treated quite differently.” Another thing that rankled the Wehrmacht was the speed with which “morbidly ambitious” SS men were promoted.⁷⁵⁸ In particular, the meteoric career of Kurt Meyer, who was made a division commander with the rank of major general at the age of thirty-four, occasioned considerable resentment. In addition, the Waffen SS received better equipment and vehicles⁷⁵⁹ and rations.⁷⁶⁰ Wehrmacht officers also viewed with envy the fine “human material” made available to SS divisions. “Even in 1943 the army only got old crocks from home,” complained Major General Christoph von Stolberg-Stolberg. “The SS got, first of all, their volunteers, then secondly they got 4% of the best recruits, and then as well as that they take all the people away from the schools. That’s to say, the SS was blessed with nearly 100% officer cadets, and the army had none at all.”⁷⁶¹