| Panzerkampfwagen IV Sonderkraftfahrzeug 161 Ausführung H of II Battalion 12th Schultzstaffel (SS) Panzer Regiment Hitlerjugend (“Hitler Youth”) Turmnummer 615 (“turret number 615”) mit Seitenschürzen (“with side skirts”) to protect from flank attack from anti-tank weapons, probably during unit training in Évrecy, France in April 1944. “Paula” is painted above the driver’s window and “Wilma” is painted on both sides of the commander’s cupola. 12th SS Panzer Regiment Hitlerjugend formed the core of the 12th SS Panzer Division, which was formed from the remnants of experienced soldiers from 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) who had survived brutal combat in the Eastern Front. To this Headquarters and Battalion command structure, some 16,000 members of the Hitler Youth, mostly 1617-year-olds, were trained in armored warfare in the Spring of 1944. The Division was held in reserve for hours before entering combat in Normandy on June 7, 1944. Unable to move during daylight hours due to aerial attack, the 12th SS Hitlerjugend Division was effectively destroyed at Normandy, with half of its personnel, 80 percent of its tanks, and 70 percent of its armored vehicles wiped out. The Division was again rebuilt for the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, when it was again destroyed. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0484.jpg |
| Image Size | 164.56 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1202 x 806 |
| Photographer | Bernhard Kurth |
| Photographer Title | Photokompanie 698 |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | April 2, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Évrecy |
| State or Province | Normandy |
| Country | France |
| Archive | Bundesarchiv |
| Record Number | Bild 101I-297-1722-27 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database