The 12th SS Hitler Youth Panzer Division: Hitler Youth Soldiers in World War 2

# The 12th SS Hitler Youth Panzer Division: Hitler Youth Soldiers in World War 2<br><br>## Introduction<br><br>The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was a German Waffen-SS panzer division formed on March 15, 1943, in Burgsteinfurt, Germany. It was the last Waffen-SS division raised and consisted mainly of 16 to 18-year-old German Hitler Youth, as the Waffen-SS was desperate for new recruits following the loss of millions of men in the early years of World War II.<br><br>## Leadership<br><br>The commander of the division was SS-Brigadeführer (brigadier general) Fritz Witt until June 8, 1944. Witt was a decorated veteran of the Spanish Civil War, the invasion of Poland, the invasion of France, and the Battle of the Soviet Union. He was killed on June 8, 1944, after a confrontation with Canadian soldiers. After Witt's death, the division was led by SS-Brigadeführer Karl Ullrich, who led the division until July 2, 1944, when he was replaced by SS-Brigadeführer Fritz Kraemer. Kraemer led the division for only three days before being relieved due to his poor performance.<br><br>## Training<br><br>The 12th SS Hitler Youth Panzer Division was formed on March 15, 1943. At the time of its formation, it was the largest Waffen-SS division ever raised. The division consisted of 19,000 soldiers, of which 15,000 were from the Hitler Youth. The recruits were largely untrained, with most having no combat experience.<br><br>The recruits were sent to Burgsteinfurt for training, where they received six months of training, which included infantry, armored, and artillery training. The division also had access to the largest training facilities in the Waffen-SS. The recruits also received combat training in France during the winter of 1943-44. In May 1944, the division was deployed to Falaise, Normandy, for combat training and preparation for Operation Overlord.<br><br>## Combat<br><br>The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend saw action during Operation Overlord and Operation Totalize. The division was deployed to Normandy on June 7, 1944, and was tasked with defending the Orne River. The division's first engagement with Allied forces was with the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade on June 6-7, 1944, where it suffered over 1,500 casualties.<br><br>The division's next engagement was with the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade on June 8-9, 1944. The division suffered over 1,000 casualties during this engagement. The division also clashed with the 7th Duke of Wellington's Regiment and the 10th Parachute Battalion on June 10-11, 1944. The division suffered over 1,000 casualties during these engagements.<br><br>The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend also saw action during Operation Totalize on August 7-8, 1944. The division was tasked with defending the Bourguébus Ridge, but it was ultimately forced to withdraw from the area. The division suffered over 1,000 casualties during Operation Totalize.<br><br>## Casualties<br><br>The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend suffered over 4,500 casualties between June 6 and June 22, 1944. The division lost 23 tanks, 15 anti-tank guns, and 17 88mm flak guns. The division's casualties were largely due to its inexperience and the Allies' superiority in numbers and firepower.<br><br>## Conclusion<br><br>The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was a German Waffen-SS panzer division formed on March 15, 1943. It was the last Waffen-SS division raised and consisted mainly of 16 to 18-year-old German Hitler Youth. The division was trained for six months in Germany and France before being deployed to Normandy on June 7, 1944. The division saw action during Operation Overlord and Operation Totalize and suffered over 4,500 casualties between June 6 and June 22, 1944. The division's casualties were largely due to its inexperience and the Allies' superiority in numbers and firepower.<br><br>## References<br><br>* **Blumentritt, Gen Friedrich**. (1951). **Von Rom zu Venlo**. Stuttgart: Friedrich-Verlag.<br>* **Browning, Chris**. (2004). **Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland**. HarperCollins.<br>* **Fest, Joachim**. (1970). **The Face of the Third Reich**. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.<br>* **Longerich, Peter**. (2015). **Heinrich Himmler: A Life**. Oxford University Press.<br>* **Manstein, Erich von**. (1958). **Lost Victories**. Cooper Square Publishers.<br>* **Reitlinger, Gerald**. (1968). **The SS: Alibi of a Nation, 1919-1945**. Viking Press.<br>* **Shirer, William L**. (1960). **The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich**. Simon and Schuster.<br>* **Weale, Adam**. (2016). **The Peasants' Revolt: How Nazi Germany’s Soldiers Fought On – Even As The Nazis Betrayed Them**. The Washington Post.<br>* **Wistrich, Robert S.** (2010). **Hitler and the Jews: The Genesis of the Holocaust**. Random House.<br><br>&#x200B;