Was there any significance difference between 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend..?

Question

compared to other SS Panzer divisions?

Answer 1

As “rohak1212” states, there was no significant difference between 12th SS “Hitlerjugend” and other SS Pz divisions, in terms of organization, equipment and fighting ability. What WAS different was a special “esprit de corps” stemming from the shared Hitler Youth background experience of most of the division’s soldiers.

The idea to create a special “Hitler Youth” division was first suggested to Hitler in January 1943. He leaped at the idea – eager perhaps to have something to take his thoughts off the disaster at Stalingrad. On 10th February 1943, Hitler issued the official order to form a new unit from members of the HJ who had been born in 1926 ... so, essentially, from 17 year-olds. These kids could be presumed to be pretty thoroughly Nazi-indoctrinated, because all of their school years had been under the Nazi regime.

The unit was originally planned to be Panzer Grenadier division. All recruits would have to meet specific physical fitness standards, for example, minimum height requirement = 168cm; and they would attend a 6 week pre-basic-training to weed out any misfits. The pre-basic camp duration was later reduced to 4 weeks.

By September 1st 1943, 16,000 of these kids were listed on the rosters of the newly formed "Hitlerjugend" division, and sent for training to Beverloo, Belgium. On October 30th, it was decided that the new HJ Pz Grenadier Division should become a full SS Panzer Division.

To avoid sending a bunch of 17 and 18 year old enthusiastic but ignorant lambs to certain slaughter, numbers SS veterans from the eastern front were assigned as leaders to the new division. A very large percentage of these experienced individuals came from the 1st SS Panzer Division, the "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" (LSSAH). But, to preserve as much as possible of the esprit de corps stemming from their shared HJ experience, numbers of Wehrmacht officers, who also had previously been HJ leaders, were also transferred into the new Division. And many of the lower level control and command positions within the Division were given to HJ members who had received exceptionally high marks in leadership and military training skills during their days in the HJ. This brought divisional strength up to nearly 18,000 men.

Training at Beverloo was completed in spring 1944, and the division moved to Hasselt, Belgium to form part of the reserve being formed to meet the anticipated Allied landings in France. Of course, their location in Belgium placed them not far from the Pas de Calais region where the invasion seemed most likely.

The actual invasion came in Normandy on June 6th, and that afternoon the HJ SS Pz Division was ordered to move to Caen. On the way, and throughout the division’s time in Normandy, it was subjected to almost non-stop air attack.

Although fanatical in their determination and tenacity to fight to the death, it did not take long for the division to suffer horrendous casualties. In slightly over one month of combat, the HJ SS Panzer Grenadier Division lost over 60 per cent of its strngth. 20 per cent were killed and 40 per cent were either wounded or MIA. The divisional commander, Fritz Witt, was killed when British naval fire hit his regional command center. His replacement as divisional commander was Kurt "Panzermeyer" Meyer, making him the youngest divisional commander in the entire German army - he was only 33 year of age.

The remnant of the division that struggled out of France in September 1944 amounted to no more than 3,500 men; and practically all of its armor and heavy weapons had also been lost.

The division was re-built and re-equipped in time to join in the Battle of the Bulge, with a strength of almost 20,000 men. But, although the name remained the same, by December 1944 the actual composition of the HJ division was little different to that of other SS units: no special effort was made to feed in replacements with HJ background; any available manpower had to suffice. The division, therefore, remained elite in name and prestige; but in reality it was just another Pz division.

Following the Battle of the Bulge, the division was transferred to Hungary, with the intent that it lead in the recapture of Budapest. But it saw relatively little action there.

On May 8th 1945, what was left of 12th SS Pz “Hitlerjugend” surrendered to American forces near Enns, Austria. All that remained were 10,000 survivors ... and just 1 solitary tank.

EDIT: I missed one very significant difference between 12th SS Pz “Hitlerjugend” and most (all except SS-LAH) other SS Pz divisions. HJ and LAH were authorized an extra 5-tank platoon in each company. So, on paper, their division total tanks were 200 (roughly 50% each Panther and Mk IV); compared with 160 tanks in other SS Pz divisions (and only 100 tanks in Wehrmacht Pz divisions).

Answer 2

It was mostly made up of young men from the Hitler Youth. Quite young actually. And also very fanatical. They were well supplied and had good officers, but essentially it was the same as any other SS Panzer Division. The fanaticism however meant they fought bravely and aggressively.