The 36th Birthday Celebration of Fritz Witt: A Brief Respite Before Normandy

SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Fritz Witt (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") received a miniature of Sd.Kfz.232 as a gift from the division staffs on his 36th birthday, which was celebrated in Tillierès-sur-Avre, France, on 27 May 1944. The smiling tall officer behind him is SS-Sturmbannführer Heinrich "Hein" Springer (Ritterkreuzträger und Divisionsadjudant der 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"), while at far left behind Springer is most likely SS-Obersturmführer Heinz Ritzert (Chef 15.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25). Less than a month after this photo was taken - specifically on 14 June 1944 - Divisionskommandeur Witt was killed when his command post in Venoix, Caen, was hit by artillery shells fired from a Royal Navy warship. This picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Wilfried Woscidlo.

On 27 May 1944, SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Fritz Witt (27 May 1908 – 14 June 1944), commander of the 12th SS Panzer Division “Hitlerjugend,” celebrated his 36th birthday. Just ten days before the Allied D-Day landings and only eighteen days before his own death, the event took place in the quiet Norman countryside at Tillierès-sur-Avre (in the Eure department, south of Rouen, then part of the broader Normandy preparation zone). It offered a rare moment of camaraderie and celebration among the division’s battle-hardened officers.

Fritz Witt was a veteran of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) and one of the original members of the SS-Stabswache Berlin. He had distinguished himself on the Eastern Front, earning the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub for leadership in Greece and Ukraine. In summer 1943, he was selected to form and command the new 12th SS Panzer Division “Hitlerjugend” — a unit built around experienced LSSAH veterans and enthusiastic but mostly teenage recruits born in 1926. Based initially in Beverloo, Belgium, the division moved to France in spring 1944 for intensive training. Witt emphasized realistic combat drills and live-fire exercises, forging strong morale and trust between the young soldiers and their seasoned leaders.

By April 1944, Witt had been promoted to SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS. On 2 June 1944 — just days after his birthday — he declared the division combat-ready. The 12th SS was positioned to counter any Allied invasion, with its headquarters and key units quartered around Tillierès-sur-Avre, including a chateau that served as Witt’s personal quarters.

The Birthday Celebration

The party was organized by Witt’s staff officers as a gesture of respect and affection for their commander. It combined formal military tradition with the informal bonds typical of the Waffen-SS elite units. SS-Kriegsberichter (war correspondent) Wilfried Woscidlo from the Propaganda Company photographed the event, preserving color images that later became iconic records of the division’s pre-battle life.

The highlight was a ceremonial gift from the division’s reconnaissance battalion (SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12), commanded by SS-Sturmbannführer Gerhard “Gerd” Bremer: a detailed scale model of an eight-wheeled armored scout car (Sd.Kfz. 232). Witt received it with evident pleasure, a symbolic tribute from the unit that would soon scout ahead in the coming battles. Standing beside him in several photos was his adjutant, SS-Sturmbannführer Heinrich “Hein” Springer.

After the presentation, the officers gathered for a formal group photograph in front of the chateau or nearby grounds. The image captures a mix of pride, camaraderie, and the gravity of their situation — many wearing the black Panzer uniforms or field-gray service dress, some with Ritterkreuz and other decorations earned in earlier campaigns.

Officers present in the group photo (as identified in Axis History Forum):

Front row (left to right):
- Unknown  
- Unknown  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Horst Schürer (Ordonanz-Offizier)  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Heinrich “Hein” Springer (Divisionsadjutant)  
- SS-Standartenführer Kurt “Panzermeyer” Meyer (Commander, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25)  
- SS-Brigadeführer Fritz Witt (Divisional Commander)  
- SS-Obersturmbannführer Wilhelm Mohnke (Commander, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26)  
- SS-Obersturmbannführer Fritz Schroeder (Commander, SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 12)  
- SS-Hauptsturmführer Siegfried Rothemund (IIa, General Staff Officer)  

