@AngryFerret Ah, I have to apologise for using the word "partisan" incorrectly. My mistake. Technically I shouldn't have used it at all in this context and that is probably what left you confused. So, no, they weren't partisans, strictly speaking, but just irregulars the Soviets sent behind the enemy lines to kill civilians and soldiers alike, and destroy any supplies. Seems like it's quite common over here in my home country to use the word "partisan" incorrectly. I'll have to keep this in mind.
SS was not 100% rotten either. SS had foreign fighters as well, for various reasons, and while many of them were genuine nazi supporters, some of them couldn't have cared less about the nazi ideology and only wanted to see the communists defeated, which was a goal the UK and the USA also joined when the Cold War began. However, since the SS was basically specifically tasked to carry out the goals of the nazi party, naturally the crimes would concentrate there. Among the Heer, some commanders did even try to object when the orders to kill civilians came or when they witnessed the SS doing it, but I doubt among the SS such objections arose all that much if at all.
Yeah, there were thousands of people in the Kriegsmarine so it's natural there would be those more willing to do nasty deeds, whereas there were those who were more honourable. As always, some people found it easier to ignore the orders from the nazi leadership, some found it harder. If you want to have a look at the other side, check how the cruiser Graf Spee operated. As a side note, the German stance on submarine warfare changed into a harder direction after the Laconia incident.
Talking about war crimes and judging things by them is troublesome in any case because only the loser of a war is ever guilty of war crimes. While people know the winners typically also did all sorts of things in total war, those things are never formally investigated, let alone anyone judged. So, it's 100% one-sided.
Also don't move the goal post from my comment it was obvious that I was referring to division between Wehrmacht and SS and the popular believe that only SS committed atrocities.
Sorry, I don't know what this means.