SS Divisions in Normandy - 1st.Pzdiv. and 12th.Pzdiv.-

Author: Pedro Ramirez Diaz

1st. Panzerdivision Leibstandarte “Adolf Hitler”

For a German girl to be escort by a SS member with the bracelet “Adolf Hitler”, that identified to him like member of the Führer personal guard, was to be envied by the other girls of the vicinity. But the fame of the soldiers of the Leibstandare between its enemies may be more different.

When the allies disembarked the 6 of June in Normandy beaches the Leibstandarte was in the Calais passage, soon of have reorganized and replace losses undergone in the fights of the Russian front, waiting for what believed that the main disembark of the allies, since Hitler acced to that the I Panzer Corp of the SS was transferred towards the Normandy beach heads and finally the 10 of June the Leibstandarte started up.

Arrived at this point the allied information services, by mean of a double agent named “Cato” and who that the Germans considered a confidence agent inform that be an attack with fifty divisions through the Calais passage. Hitler personally called by radio to Sepp Dietrich, I st. SS Panzer Corps commander, and order him to return immediately.

In this form these troops who had been very useful in the fight by Normandy since the beach heads were not consolidated absolutely were separated from the fight with a stratagem with a disastrous result for the German troops .

The allies sent a series of attacks to extend the bridge heads and to leave to open land, and were frequent the SS divisions those that them cut the step, for the allied soldiers this strategy often suppose a series of hard and bloody fights. First of them was the called “Epsom” operation, the attempt to cross the Odon river at southwest of the city of Caen, this attack was planned as a conventional infantry attack supported by a great number of artillery pieces and tanks. With a promising beginning the 26 of June, the 51^st. Division (Highland) that have acted as spear head open a corridor until the river, where suddenly have taken by a concentric attack of the Ist. SS Panzer Corps (Leibsandarte and Das Reich) in Dietrich control, who to the knowledge which has in opposite the Scottish division exclaim “is somebody with which it worth the trouble to fight”. The allies were forced to stop here same until the fourth day suffered a devastator counterattack in charge of the IInd. SS Panzer Corps (Hohestauffen and Frundsberg) and suspend the operation.

The following british blow was launched over the German positions at east of Caen, this attack was in charge of the 2^nd. Army of general Dempsey and was headed by three armor divisions (of the Guard, the 7^th. and the 11^th.). The position of exit was the narrow spear head of the Orne river, this attack was launched the 18 of November with the key name of operation “Goodwood” crossing a corridor between Caen and the heights at the east of the city, in an attempt to open a breach in the mountain range of Bourgebus and leave to open field. At  7:45 of the 18 of July and soon of the most devastator bombing in carpet made to date by the allied air force in Normandy, that leave the German POW in such state that in the advance could not be interrogated up to 24 hs. later by their shock state.

Caen was conquered by the IInd. Canadian Corps, in the center of the 11^th.  and 7^th.  divisions followed by the Armored Guards advanced towards the narrow bridge head crossing the 16^th. Campaign division of the Luftwaffe which practically let exist like organized unit, but the British was commit an error to underestimate the German defenses, which although of the division previously mentioned counted with the 21^st. Panzer, artillery self-propelled battalion, the 200^th. antitank battalion and the Tigers of the 503^rd., although leaving to open level all the towns and farms counted with 4 or 5 88 mm  cannons and to finalize the Bourgebus heights behind which rested the 12^th. Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend” and the 1^st. Leibstandarte, all it gave to the German defenses a depth of 15 km.

Following the British doctrine, the infantry ocuppied of clear the towns leaving to the tanks to advance practically without which supported them. The British units obtained their primary objectives in agreement with the plan but when the first Sherman tanks arrived at the mountain range spurs of Bougebous they began to lose a squadron after another. The crest s was solid defended by the Panzer IV and Panther of the Leibstandarte that was survived to the preliminary bombing (later Dietrich boast  itself of which know that the allied tanks were going to attack by those sector applied a trick that he learned in the Russian front, stick the ear to the ground to detect the movement of the tracks).

