Initially, at the beginning of the war (Sep. 1939) it would be an accurate assumption to say that the Waffen-SS (which consisted of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler division as well as the SS-VT Inspectorate which consisted of the Deutschland, Germania and Der Führer regiments, all regarded as "elite" and would go on to become fully fledged divisions) were elite. This is not only due the extensive training they received, which involved exercises with live ammunition and a heavy amount of indoctrination, but also the equipment that the SS Main Office managed to secure for them, much to the disdain of the regular Heer. As a result, the SS Divisions and Brigades had an excellent combat performance record in Poland, France and the beginning of the Russian campaign, though they were undoubtedly involved in countless war crimes. As a result, Corps commanders to which SS divisions were attached used them in offensives as the spearhead, and SS divisions suffered massive casualties. Replacing these casualties, let alone creating new divisions, became a problem and from 1942 onward, the SS began forming divisions with manpower from the occupied countries (not always voluntarily, as in the case of the Prinz Eugen mountain division). These divisions and brigades were not nearly as trained or as motivated as their German counterparts, and generally had poorer equipment. The problem steadily deteriorated as the war progressed, and the SS were forced to press gang criminals and the "mentally ill", as well as members of the Hitler Youth into various combat formations. The most notorious examples of this was the "Dirlewanger" brigade, which was systemically involved in a wide range of war crimes.

(Source: Army of Evil: A History of the SS by Adrian Weale)