12th Panzerdivision S Hitlerjugend

The 12th Panzerdivision S Hitlerjugend was an armor-plated division of the Waffen-SS which was engaged by German on the faces of the east and the west during the Second world war. The majority of its members resulted from the Jeunesses hitlériennes ( Hitlerjugend ) and had been born towards 1926. It is one of two only divisions to bear the name of Hitler.

Constitution

As of January 1943, the SS-Gruppenführer Gottlob Berger proposed with the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler to constitute a division S made up members of the " Hitlérienne" youth;. This one approved in an enthusiastic way and as of the February 10th 1943 was emitted the official decree for the use of the young people of the class 1926 to constitute division S Hitlerjugend . As a commander of division, Himmler indicated the SS-Oberführer Fritz Witt resulting from the Leibstandarte S Adolf Hitler, unit aguerrie with the combat which also provided other executives for new division. Following a contest, one adopted the badge of division, the Rune of the victory of the " Hitlérienne" youth; crossed with a key, the badge of the Leibstandarte .
Until September 1st 1943, more than 16.000 members of the " Hitlérienne" youth; were called in its rows and accepted during 6 weeks a basic military formation. During their formation with Beverloo in Belgium, it was decided to transform division, initially designed to become a division of Panzergrenadier S, in an armor-plated division ( Panzerdivision ). Following the classification of the units of Waffen-SS to the October 22nd 1943, the unit received number 12 and the two regiments of Panzergrenadier S numbers 25 and 26. In March 1944, division was ready for the baptism of fire and it was transferred to Caen, in Normandy, where it was placed under the command of the Panzergruppe West .

See also: Massacre of Ascq

During its transfer, 86 old civilians from 15 to 85 years and without any bond with resistance were killed by members of division in reprisals to an attack of train in the night of 1st at April 2nd 1944, which had not made any victim.

Engagements in Normandy

The June 6th 1944 began with the Opération Overlord the release from the Normandy by the allies. The 12th Panzerdivision S Hitlerjugend was then, with the 21e Panzerdivision, the unit of armor-plated reserve stationed more close to the beaches of unloading. But following the air raid intensives in this zone, it could not start the combat that around 10 p.m. close to Évrecy.

The June 7th, the 21e Panzerdivision and Hitlerjugend division launch a counter-offensive which bars with the British the road of Caen. Hitlerjugend blocks follows the British offensive towards Cuverville and Demouville.

The June 8th, the 26e regiment Panzergrenadiers S, under the command of the SS-Obersturmbannführer Wilhelm Mohnke, reached its position in the west of the troop of Meyer. The regiment sank in direction of Norrey-in-Bessin and occupied this village of strategic importance.

The June 14th the Royal Navy opened fire on the PC of division, located at Venoix, and its commander Fritz Witt was killed. He was then replaced by Kurt Meyer which, at the 33 years age, became the youngest commander of a division of the Second world war. Meyer was condemned for war crimes thereafter because it had ordered with its units not to make prisoners.

During June, 178 prisoners and tens of civilians are assassinated by members of the division Hitlerjugend , which “shone by its cruelty”.

During the first three weeks of the battle, division destroyed 23 armoured tanks combined in close combat; for the same period, the 352e division of infantry destroys 30 of them

Division accepted then the order to take again Caen in the four following weeks, whereas it had manpower less than the enemy and than it could count on no air support. During the first week of July, division underwent important losses and Meyer was unaware of its orders which were to hold a line in the north of Caen. It was folded up with its troops in direction of the south.

During the battle of Normandy, the losses of division Hitlerjugend reach 31% of its manpower, that is to say: 8000 men. If this rate is important, among 36 divisions of the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe and Waffen S engaged on this face, 14 divisions of which none belongs to Waffen S have rates of losses exceeding 50% of their manpower, even 100% of this one for the 709e division of infantry

The retirement

During the weeks which followed, division moved back to the Franco-Belgian border. Kurt Meyer was made prisoner by resistant Belgian the September 6th. He was replaced in his function by the SS-Obersturmbannführer Hubert Meyer.
In November division was transferred to Nienburg where it was to be reconstituted. Meyer was replaced by the SS-Obersturmbannführer Hugo Kraas. Under its command, division was integrated into the 6th armor-plated army S, ordered by the SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich, within which it took part in the Bataille of the Ardennes.
The operation Wacht amndt Rhein , which began the December 16th 1944, was quickly stopped by the solid resistance of the American troops. In spite of many attempts, the Germans did not manage to bore their lines of defense. Division took part then in the seat of Bastogne, but until the January 18th 1945 division, like the other German units, was driven back on its starting position.

Hungary and Austria

The January 20th 1945, the 6th army armor-plated S was transferred in Hungary in order to take again Budapest where 45.000 men of IXe body of mountain of Waffen-SS were encircled. Division reached the city in February, a few days only before it was taken by Soviet. Division had fought close to the town of Gran located on the the Danube.
Elle was to then take part in the operation which consisted in taking again the oil fields of the Lac Balaton (Opération Frühlingserwachen). Hitler was anxious to hold this secret action and it ordered of this fact of not carrying out recognition on the battle field before the attack. After some initial successes, the operation was stopped following the counter-offensive soviétique.
La division beat then reprocesses some until Vienna which it reached mid-March. It went then to the American troops.

War crimes

to develop

Composition

(1944)
  • SS-Panzer-Pomegranate-Regiment 25
  • SS-Panzer-Pomegranate-Regiment 26
  • SS-Panzer-Regiment 12
  • SS-Panzer-Artillery-Regiment 12
  • SS-Kradschützen-Regiment 12
    • SS-Flak-Artillery-Abteilung 12
    • SS-Nebelwerfer-Abteilung 12
    • SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12
    • SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 12
    • SS-Panzer-Pioneer-Battalion 12
    • SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12
    • SS-Versorgungseinheiten 12
    • SS-Instandsetzungstrupp 12
    • SS-Nachschubtruppen 12
    • SS-Wirtschafts-Battalion 12
    • SS-Sanitäts-Abteilung 12
      • SS-Kriegsberichter-Zug (motorized) 12
      • SS-Feldgendarmerie-Trupp 12
      • SS-Feldpostamt (motorized) 12

Successive commanders

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