The 12th SS Panzer Divison

The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend ("Hitler Youth") was a German Waffen-SS armoured division during World War II. The majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from members of the Hitler Youth, while the senior NCOs and officers were from other Waffen-SS divisions.

The division committed several war crimes while en route to and during the early battles in Normandy, including Ascq and Ardenne Abbey massacres. It first saw action on 7 June 1944 as part of the German defense of Caen.

In December 1944, the division was committed against the US Army in the Ardennes offensive. After the offensive's failure, which became known as the Battle of the Bulge, the division was sent east to participate in the defence of Budapest. The 12th SS eventually withdrew into Austria; on 8 May 1945 the division surrendered to the 7th US Army near the town of Enns.

After the war's end, several prominent members of the division, including Kurt Meyer, were put on trial by the Allies and convicted for war crimes.