Second row: 
- SS-Hauptsturmführer Gerd von Reitzenstein  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Artur Manthey  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Pandel  
- SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Commander, SS-Panzer-Regiment 12)  
- SS-Hauptsturmführer Hubert Meyer (Ia, Operations Officer)  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Buchsein  
- SS-Hauptsturmführer Albert “Papa” Schuch  

Third row: 
- SS-Sturmbannführer Hermann Weiser  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Bernhard Krause  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Gerhard Bremer (Reconnaissance Battalion)  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Siegfried Müller  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Bernhard Siebken  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Jakob Hanreich  
- SS-Obersturmführer Heinz Ritzert  

Fourth row:
- SS-Hauptsturmführer Georg Urabl  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Dr. Wilhelm Kos  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Waldmüller  
- SS-Sturmbannführer Rolf Kolitz  

Many of these men were LSSAH veterans who had transferred to the “child division” to mentor the young soldiers. Kurt Meyer, Max Wünsche, and Wilhelm Mohnke — all future notable figures — stood prominently beside Witt.

The birthday gathering was one of the last peaceful moments for the division. On 6 June 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy. The 12th SS “Hitlerjugend” was rushed into action north of Caen, fighting with ferocious determination against British and Canadian forces at locations like Carpiquet Aerodrome. Witt personally directed operations from forward command posts.

On 14 June 1944, a Royal Navy naval barrage (including fire from HMS Rodney) struck the divisional command post at Venoix near Caen. A large shell fragment hit Witt in the head, killing him instantly at age 36. He was initially buried near the chateau at Tillierès-sur-Avre — the same place where he had celebrated his birthday less than three weeks earlier — before being reinterred at the German war cemetery in Champigny-Saint-André. Kurt Meyer succeeded him as divisional commander.

The young soldiers of the Hitlerjugend openly grieved their commander, whom they respected as a fatherly yet demanding leader. Witt’s death symbolized the heavy price paid by the division in the brutal Normandy campaign.

SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Fritz Witt (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") was photographed on his 36th (and last) birthday on 27 May 1944, by SS-Kriegsberichter Wilfried Woscidlo in Tillierès-sur-Avre, France. The photo above is one of four original color photos given to Herbert Walther (a former SS war correspondent who served in the Leibstandarte and Hitlerjugend) by the son of the late Fritz Witt, Peter, to be included in his book: "Die 12. SS-Panzerdivision HJ."

SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Fritz Witt (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") was photographed on his 36th (and last) birthday on 27 May 1944, by SS-Kriegsberichter Wilfried Woscidlo in Tillierès-sur-Avre, France. The pile of gifts and congratulations from the Hitlerjugend units flowing in to him shows how much Witt was loved by his men. The photo above is one of four original color photos given to Herbert Walther (a former SS war correspondent who served in the Leibstandarte and Hitlerjugend) by the son of the late Fritz Witt, Peter, to be included in his book: "Die 12. SS-Panzerdivision HJ."

SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Fritz Witt (Kommandeur 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") and SS-Sturmbannführer Hubert Meyer (Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") on Witt's 36th birthday celebrated in Tillierès-sur-Avre, France, on 27 May 1944. The German Shepherd in front of them is Bulli, Witt's pet, who would later be given to SS-Hauptsturmführer Albert Schuch (Commander of the Staff Headquarters of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend") after the Division Commander was killed on 14 June 1944.

This photo was taken during the 36th birthday celebration of SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Fritz Witt (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") which was held in Tillierès-sur-Avre, France, on 27 May 1944. Among the officers of the division present were, from left to right: SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25), SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12), and SS-Sturmbannführer Bernhard Siebken (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26). Meyer received the Eichenlaub for his Ritterkreuz in the Third Battle of Kharkov (1943), the same battle where Wünsche received his Ritterkreuz. Both later received higher-level medals in Normandy in 1944: Meyer was awarded the Schwerter, while Wünsche received the Eichenlaub. Both were also captured by the Allies on the same Normandy battlefield, just a week apart! Regarding Siebken himself, he escaped the fate that befell Meyer and Wünsche by successfully breaking out of the Allied encirclement in the Argentan-Falaise Pocket. After the battle in Normandy, he was entrusted with the command of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler," and in that capacity, he received the Ritterkreuz medal. Like Meyer, after the war Siebken was charged with war crimes in the Allied Military Tribunal. They were both sentenced to death. The difference is that Meyer managed to escape his sentence (which was reduced after an appeal) and was released from prison a few years later, while Siebken's execution was carried out and he was hanged on January 20, 1949. For decades afterward, controversy continued to arise regarding whether the punishment was "deserved" for Siebken.

