Deathcard 12. SS-Panzer-Division « Hitlerjugend » Normandie

[pas50]

Hello, I want to share with you some deathcard of the Hitlerjugend division fallen in Normandy that I have in my collection.


Deathcard of SS-Oberfunker Nikolaus Ebenschwanger who belonged to the Stabskompanie of the II Battalion of SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 25 who was seriously wounded during the fighting on June 7 (possibly when Sturmbannführer Hans Scappini was killed). He died the same day at the aid station of St-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe. (source Volume II of the work of the Maranes editions on the Hitlerjugend division of Stephan Cazenave). He rests in the Cambe cemetery.





Deathcard of the SS Obergrenadier Andreas Seibold who fell on June 7, 1944 in Buron. He belonged to the III Battalion (Kompanie 9/10/11) of the SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment 25. On June 07 the III Battalion launched an attack aimed at recapturing Buron. He faced A/B/C companies of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders in the Authie region and D company in Buron. The infantry is supported for this attack by the 5th and 6th Kompanie of the SS-Panzer Regiment 12. The fighting for the locality is extremely violent until around 7:00 p.m. when the city passes under the control of the IIIrd Battalion. A counter-attack in the night by the North Scotia Highlanders enabled the SS to be pushed back towards Authie, but for lack of sufficient manpower, the Canadians could not maintain their position for the night. Andreas Seibold is now buried in Bazenville Commonwealth War Cemetery. The map comes from the book Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend 1.2 by Stephan Cazenave published by Maranes.

[pas50]

Deathcard of SS grenadier Heinrich Schedlbauer who fell on June 09, 1944 in Normandy. There is no precise indication of the place of his death. Given his date of death, it is almost certain that he belonged to the 12th SS Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend. He now rests in the German military cemetery of La Cambe.





Deathcard of SS-Panzerfunker Rudolf Testor. On June 11, 1944, SS-Unterscharführer Schlehuber's Panther "425" belonging to SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 was hit on the right by a Canadian artillery shell visibly in Rots. The radio, the SS-Schtz. Rudolf Testor, is killed by the shell. The family announcement erroneously indicates that he was killed on the night of June 8 to 9. His brother had been killed a month earlier. He now rests in the Cambe cemetery. I do not have the work of the Maran editions on the SS-Panzer-Regiment 12. If someone has it I would be very interested to know his company and the more precise circumstances of this fight.

[pas50]

Deathcard of Josef Gensberger, grenadier in an anti-tank unit within the 12th SS Hitlerjugend Division and killed on June 11, 1944 during the battle of Mesnil-Patry. He most likely served in the SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 26. Heavy fighting took place that day against the tanks of the Canadian First Hussars Regiment. In volume 2 on the Hitlerjugend division of the Maranes editions, it is reported losses within the anti-tank section 8.(s.)/SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt.26 of the Ustuf Otto Berke.






Deathcard of SS-PanzerPionier Martin Schöllhorn of the SS-Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 12 of the Hitlerjugend Division. It fell between June 14 and 16, 1944 in Normandy, probably in the area south of Mesnil-Patry as indicated on the maps below from volume 2 of the Maranes editions book on the Hitlerjugend division. He now rests in the Cambe cemetery.

[pas50]

Deathcard SS-Panzer-Obergrenadier Johann Huber of the 2nd Kompanie of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 which fell at Cambes on June 16, 1944. He is one of the two soldiers of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Reigment 25 who fell this day as detailed in the book by Maranes editions. In view of the "stains" present on the obituary, the obituary is most certainly the one I had the opportunity to acquire. He now rests in the cemetery of Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux.







Deathcard of the SS-Panzer-Grenadier Ludwig Niederstrasser fallen on June 28, 1944 in Bretteville sur Bordel during Operation EPSOM. This British offensive which aimed to take the city of Caen took place between June 26 and 30 and cost the lives of more than 4,000 British soldiers and 3,000 German soldiers. The grenadier Niederstrasser probably belonged to the IIIrd Battalion of the SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment 26 which occupied an area between the south-west of Haut-du-Bosq and the north of Bretevillette up to Bordel. One can think that it quite likely fell on June 27 since that day the regiment suffered the loss of 36 men of the rank against only 2 the next day. He now rests in the German military cemetery of La Cambe.

