Originally a Panzergrenadier Division, the formation received the number вЂ™12вЂ™ and was expanded to a Panzer Division on 21 October, together with a complete Panzer Regiment with 218 Panzer IV and Panzer V Panther. Panzer IV H on maneuvers in Normandy, 1944. One infantry fighting vehicle battalion and five motorized Panzergrenadiers infantry battalions received Italian booty vehicles before they received modern German equipment until May 1944. In addition, war-proven front soldiers of the army and air force, who had emerged from the Hitler Youth, were transferred to this otherwise pure recruit division. The cadre of battle-tested officers and non-commissioned officers came mostly from the Leibstandarten Division, but also from all other SS tank divisions and a number of army officers were also transferred to the new SS Division. From July to September 1, 1943, 16,000 young men formed the units of the Hitler Youth Division at military training areas around Turnhout in Belgium. In May 1943, the first 8,000 seventeen-year-olds arrived for a two-month preparatory introduction. Witt thus became GermanyвЂ™s second youngest general вЂ“ after 31-year-old Major General Adolf Galland of the Luftwaffe вЂ“ when he was appointed SS Brigade Leader on 1 July 1943. This was the 35-year-old SS-StandartenfГјhrer Fritz Witt, who was regiment commander in the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte-SS-Adolf Hitler and had received the KnightвЂ™s Cross with oak leaves. Himmler, on the other hand, reasonably preferred a battle-hardened veteran with close ties to the HJ (short for Hitlerjugend = Hitler Youth). SS-BrigadefГјhrer Hugo Kraas (November 1944 вЂ“ May 1945)ДЄlthough the members of the Hitler Youth organization had already been encouraged to volunteer for the Waffen-SS, the вЂyouth leader of the German ReichвЂ™, Artur Axmann, suggested to the ReichsfГјhrer SS, Heinrich Himmler, to set up a complete SS division with boys born in 1926.ДЄdolf Hitler approved this plan and appointed SS-GruppenfГјhrer Berger as commander, who had even suggested himself to the FГјhrer.

SS-BrigadefГјhrer Fritz Kramer (October вЂ“ November 1944).SS-ObersturmbannfГјhrer Hubert Meyer (September вЂ“ October 1944).

SS-BrigadefГјhrter Kurt Meyer (June вЂ“ September 1944).

SS-BrigadefГјhrer Fritz Witt (June 1943 вЂ“ June 1944).

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