12th Hitlerjugend Panzer Division

The most implacable opponents of the British and Canadians fighting in Normandy were the largely teenage soldiers of the Hitlerjugend From D1 through to attacking back into the Falaise Pocket this unique division constantly thwarted Montgomerys plans and exacted a terrible price on the Allies for every mile gained Formed from volunteers from the Hitler Youth Movement in the aftermath of Stalingrad this division of boys aged 17 on recruitment into the SS came of age and were declared fully operational just before D Day Coming from a fully militarized society they made exceptional and highly committed soldiers but with officers and noncommissioned officers from the Leibstandarte commanding them they were to become a ruthless and brutal arm of the Nazi fighting machine that battled towards the Eastern Front Both Hitlerjugends alleged atrocities and their remarkable doggedness in battle made them a loathed but grudgingly respected opponent to all who fought them