However, the SS were not involved in fighting soldiers in the East. They were involved in the murder of civilians-the so called 'special actions'.
Yes, they were. The 2nd SS Panzerkorps stopped the Russian advance after Stalingrad at Kharkov. They were also at Kursk. The Waffen SS units were a very mixed bag. Some crack troops with impeccable records, some no more than bands of criminals and murderers. There's an effort now to find out just what unit Grass was in.