From left to right: SS-Standartenführer Dr.med. Hermann Besuden (Korpsarzt I. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Obersturmbannführer Wilhelm Mohnke (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26), SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12), SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25), and SS-Sturmbannführer Gerhard "Gerd" Bremer (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12). Poor German shepherd, he's the only one without a medal, so his tail even grew on his head! lol actually those are two German Shepherds that happened to be caught on camera in a close position. One is Patra (Divisionskommandeur Fritz Witt's dog), while the other is Kurt Meyer's dog. This photo was taken at Witt's 36th birthday celebration in Tillierès-sur-Avre, France, on May 27, 1944.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2016/08/foto-fritz-witt.html

Ritterkreuz Award Ceremony for Erich Olboeter

Three officers from the 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" pose together in Normandy on 28 July 1944. From left to right: SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter (Kommandeur III.[gepanzerte]Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26), SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"), and SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Mohnke (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26). This photo was taken during the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Olboeter. Interestingly, all three are wearing clothing made from Italian camouflage fabric: Telo Mimetico M29 (only Olboeter's pants have two large pockets in the front). Meyer also wrapped his binoculars in thick burlap!

Erich Olboeter, a Sturmbannführer in the Waffen-SS and commander of the III Battalion of the 26th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment within the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosses) during a ceremony held in Normandy on 28 July 1944. This prestigious award, one of Nazi Germany's highest military decorations for bravery and leadership, was bestowed upon him in recognition of his decisive actions in the fierce defensive battles against Allied forces following the D-Day invasion. The presentation took place amid the ongoing Battle of Normandy, where Olboeter's unit had been instrumental in blunting Canadian and British offensives around Caen. Accompanying him at the ceremony were notable division officers including Kurt Meyer and Wilhelm Mohnke, highlighting the camaraderie and command structure within the elite formation.

Born on 26 June 1917 in Eberswalde near Berlin, Olboeter joined the Nazi Party in 1933 and enlisted in the SS in 1934. He underwent officer training at the SS-Junkerschule in Braunschweig and was commissioned as an Untersturmführer in the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in 1938. His early combat experience included the Western Campaign in 1940, where he earned the Iron Cross Second Class and the Infantry Assault Badge while serving as a platoon leader in the 13th Panzerjäger Company. During Operation Barbarossa in 1941, he commanded companies in the Leibstandarte, receiving the Iron Cross First Class and sustaining wounds that led to multiple Wound Badges. By 1943, as a Hauptsturmführer, he was awarded the German Cross in Gold for his role in the recapture of Kharkov, demonstrating repeated acts of outstanding bravery as a company commander.

In mid-1943, Olboeter transferred to the newly established 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, initially leading the division's Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion before assuming command of the armoured III Battalion in the 26th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment in February 1944. This division, composed largely of young Hitler Youth recruits with veteran officers from the Leibstandarte, was deployed to Normandy in June 1944 as part of the I SS Panzer Corps. Olboeter's battalion, equipped with SPW half-tracks, was thrust into immediate action upon arrival, tasked with countering the rapid Allied buildup and securing key positions south of the Caen-Bayeux road.

