I did a quick search and came up with this site that shows both Heer and SS insignia.
http://www.packrat-toyz.com/Reference/heer.htm
thanks for all the info
Came across this on the net comparing the arming of the Heer and the SS.
Was in response to a heated argument on another forum about who was the better armed
Not all relevant but some interesting bits
1. Panther deliveries:
4,581 Panthers were delivered to the Heer, which, divided on the number of Panzer divisions in existence from the summer of 43 on (29), yields an average of 158. 1,077 Panthers were delivered to the 7 SS Panzer Divisions, for an average of 154. In other words, the deliveries are almost entirely proportionate.
Broken down on a divisional level, the SS Panzer divisions straddle almost the whole spectrum - with LAH and DR being among the divisions to receive the most Panthers, while TK and Wiking were among those who received the fewest. This in itself becomes rather hard to explain on the basis of any institutional prejudice in favor of the W-SS, or even for the "senior" SS Divisions. What the delivery data IMO most plausibly shows is that Panther deliveries cannot really be explained on the basis of certain units being prioritised above others. Rather it seems likely that a large number of factors, most of whom were practical in nature, impacted on exactly where Panther deliveries were committed.
http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... 8&start=15
2. Tiger II deliveries
A total of 477 Tiger IIs were delivered to units, of whom 121 went to SS schwere Abteilungen, and the remaining 356 to Heer schwere Abteilungen. There were 3 SS and 10 Heer schwere abteilungen. Thus the averages are 40.3 Tiger IIs for the SS, 35.6 for the Heer. Particularly when you consider that some of the Heer abteilungen was dissolved before the war's end (thus dragging the Heer average down) while none of the SS abteilungen were, it is clear that there is no significant difference between the scale of allocation to SS units and Heer units for this tank type.
3. Comparing SS and Army Panzer Divisions in Normandy:
Panzer Regiments
These are organisationally speaking almost entirely similar - two batallions, eight companies.
Heer: With the exception of 21.Panzer, these display a very similar outlook - one batallion equipped with Panthers, the other with Pz IVs. 116th PzD had 76 Panthers and 86 Panzer IVs. 9th PzD had 79 Panthers and 82 Panzer IVs. 2nd PzD had 78 Panthers and 96 Panzer IVs. 21.PzD was unique in the Wehrmacht in that one of its batallions employed obsolete French tanks. In total, the division had 112 Pz IVs, with another 30 being delivered during the fighting. Panzer Lehr had 89 Panthers, 99 Panzer IVs - and also 8 Tigers (including 5 Tiger IIs), the only German division in Normandy to possess an organic heavy element.
W-SS: The outlook here is considerably more jagged. 9th SS-PzD had 79 Panthers, but its I btl had only 48 Panzer IVs, the balance being made up by 40 StuG III. 10th SS-PzD similarly had 39 Pz IVs, 3 Pz IIIs and 28 StuG III in one of its batallions - the other was still forming at the time. 12th SS-PzD had 79 Panthers and 115 Pz IVs - this including vehicles it received during the fighting in Normandy. 1st SS-PzD employed 103 Pz IVs and 72 Panthers in Normandy. 2.SS-PzD employed 83 Pz IVs and 80 Panthers (in both cases also including vehicles received during the fighting).
In conclusion - The outlook of Heer and W-SS panzer divisions are essentially similar. The Heer units seem to be more evenly equipped in this category. Overall, with the unique exception of 21.PzD, they appear to be generally if marginally better equipped with tanks than their W-SS counterparts, considering that two out of five among the latter was significantly less well equipped than any Heer division except 21st PzD.
Panzer Grenadier Regiments
The general difference here is in the number of batallions - 6 in the W-SS divisions, 4 in the Heer divisions. This is also reflected in the number of support companies per regiment - generally 2 in the Heer divisions, and either 3 or 4 in the W-SS divisions. Given the number of batallions, 3 such companies in the W-SS divisions would be the relative equal of two in the Heer divisions.
Among all divisions, the rule is that only one batallion was mechanised. The sole exceptions are the 2nd PzD, which had two such batallions, and Panzer Lehr, which was probably unique through the war in having all four batallions thus equipped.
2nd PzD, 21st PzD, 116th PzD and 9th PzD had two support companies per regiment, Panzer Lehr three.
