In March 1944 Supreme Commander West, Generalfeldmarschall Gerd v. Rundstedt and I.SS-Panzerkorpskommandeur SS-Obergruppenführer Josef "Sepp" Dietrich visited the Division's training grounds in Beverloo, Belgium. The first point of itinerary in this highly publicized event was the introduction of the Division's Staff and Officers to the Generalfeldmarschal. From left: SS-Sturmbannführer Arnold Jürgensen (Kdr. I/SS-Pz.Rgt 12), SS-Sturmbannführer Hubert Meyer (Ia), SS-Hauptsturmführer Fritz Buchsein (IIa), GFM v. Rundstedt and the Divisionskommandeur, SS-Oberführer Fritz Witt.

v. Rundstedt makes his way down the line. Here he is seen shaking hands with SS-Sturmbannführer Karl Bartling, Kommandeur of III./SS-Pz.Ar.Rgt 12. Next to him stands the Kommandeur of II./SS-Pz.Rgt 12, SS-Sturmbannführer Karl-Heinz Prinz. Immediately preceding v. Rundstedt was I. SS-PzKorpskommandeur Sepp Dietrich. Here he shakes hands with long time comrade Wilhelm Mohnke while Bartling, Prinz and Jürgensen look on.

Following the introductions v. Rundstedt, Dietrich and the Divisional Staff and officers proceeded to watch an armored excerise conducted by III./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 26 and the Panzern of 5./SS-Pz.Rgt 12. Here the commander of SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 25, SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer and v. Rundstedt review a map. In the background stands Divisionskommandeur SS-Oberführer Fritz Witt.

In charge of the drill was the Kommandeur of III./26, SS-Sturmbannführer Gerhard Bremer, shown here holding binoculars.

Bremer, front and center, with Bartling standing behind his right shoulder.

The month following this excersize, Bremer and his staff were transferred to the Division's Aufklärungsabteilung (on 1. April 1944). SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter, formerly the commander of SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt 12, took command of III./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 26. Like Bremer, Olboeter was a protege of Kurt Meyer and served under his direct command for most of the war. To the far right is Bremer's Regimental commander SS-Obersturmbannführer Wilhelm Mohnke, from left, with backs to the camera are v. Rundstedt and I. SS-Pz.Korps Führer Sepp Dietrich.

A previously unpublished photo of 27 year old Ritterkreuzträger Gerhard Bremer and his wife Almut on their wedding day, early 1944. In this photo Bremer had already recieved his promotion to SS-Sturmbannführer, noticable by the collar, which would date this photo sometime after the 1st of February 1944.

On the 27. May 1944 the Divisionskommandeur SS-Brigadeführer Fritz Witt celebrated his 36th birthday. Well wishers and officers from all over the division attended the celebration at the divisional headquaters in Tilières-Sur-Avre castle, Belgium. Here he receives a birthday gift in the form of a model of a SdKfz 232. The Divisionsadjutant, Ritterkreuzträger Heinrich "Hein" Springer, is standing behind Witt's left shoulder.

When all of the officers were present they then posed for this group photo. 1st row, 3rd from left: Stubaf. Schürer (Ordnance Officer), Stubaf. Heinrich Springer (Adjutant), Staf. Kurt Meyer (SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 25), Oberf. Fritz Witt (Div. Co), Ostubaf. Wilhelm Mohnke (SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 26), Ostubaf. Fritz Schröder (SS-Pz.Ar.Rgt 12), Hstuf. Rothemund (IIa). 2nd Row: Hstuf. Gerd v. Reitzenstein (5./SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt 12), Stubaf. Artur Manthey (Inst.Abt 12), Erich Pandel (Na.Abt 12), Ostubaf. Max Wünsche (SS-Pz.Rgt 12), Hstuf. Hubert Meyer (Ia), Stubaf. Fritz Buchsein (IIa), Hstuf. Albert Schuch (Div. HQ). 3rd Row: Hermann Weiser (Korps Adjutant), Stubaf. Bernhard Krause (I./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 12), Stubaf. Gerhard Bremer (SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt 12), Stubaf. Siegfried Müller (SS-Pz.Pi.Abt 12), Stubaf. Bernhard Siebken (II./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 26), Stubaf. Jakob Hanreich (SS-Pz.Jg.Abt 12), Ostuf. Ritzert (15./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 25). 4th Row: Hstuf. Georg Urabl (SS-Felders.Btl 12), Stubaf. Dr. Kos (IVa), Stubaf. Hans Waldmüller (I./SS-Pz.gren.Rgt 12), Stubaf. Rolf Kolitz (Div.Nachsch.Tr 12). Photo courtesy of Roger Bender - Blood and Honor

From left: SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Urbanitz, Kdr. I./SS-Pz.Art.Rgt. 12, SS-Sturmbannführer Karl-Heinz Prinz, Kdr. II./SS-Pz.Rgt. 12, and SS-Sturmbannführer Karl Bartling, Kdr. III./SS-Pz.Art.Rgt. 12, carefully coordinate the fire support of their Abteilung's guns with the counter-attack launched by the tanks of II./SS-Pz.Rgt. 12 and the Grenadiers of SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 25.