The actions that formed the basis for Olboeter's Knight's Cross began immediately after the Allied landings. On the night of 6-7 June 1944, his battalion was deployed to the village of Brouay to protect the division's advance route. Facing repeated armoured assaults from Canadian forces, Olboeter's men repelled every attack through determined resistance, holding the village and allowing the establishment of a defensive front on the division's left wing. On 25 June, when overwhelming enemy forces broke into Fontenay-le-Pesnel east of Tilly-sur-Seulles, Olboeter rallied his scant reserves on his own initiative and personally led a counterthrust that cleared the penetration, preventing a major breakthrough. The next day, as two strong enemy armoured wedges threatened to collapse the regiment's flank, he maintained his position at Fontenay until the unit could withdraw safely to new lines south of Bretteville, earning praise from divisional commander Kurt Meyer as the cornerstone of the division in a radio dispatch.

The award ceremony on 28 July 1944 occurred as the 12th SS Panzer Division continued its grueling defensive operations in the Normandy bocage, shortly after intense engagements during Allied operations aimed at capturing Caen. A surviving photograph from the event depicts Olboeter, Meyer, and Mohnke standing together, all clad in Italian Telo Mimetico camouflage uniforms adapted for field use, underscoring the practical and improvised nature of operations in the hedgerow country. The presentation of the Knight's Cross, officially dated 27 July but formally conferred the following day with a preliminary certificate issued on 2 August, served as a morale boost for the beleaguered troops, who by then had suffered heavy losses but maintained fierce resistance against superior Allied numbers and air superiority.

Despite the honor, Olboeter's service was cut short in the subsequent weeks as the German forces in Normandy faced encirclement in the Falaise Pocket. He continued leading his battalion during the withdrawal but was severely wounded on 2 September 1944 near Hirson in northern France when his vehicle detonated a landmine laid by French Resistance fighters. The explosion resulted in the loss of both his legs, and he died from his injuries that same day in a military hospital at Charleville-Mézières. His death at the age of 27 deprived the Waffen-SS of a proven combat leader whose career exemplified the blend of ideological commitment and tactical prowess characteristic of the organization's officer corps.

Olboeter's Knight's Cross citation emphasized his long record of bold leadership across multiple campaigns, from the Eastern Front to Normandy, where his personal courage and initiative repeatedly prevented disaster for his division. His legacy within the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend is preserved in historical accounts and photographs, serving as a testament to the intense combat conditions of the Western Front in 1944.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter (Kommandeur III.[gepanzerte]Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"), which were held in Normandy on 28 July 1944. From left to right: unknown, Erich Olboeter (back to the camera), SS-Hauptsturmführer Hermann "Bibl" Weiser (Adjutant I. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Sturmbannführer Hubert Meyer (Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"), SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"), SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS-Panzerkorps), and SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"). Dietrich and Meyer both wore camouflage uniforms with special insignia on the sleeves, corresponding to their respective ranks. Dietrich kept his insignia, even after being promoted to SS-Oberstgruppenführer a few days later. The insignia was later given to one of his comrades, and eventually ended up as part of the collection of the author Markus Lippl.

SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") congratulates SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter (Kommandeur III.[gepanzerte]Bataillon / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26) for his newly awarded Ritterkreuz. In the background stands SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Mohnke (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26).



Two "Meyers" are looking at a map together, from left to right: SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") and SS-Sturmbannführer Hubert Meyer (Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"). This photo was taken during the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter which were held in Normandy on 28 July 1944.

SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS Panzerkorps) visited the headquarters of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" in Normandy during the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter, 28 July 1944. SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (right, Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") and SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Mohnke (2nd from left, Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26), who were former subordinates of Dietrich in the SS Division Leibstandarte, were seen conversing with him.

SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (left, Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") shaking hands with his superior, SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS Panzerkorps), before Dietrich and his entourage leaving the place.

SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") in a photo taken in Normandy on 28 July 1944, after the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Olboeter, which was personally attended by SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS-Panzerkorps). In this photo, "Panzermeyer" is wearing the Italian camouflage "Telo Mimetico M29." The Telo Mimetico pattern deserves attention for two reasons: first, because it was introduced in 1929, it is recorded in history as the first camouflage widely used. Second, due to its usage period from 1929 to 1992, it became the longest-operational camouflage pattern! The use of Telo Mimetico by the Third Reich soldiers coincided with the disarmament of the Italian army in 1943. Members of SS Division Leibstandarte and future members of SS Division Hitlerjugend also participated in this disarmament process, and therefore it is not surprising that many members of these two SS tank divisions were "found" wearing Telo Mimetico, both the first version and the subsequent versions.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/08/foto-kurt-panzermeyer-meyer.html
Olboeter, Erich Fritz Hermann. Biographical Entry. Traces of War.  
Military Wiki. Erich Olboeter.  
Reynolds, Michael. Steel Inferno: I SS Panzer Corps in Normandy. New York: Dell Publishing, 1995.  
The Modelling News. Alpine Miniatures two new figures. July 7, 2020.  
Axis History Forum. Discussions on SS officers and the 12th SS Panzer Division in Normandy.

Max Wünsche and Kurt Meyer in Kharkov

SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") and SS-Obersturmbannführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") at Alekseyevka village, Pervomaysky district, Kharkov, March 1943.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/09/album-foto-pertempuran-kharkov.html

Max Wünsche, Fritz Witt and Kurt Meyer

The last situation briefing at the command post of the 12. SS-Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" in Caen-Venoix on June 13-14, 1944. From left to right: SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12), SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Fritz Witt (Kommandeur 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") and SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25). It can be said that this is the last photo of Divisionskommandeur Witt, because on June 14, 1944, he was killed instantly by shrapnel from a cannon fired by British ships off the coast of Normandy. As his replacement, SS-Standartenführer Meyer was appointed. At the age of 33, Meyer was recorded as the youngest division commander in the entire Wehrmacht!

Source :
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?yearfrom=&yearto=&query=kurt+meyer&page=2

Goebbels' Children with Soldiers of Leibstandarte

Reichsminister Dr. Joseph Goebbels' children with their mother at home with Waffen-SS soldiers who took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov, spring 1943. In the center is Magda Goebbels. Holding a child with him is SS-Obersturmbannführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 LSSAH). Third from left with the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold visible is SS-Scharführer Hans Sieronski (1.Kompanie / SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 LSSAH).

Reichsminister Dr. Joseph Goebbels' children with their mother at home with Waffen-SS soldiers who took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov, spring 1943. In the center is Magda Goebbels. Holding a child with him is SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 LSSAH).

Source :
https://www.tumblr.com/hchildren/679991535369076736/helga-hilde-helmut-holde-hedda-and-heide

Eichenlaub Award Ceremony for Max Wünsche

The proud expression on the face of the SS panzer regiment commander Max Wünsche was clearly visible as he received the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #548 for his extraordinary dedication in battle, especially since it was pinned on him by the top SS leaders, with the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler in attendance. From left to right: SS-Oberführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"), SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"), SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Kommandierender General I. SS-Panzerkorps), Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, and another "Meyer", SS-Sturmbannführer Hubert Meyer (Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"). The photo was taken on August 11, 1944.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/08/foto-kurt-panzermeyer-meyer.html

Max Wünsche and Rudolf von Ribbentrop at Rots after the Failed HJ Offensive

SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf von Ribbentrop (Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") is in the sidecar of a BMW R75 while driving the motorcycle is SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") who are going back to the regiment headquarters. In the background are the Panzergrenadiers from III. Zug of 15.Kompanie / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25. Far right is SS-Oberschütze Klaus Schuh, while fourth from right is SS-Sturmmann Otto Funk. This picture was taken by SS-Kriegsberichter Siegfried Woscidlo after both men visited the members of Ribbentrop's company and also soldiers from III.Zug / 15.Kompanie / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 in Rots who just survived the failed attack against the Canadian 2nd Armored Brigade at Norrey-en-Bessin, Normandy, 9 June 1944. the 3rd Company was ambushed by the British army on the way to attack, damaging 7 tanks. Note that Ribbentrop and Wünsche were both wounded. Wünsche received his wound on that day, 9 June, while Ribbentrop since 4 June 1944, two days before D-Day, which made him could not take part in the joint attack carried out by his company.