1st SS-PZd and 9th SS-PzD had 3 support companies per regiment, 2nd SS-PZD, 10th SS-PzD and 12th SS-Pzd four.
Conclusion: 3 out of 5 W-SS divisions had an above average number of support units in their Panzergrenadier regiments, against 1 in 5 for the Heer.On the other hand, 9 out of 20 Heer Panzer Grenadier batallions were mechanised, against only 5 out of 30 in the W-SS divisions.
Artillery Regiment.
LAH........4 batallions, 12 batteries*
DR.........4 batallions, 12 batteries
9th.........3 batallions, 10 batteries
10th.......3 batallions, 10 batteries
12th.......4 batallions, 15 batteries
Total........................59 batteries
* note: LAH includes SS Werfer-Abt. 1, which was not part of the Artillery Regiment.
2nd.........3 batallions, 9 batteries
9th..........3 batallions, 9 batteries
21st........3 batallions, 10 batteries
116th......3 batallions, 9 batteries
Lehr........3 batallions, 9 batteries
Total.........................46 batteries
As we see, the WH artillery regiments were of almost entirely standardised size, whereas the W-SS divisions display very marked variations - between 10 and 15 batteries, a range of 50%. The tendency for W-SS divisions to be larger than army counterparts is less marked than with the PzGren rgts, and also more uneven, though on average still significant.
Equipment:
The general equipment structure of the Heer artillery regiments are similar. Lehr had one batallion equipped with 105mms, one with 150mms and one with a mixture of SP Wespes and Hummels. 116th PzD was committed before it had finished its formation, and the artillery regiment was particularly weak, with only 25 operational pieces of varying sorts (again, a mixture of 105mms, 150mms and Wespe/Hummel) on 1 July. It is thus of scant guidance in this context, though the mix of the artillery pieces it did possess correspond closely to that found in Lehr. In artillery also, 21st PzD was a rather unique formation - it was equipped with a mixture of captured Soviet 122mm guns (, German 100mms (4), SP Nebelwerfers (2) and German 105mm and 155mm guns mounted on french armoured chassis (36). It was thus at the same time the only PzD in Normandy to use captured Russian equipment, the only Heer division to incorporate an integral Nebelwerfer element (if only 2 pieces) and far and away the best equipped with SP pieces. 9th Panzer again follows the usual triangular scheme (SP - 155mm - 105mm, with some 100mms thrown in).
12th SS had basically the same mix as most of the other divisions in their first three batallions - one with SP guns, one with 105mms and one with 155mms. The IV batallion was equipped with Nebelwerfers, but the batallion lacked motor transport at the time of the invasion. 10th SS had basically the same structure (minus the Werfer batallion), as did too 9th SS. In both cases, the 10. Batterie was equipped with 100mms. With 2nd SS, it is hard to find very precise information as the division was understrength when moving to Normandy, and also left some units behind, but generally one finds the usual mix of SP guns (II batallion) and 100mm/105mm/150mms. With LAH there is a similar problem - and a similar outlook, though it seems to have been up to strength in SP pieces, while somewhat understrength in towed pieces.
All in all, equipment structure both on the army and the SS side seems to follow the same basic pattern - one batallion SP, one batallion 105mm, one batallion 155mm, in many cases one battery 100mm. The IV batallion seems to be mainly a Werfer batallion (except in DR), thus giving some but not all the W-SS divisions a weapons type most army divisions lacked.
The conclusion would be that the SS Panzer Artillerie Regiments, while sharing the basic outlook of their Army counterparts in their tube artillery components, tended to be stronger and in some cases posessed an integral Werfer-element usually lacking in Heer counterparts. It should however be recalled that SS PzD-s had two more trench batallions than their Heer counterpart, and there is usually a direct connection between artileery and infantry strength. F.e., in many cases where infantry divisions were reorganised from a 9 to a 7-batallion structure, the artillery regiment was also reduced from 4 to 3 batallions. If you count the Pioniere and Aufkl.-abteilungen as trench units, then a 4-batallion artillery regiment provides exactly the same level of artillery support in a W-SS PzD as a 3-batallion regiment does in a Heer PzD (half an artillery batallion per trench batallion).
continues in next post (for those who are interested
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