Kommandeur der 12. SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend" gefallen. Berlin, 17. June - During the fighting on the invasion front SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS Fritz Witt, holder of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, was killed in action. With Fritz Witt, who was born on the 27th of May 1908 as the son of a merchant in Hohenlimburg/Westfalen, the Waffen-SS and the entire German Armed Forces lost their youngest General....

Following Fritz Witt's death, Kurt "Panzer" Meyer (on the left), Kommandeur of SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 25 took command of the Division. Standing next to him is Max Wünsche, commander of the Division's Panzerregiment. Meyer was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross for the same battles that earned Wünsche his RK. Both were further decorated in Normandy, Meyer with the Swords and Wünsche with the Oak Laves. Both were captured in the Normandy battles, about a week apart. On the right is Bernhard Seibken, Kommandeur of II./SS-Pz.Rgt 26. Seibken avoided Wünsche's and Meyer's fate and after the battles on the invasionsfront was assigned Kommandeur of SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 2 "LAH". In this roll he was awarded the Knight's Cross. Like Meyer, after the war Seibken was tried for war crimes. Like Meyer, he was sentenced to death. Unlike Meyer however, who had his sentence commuted and was eventually released, Seibken's sentence was carried out and he was hung on 20. January 1949. To this day controversy exists as to weather or not this sentence was warranted. Read further about Seibken's trail and conviction on the War Crimes page. Photo courtesy Hubert Meyer - Album Historique 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" Editions Heimdal

The Division's Aufklärungsabteilung, under the command of SS-Sturmbannführer and Ritterkreuzträger Gerd Bremer, were among the first Divisional elements to reach the front on 7. June. Upon arrival they traveled through 8 miles of no mans land to the Division's far left flank and there established a security line. The Abteilung repulsed numerous heavy attacks from 7-11. June, during which Bremer's command vehicle was knocked out and then the next day he was wounded by shrapnel. Twice wounded he nevertheless remained with his Abteilung until the situation was secure. The Allies penultimate attack came on 11. June, when the English 50th Infantry Division attacked the Abteilung sector in the strength of one Infantry battalion and 84 tanks. The attack was violently repulsed and the positions were held, 7 tanks were knocked out and the English suffered over 250 casualties. The above photo was taken between 12-15. June at the Abteilung command post in Cristot, where one of the 7 knocked out Shermans was salvaged by Hstuf. von Reitzenstein (Chef 5./A.A. 12) and Ustuf. Wieneke and placed over the command post bunker as protection against shrapnel. Here Bremer sits with his adjutant, SS-Obersturmführer Kurt Buchheim. Among other actions, but primarily for this four day defensive struggle, Bremer was decorated with the German Cross in Gold on 30. August. Photo courtsey Roger Bender - Blood and Honor

SS-Untersturmführer Kurt Bogensperger and his crew shortly after Bogensperger was awarded the Iron Cross First and Second Class simultaneously on 24. July 1944. Bogensperger came to the Hitlerjugend Division from the Leibstandarte in November 1943 as a SS-Oberscharführer and Reserve Officer Candidate. After being promoted to SS-Standartenoberjunker d.R. on 1.2.1944 he was assigned leadership of 1.Zug, 3./SS-Pz.Rgt. 12. He was awarded the Iron Cross First and Second Class after he and his Zug repulsed a British attack on Authie only a 100 meters away from the command post of Pz.Gren.Rgt.25. Numerous British tanks were knocked out, Zug Bogensperger suffered no losses. The combined 3.Kompanie destroyed 27 tanks on this day, and Kp.-Chef. SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf v. Ribbentrop was awarded the German Cross in Gold. Bogensperger fell on the 7th of August 1944 when his tank was knocked out while leading his men during the attack on Grimbosq. He died of his wounds, four months past his 20th birthday.

SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Mohnke confers with his officers sometime after being awarded the Knight's Cross on 11. July.

Photo courtesy Marc Rikmenspoel - Soldiers of the Waffen SS

Hans Siegel and the Panzertruppen of II./SS-Pz.Rgt 12 did not see combat in Wacht am Rein. Instead they where sent to the training grounds in Fallingbostel for refitting. This photo is from a well known grouping of Siegel and II. Abteilung shortly before departure to the front.

Another photo of Siegel and II. Abteilung at Fallingbostel. This photo, previously unpublished, depicts Siegel with II Abteilung's Kompanie Chef and Abteilung Stab. Holder of the German Cross in Gold, SS-Obersturmführer Helmut Gaede (1.Kompanie) and SS-Obersturmführer Albert Gasch (7.Kompanie) are present, though it is unknown whom. Any help IDing the officers in this photo would be appreciated.