[pas50]

Death notice of SS-Panzergrenadier Rupert Ebetshuber who belonged to 16(Pio)/SS.Pz.Gren.Rgt.26 of the 12th SS. Panzerdivision and Hitlerjugend which fell on June 26, 1944 during the first day of Operation EPSOM. His unit was then detached for the benefit of the II Battalion of the SS.Pz.Gren.Rgt.26 and fought at the junction between the II and III Battalions. The losses of the SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt.26 for the day of the 26th are 2(officers)/4(non-commissioned officers)/33(non-commissioned officers), the wounded 4/11/95 and the missing 1/6 /71. His obituary indicates Chateaux Mesnil as the place of death, if someone sees precisely the place to which it corresponds I am obviously interested. He rests today in the Cambe cemetery. The book where the obituary is presented is The Bear and fox, ready for the fray FONTENAY-RAURAY by the late Frederick Jeanne published by Maranes and the map and loss figures are taken from volume 2 of the book. by Stephan Cazenave on the Hitlerjugend division also published by Maranes.






Deathcard of grenadier Rudolf Baumgartner who fell on June 28, 1944. His Volksbund file indicates Combe north of Caen as the place of death. I therefore think that it is the village of Cambes-en-plaine north of Caen which was the place of combat for the 1st Battalion of the SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 25 of the Hitlerjugend division on 06/28/ 1944. This soldier therefore may have belonged to the Kampfgruppe Schümann, whose battles are recounted in volume 2 of the Maranes book on the Hitlerjugend division. He now rests in Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux.

[pas50]

Deathcard of the SS-Schütze Adolf Weber who fell on August 09, 1944 in Rouvres during Operation Totalize. He belonged to the 12th SS Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend. The operation was launched on the night of August 7 to 8, 1944 by the Canadians, the English and the Poles. The objective was to dislodge the Germans who were blocking the Caen-Falaise road. The Canadian effort was on the right flank while the Polish effort was on the left flank. The objectives of this operation will only be partially achieved since the allies will not reach Falaise and will have to launch Operation Tractable to achieve this. However the Germans receive more than 1500 casualties during this battle. The SS-Schütze Adolf Weber rests today in the cemetery of Saint Désir de Lisieux.

[pas50]

Deathcard of Hans Egger, Oberscharführer who fell on 07/08/1944 in Vassy. I thought from my first research that it belonged to the 9th SS-panzer-division Hohenstaufen, nevertheless I have just seen that it appeared in the work of Pierre Tiquet on the Hitlerjugend mentioned above. He was therefore most likely one of the members of the kampfgruppe Olboeter (composed of Panthers from the Hitlerjugend division). There were also members of the SS-Panzerbabteilung-102 in this area but I checked in Heimdal's book where all the tank commanders of this unit are listed and he is not there. On the other hand, if someone has the works of the MARANES editions on the SS-Panzer-Regiment 12, I would like to know if the name is among those of the tank commanders. The Hohenstaufen fought defensive battles east of Vire between August 6 and 12, reinforced by the units mentioned above.

[Willmore]

Hi Pas.

You have a really great collection, thank you for sharing these with us.

I visited La Cambe last year and saw the grave of Michael Wittmann and his tank crew and it struck me how different the German war cemeteries are compared to the Allied cemeteries.

Kind regards,

Will.

[pas50]

Sterbebild of Georg Schwendner of the 12th SS Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend fell on June 07, 1944 in the vicinity of Saint-Germain-la Blanche-Herbe during the first battles fought by the division against the Canadians in Normandy. Kurt Meyer's PC and an aid station were installed in the Ardennes Abbey. He most likely belonged to the SS-Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 25. He now rests in the Cambe cemetery.

[The great unwashed]

Deathcard of Hans Egger, Oberscharführer who fell on 07/08/1944 in Vassy. I thought from my first research that it belonged to the 9th SS-panzer-division Hohenstaufen, nevertheless I have just seen that it appeared in the work of Pierre Tiquet on the Hitlerjugend mentioned above. He was therefore most likely one of the members of the kampfgruppe Olboeter (composed of Panthers from the Hitlerjugend division). There were also members of the SS-Panzerbabteilung-102 in this area but I checked in Heimdal's book where all the tank commanders of this unit are listed and he is not there. On the other hand, if someone has the works of the MARANES editions on the SS-Panzer-Regiment 12, I would like to know if the name is among those of the tank commanders. The Hohenstaufen fought defensive battles east of Vire between August 6 and 12, reinforced by the units mentioned above.

12TH SS Panzer Division HJ, see page 26 Herbert Walthers book pictorial history Schiffer 1989
Egger is in the cupola !