The first paramilitary unit to have the abbreviation SS (German: Schutz Staffel) in its name was the personal protection of the dictator of the Third Reich called Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, which was officially formed in 1933. From 1934, the SS was an independent formation headed by Heinrich Himmler. With time, further SS units were formed, including the SS-Totenkopfverbände and the SS-Verfügungstruppe. It is worth adding that the latter was trained similarly to regular Wehrmacht infantry units. On a relatively small scale, SS units were used in combat during the fighting in Poland in 1939 and in the French campaign in 1940. The first units intended from the beginning to fight at the front were created in mid-1940, giving them the name of the Waffen SS. Initially, they were recruited on a voluntary basis, also among non-German people, but over time, compulsory recruitment began to apply. Within the Waffen-SS, many divisions of different combat value were formed. Nevertheless, a few of them (e.g. the 1st SS LAH Panzer Division, the 2nd SS Das Reich Panzer Division or the 12th SS Hitlerjugend Panzer Division) can be considered elite units, with very high combat value and often equipped with the best available equipment. They demonstrated their considerable advantages not only on the Eastern Front (1941-1945), especially during the battles near Kharkiv in 1943, but also during the battles in France in 1944. Another thing is that the quality of the commanding staff of these units was in many cases debatable, and many Waffen-SS soldiers committed war crimes during World War II.
Max Wünsche was born in April 1914 and died in April 1995 at the age of 81. He was the German commander of mechanized and armored units as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II. Max Wünsche joined the SS at the age of 20, in 1934, and received his degree two years later SS-Untersturmführer. Soon after, he was admitted to the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler unit. During the September campaign in 1939, he served as an adjutant to the dictator of the Third Reich. He gained his first military experience during the campaign in France in the summer of 1940. In the course of this campaign, he showed courage and was wounded. For this he was awarded the Iron Cross I and II class. In 1941, he fought in the Balkans, and later on the Eastern Front in the war with the USSR as part of Army Group South. In 1942, he was already the commander of a battalion of assault guns. In the winter of 1943, he distinguished himself during the Third Battle of Kharkiv. For his achievements in this battle, he was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In the summer of 1943, he took command of the 12th Armored Regiment of the 12th SS "Hitlerjugend" Armored Division. As part of this division, he fought in Normandy in June-August 1944, including the Battle of Falaise. He managed to get out of the boiler in the area of this city, but shortly later he was taken prisoner by the Allies, where he stayed until 1948. After being released from captivity, he returned to West Germany.