At the heart of each Waffen-SS panzer division were two panzergrenadier or mechanized infantry regiments, each of which had an anti-tank company, supplied either with Marders or towed Pak 40 anti-tank guns. Panzergrenadier companies were lavishly equipped with the shoulder-fired Panzerschreck anti-tank rocket launcher, which was copied from the American bazooka, or the "throw-away" one-shot Panzerfaust anti-tank rocket. These weapons turned every infantry squad into a tank-hunting unit.

One panzergrenadier battalion in each division was mounted in armoured SdKfz 251 halftracks, known as SPWs, to allow it to accompany the panzer battalion close to the enemy. The other five panzergrenadier battalions were carried in soft-skinned trucks. The divisional reconnaissance battalion also had armoured halftracks, as well as Marders.

Supporting the frontline Waffen-SS troops was an array of powerful artillery systems. A number of self-propelled howitzers called Wespes, with 105mm guns, and Hummels, with 150mm weapons, were mixed with towed 105mm and 150mm guns in divisional artillery regiments.

SS panzergrenadiers

Each panzergrenadier battalion also had its own infantry gun company which boasted self-propelled 150mm and 75mm guns, as well as 120mm heavy mortars. Corps-level firepower was provided by Nebelwerfer multiple rocket launchers.

Their experience of three brutal campaign seasons in Russia had transformed the Waffen-SS panzer divisions into some of the most professional armoured formations the world has ever seen. Under experienced commanders - such as Hausser, Dietrich, Bittrich, Kurt "Panzer" Meyer and Joachim Peiper - the Waffen-SS panzer divisions were trained up and inspired to become masters of their art.

The battlegroup and SS doctrine

Central to German armoured doctrine was the idea of the all-arms battlegroup (or kampfgruppe). Unlike in Allied armies, it was considered routine for the Waffen-SS quickly to form kampfgruppen. These battlegroups would combine tank, panzergrenadier, anti-tank, reconnaissance and artillery units and would operate under a single commander. There was no set size or shape of a kampfgruppe, as these variable factors would depend on the mission and the enemy being faced.

The close-knit Waffen-SS "family" made the formation and functioning of kampfgruppen even more effective than it was in the Wehrmacht panzer units. These Waffen-SS officers had all served with each other for several years. As a result, they knew exactly how their comrades operated, and could easily become a member of each other's command team. Thus, they were able to conduct complex tactical manoeuvres through brief verbal orders that had been issued over the radio net.

Time and time again during the campaigns in the West after D-Day, Waffen-SS kampfgruppen, despite being rapidly formed, would save the day for the German Army. On the Allied side - in contrast to the Germans' units - the formal and laborious "orders groups" were the norm, making it difficult for their operations to be rapidly improvised.

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