The following day elements of the “Hitlerjugend” and the Hohenstauffen were united to the fight and Montgomery soon lose around 300 tanks and was forced to cancel an important offensive due in great measure to the efforts of the Leibstandarte. Nevertheless the time for the Germans, little of provisions and reinforcements bombed day and night, was finishing. Five days later of the failure of operation “Goodwood” the Americans launch their offensive “Cobra”, has arrived the hour which the Germans following a rational plan retired to the other side of the Seine to most defensible positions but following the Hitler custom that to fight until the last man and the last bullet. Its mind conceived the idea that the German armored component in Normandy was enough strong to mount a counterattack and on the paper was in reason, then arrange with 8 armor divisions, five of that pertaining to the SS, but altogether single added about 185 tanks. The 7 of August trigger the attack with twenty infantry divisions, the 17^th. SS Panzer Grenadier and the 7^th.  previously mentioned, many German generals indeed cried out that this class of attack does not be carried out by the enormous air superiority of the allies and nobody except Hitler trusted in its success, shortly before, the 116^th.  panzerdivision chief was dismissed by refuse to its division took part in the attack.

The advance stopped at eight kilometers of advance by lack of fuel under a constant bombing of the allied air force, Hitler neg? to their divisions retired nor a handspan and in spite of the German efforts the two clamps of the stock-market were closing inexorably and went thanks to the sacrifice of the “Hitlerjugend” whose men was an average age of around 18 years, that the breach maintained open so the rest of the German divisions could escape, about 20,000 men. The Germans lost in this disaster 567 tanks, 950 artillery pieces, 7700 vehicles of all type, 10,000 died and 50,000 prisoners, of the 28 German divisions 25 was practically annihilated and between the 1, 2, 9, 10 and 12 panzerdivision reunite 70 armored vehicles, 36 cannons and 14 infantry battalions very below their potential.

Lost the battle of Normandy, the SS divisions were sent to rear, later to equip itself and rest we will return to find the Leibstandarte in December in the Ardennes offensive, but this is another history.

12th. SS Panzerdivision “HITLERJUGEND”

The 12^th. SS Panzer Division was created the 22 October of 1943. This unit non have preceding in the German army, most of their officials and sergeant majors proceed from the 1^st. “Leibstandarte” and they been chosen between the veterans more hardened by the combats in the Russian front.

With the purpose of preparing them and making of the young recruits an effective force battle and highly motivated was put under a hard training that went from making pass deprivations and hunger to maneuvers with real fire. When these finished the young recruits who to large extent did not pass of 18 years was turned one of frightful enemies with whom the allies faced in the fields of Normandy.

The 5 of June of 1944 the 12^th. SS Panzer Division was unfolded in an area between Paris and Ruan. The effectives of the same one came near the 20,540 men, the panzer regiment was compound of two tank battalions, one equipped with Panthers and another one with Pzkpfw IV, an antitank battalion, two regiments of Panzergrenadiers of three battalions each one, an artillery regiment, an antiaircraft regiment among of other support units.

In the morning of 6 of June the division received the order to transferred towards the bridge head of Normandy where be available to the Army Group B of marshal Erwin Rommel. The order them received consist in concentrating itself at the east of Lisieux, where the Seventh Army order of its unfolding.

Towards the three of afternoon the first forces arrived at its destiny, these were the first battalion of the 12^th. Panzer regiment and the 26^th. SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, the remaining units arrive in the following 24 hours. During this time the Germans were under furious attacks of the allied aviation, these attacks forced to the maximum the discipline of the young soldiers of the “Hitlerjugend”. The second battalion of the 12^th. Panzer regiment do not arrive until the 7 of the morning and only with fifty of its tanks. The Panthers of the first battalion was stopped in the east border of the Orne river by lack of fuel, due to this the “Hitlerjugend”  only could reunite one battle group to the order of Kurt Meyer. Only the 21^st. Panzer Division and the 12^th. “Hitlerjugend” become in position of a counterattack in the Caen sector, Kurt Meyer position their men, this is three battalions of Panzergrenadier and two companies of tanks behind each flank, placed in ambush waiting for the Canadians that advanced from the beaches with the intention to seize the Caen aerodrome, when the vanguard of the Canadians were to so single 80m of its destiny Meyer gave the attack order, the German tanks and infantry left their camouflaged hiding places introducing in the exposed flank of the Canadians while the camouflaged antitank cannons placed nearly fired point-blank receiving an onerous tribute between the tanks and the allied crews.

The Canadians were surprised by the fury of the attack of  the young soldiers of the “Hitlerjugend” and they not have more remedy that back down. Although the attack do not arrive until beaches prevent the Canadians to take control of the important Carpiquet aerodrome.

The “Hitlerjugend” suffered the lost of 200 dead and 6 Panzers, but inflict to their opponents a severe punishment, the lost of 300 died and 28 Shermans although of the impression and respect that in a future have to these young soldiers.

