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The 12th SS Panzer Division ''Hitlerjugend'' ("Hitler Youth") was a German Waffen-SS armoured division during World War II. The majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from members of the Hitler Youth, while the senior NCOs and officers were generally veterans of the Eastern Front. The division committed several war crimes while en route to and during the early battles in Normandy. The division first saw action on 7 June 1944 as part of the German defense of Caen. In December 1944, the division was committed against the US Army in the Battle of the Bulge. After the failure of the Ardennes offensive the division was sent east to participate in the defence of Budapest. The 12th SS eventually withdrew into Austria; on 8 May 1945 the division surrendered to the American 65th Infantry Division, 7th Army, near the town of Enns. ==Formation and training== The idea of a Waffen-SS division composed of ''Hitlerjugend'' (HJ) members was first proposed by SS-''Gruppenführer'' Gottlob Berger in January 1943. Berger approached ''Reichsführer-SS'' Heinrich Himmler with the proposition, and Himmler soon became an enthusiastic advocate. The plan for a combat division made up of all ''Hitlerjugend'' members born in 1926 was passed on to Adolf Hitler for his approval. Hitler concurred, and on 13 February 1943, the official order for the creation of a ''Hitlerjugend'' division was issued.〔 Berger nominated himself as the divisional commander, but Himmler instead chose SS-''Oberführer'' Fritz Witt of 1st SS Panzer Division ''Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler'' (LSSAH). A competition was held to design insignia for the new unit. The winning design, picked from thousands of entries, depicted the ''Hitlerjugend'' ''sigrune'' crossing a key from the 1st SS Panzer Division LSSAH's insignia. By 1 September 1943, over 16,000 recruits had completed their six-week basic training and were listed on the rosters of the SS Panzergrenadier Division ''Hitlerjugend''. As training continued in Beverloo Camp, Belgium, the division was notified that it was to be formed as a panzer rather than a panzergrenadier unit, and the division was redesignated SS Panzer Division ''Hitlerjugend''. In late October 1943 the division received its final designation, 12th SS Panzer Division ''Hitlerjugend''. The ''Hitlerjugend'' members, while indoctrinated in Nazi ideology, had no military experience. To provide a backbone for the division, personnel from the 1st SS Panzer Division LSSAH were assigned to the ''Hitlerjugend'' division and provided all the regimental, battalion and most of the company commanders. However, the SS could not provide all the officers required and 50 army officers were assigned. They served in their army uniforms but were part of the division. In March 1944 the 12th SS was deemed ready for active service and was ordered to move to Caen in Normandy and became part of the I SS Panzer Corps. Throughout the spring of 1944 the division continued training exercises around Caen, familiarizing itself with the terrain. At the beginning of June 1944 the division was declared ready for combat operations. The division's tank strength at this time was about 66 Panther and 90+ Panzer IV tanks. The division was also equipped with Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers, three prototype Wirbelwind flakpanzer vehicles, along with a number of 20 mm, 37 mm and 88 mm flak guns, Hummel, Wespe and sIG 33 self-propelled guns and regular towed artillery pieces. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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