  The 8 of June arrived finally the Panthers from the first battalion reason why Meyer make a night attack with these and a little panzergrenadiers against the allied positions in the Caen-Bayeux highway, the attack as was norm in Meyer direct the same one mounted in a motorcycle. At midnight arrive at the town of Rots, soon of several and intense hours of fight, in which suffered the lost of 6 tanks and issued the retirement order. The 16 of June the division suffered a hard blow, since their General Staff located about 30 km to the southwest of Caen fall under a naval fire barrage and the division general Fritz Witt who was to the control of the same, died with several of its officials. Kurt Meyer replace him in the control. The division because of the attacks and counterattacks of the lasts days have been moving towards the north and the west of Caen, their losses have been very important and got fuel shortage, ammunition and other equipment. Aside from got his forces divided since their tanks been supported to units like the 16^th.  Luftwaffe Campaign Division. The Carpiquet aerodrome was defended by one antiaircraft artillery battery, elements of the first battalion of the 26^th. Regiment of Panzergrenadiers and about 15 battle tanks.

The July 4 the 3^rd. Canadian division attacked the village of Carpiquet and their aerodrome. The German artillery barrier cause serious lost to the attackers, but do not avoid the shock between two Canadian battalions and about 50 panzergrenadier that defend the town, soon one hard hand-to-hand combat the Canadians occupied the town and the North part of the aerodrome but the Germans even conserved the South end. Although the soldiers of the “Hitlerjugend” was exhausted only the lack of infantry prevent that they made a counterattack.

             Between the 4 and the 9 of July the division become in one of the bastions of the German defense of Caen against the attacks of the I British Corp. Under the leadership of Kurt Meyer the division stop one after another one the attacks of the British. The 9 of July the allies was occupied the most of Caen except the suburbs of the South part of the city, that even was in German hands, the “Hitlerjugend” was a shade of the potential that got in first of June, the infantry was reduced to the equivalent of one battalion and of the 150 tanks only had left 65, the overall losses from D day was equivalent to 40% and of these the half was deads, but as they even that verify the allies, the survivors has turned in hard veterans.

The 11 of July the division was retired from the front and transferred to Potigny, about 30 km to the north of Falaise, here they got a deserved rest and reequipment with the necessary things yet to return to the front, but such thing was not possible since one week late was demanded to try to prevent that the allies took Caen in the called operation “Goodwood”. The rest of the division wasdivided in two groups of battle denominated Krause and Waldmüller, between both groups did not count more than 50 armored vehicles, during the three weeks that followed the “Hitlerjugend” was the spine of the German defense in the south of Caen. The 25 of July general Bradley launched the operation “Cobra” with the First  Army of the United States from Saint-Lo against the left flank of the German army, this end with run over the resistance of the Germans in the West of Normandy.

             The “Hitlerjugend” was to the north of Falaise when the 7 of August the Canadians launch the offensive as well to breach the German front to the south of Caen, in this attack took part near 600 tanks against the little more of 50 of which the Germans got, due to the tenacity and capacity of sacrifice of the “Hitlerjugend” the allies only could advance 5 km in the first 24 hours. By space of two days Meyer maintained the level 159 only with 500 men against the attacks of the 3^rd. Canadian division, their positions constantly were crushed by the artillery and the fighter bombers until the Germans were forced to retire to the other border of Ante river, its retirement was directed by a French farmer “persuaded” by Meyer so that he served them as guide. At this moment the effectives of the division was of a few hundreds of men and 15 tanks. Good test of the hardness of the combats gives us the episode happened in Falaise, the 16 of August the 2^nd. Canadian division enter in this city freeing hard fight house to house against a “Hitlerjugend” rear detachment made up of 60 men, these seeing overflowed were fortified in the Superior School, here resisted during 3 days, when lack of food, water and ammunition surrendered when left so single 4 survivors.

 With the lost of Falaise the land that separated the British and American armies reduced to single 20 km, catched in the bag that later was called as Argentan-Falaise was 19 German divisions under an incessant allied bombing, the “Hitlerjugend” that was in the North side of the bag received the order to maintain an open escape corridor. Less than half of the German forces could escape, leaving behind his equipment, tanks, artillery, etc. and those that can escape must in large extent to the efforts of the “Hitlerjugend” management that maintained the corridor open during two days, Kurt Meyer only escape with 200 of its men.

The 22 of August the division was let exist like since that counted with effectives of 300 men and 10 armored vehicles.

¿Nazi fanatics or hardened soldiers? Be that as it may the certain thing is that the “Hitlerjugend” was the deathest enemy whom the allies faced in the Normandy campaign.