At the end of the morning of 9 June 1944, an attack was planned to seize the Norrey village (tu dois surement connaitre,camarade normand!) as a starting point for a future offensive of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" up North. The attack was made by the 3rd Panzer-Kompanie of the HJ (strength 12 Panthers), temporarily commanded by Heer officer Hauptmann Lüdemann (who replaced SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf von Ribbentrop, son of the Foreign Affairs Minister, who was wounded and in a hospital). III.Zug of the 15.Kompanie / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 was going to provide the accompanying infantry. At around 09:00 hours the 3./SS-Pz.Rgt.12 rumbled through Rots towards la Villeneuve on the Caen-Bayeux highway. The attack was to be in conjunction with infantry attack from the I Battalion of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 south of the village.

Just after noon, Twelve Panthers fanned out in a single line at a right angle to the rail embankment. Approaching the village the company swung left keeping in a solid line with their fronts towards the village in anticipation of confronting the Canadian anti-tank guns. However, nine Sherman tanks from the Canadian 1st Hussars including several "Fireflys" equipped with 17 pdrs, were moving towards the front to reinforce the Reginas' position in Norrey. The majority of the Sherman tanks were navigating through the village, but one Firefly, commanded by Lt G. K. Henry, had worked his way around the village to the front where he spotted the advancing Panthers. Catastrophically for the 3rd Panzerkompanie, their swing to the left, though protecting them from the 6-pounders in Norrey, exposed their flanks to Lt Henry at not more than 1000 metres distance. The Canadian tank opened fire hitting the tank nearest the rail-line first. Incredibly Lt Henry fired five shots and knocked out five Panthers. A sixth was accounted for by another “C” squadron tank. The crews from the burning Panthers along with their supporting infantry retreated back to an underpass where Canadian artillery began to pound the area inflicting even more casualties. In all, they all fell in an ambush by 6 Sherman Tanks and 2 or 4 well-camouflaged 6 pounds canadians antitanks guns, also infantry with PIATs.

The attack of the I Battalion, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 never materialized leaving the assault a complete failure.

7 Panthers were destroyed on the spot. 3rd Panzer-Kompanie lost 16 dead, 17 severely wounded and one prisoner (SS tankist Werner Uhr who lost a leg). The infantry platoon fell under artillery fire. Tanks and infantry retreated to the village of La Villeneuve where the wounded were regrouped in a bar. The wounded tankists were burning alive, their skins hanging down from flesh and bones, some enclosed in a strange silence while others screaming histerically. In the bar, some mechanics of the Panzer-Regiment 12 rubbed them with motor oil (it's a wonderful balsam for burns!). The older ones learned this front recipe in the Eastern Front.

It seems that most of the Panthers, despite their heavy armour, exploded easily (under the relatively ''small'' calibers of Sherman and antitank guns- wich normally bounced on the Panther armour) because their gas-tank was half full, wich accumulated gas steam.

Leopold Heindl, an Austrian, was the radioman of Panther 315. They get hit in the tracks and comeback with their tank on half wheels.

Not far from there, SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") and SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf von Ribbentrop (Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") - wounded with a broken arm and who had just escaped from the hospital to comeback to his company - had observed the situation. Both were nearly in tears.

After visiting the wounded men in the bar, Wünsche and von Ribbentrop, on a side-car BMW R75 bike, visited the survivors of the 3rd platoon of 15.Kompanie / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25, who are now resting in a small road. This is where the pictures was taken, during a reportage of SS-Kriegsberichter Friedrich Zschäckel and Wilfried Woscidlo.

Note: After the failed attack, Hauptmann Lüdemann suffered a nervous break down. He was killed in action 5 days later and von Ribbentrop regained command of the 3rd Panzer-Kompanie.

SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") on a visit to members of III.Zug from 15.Kompanie / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" who just survived the failed attack against the Canadian 2nd Armored Brigade at Norrey-en-Bessin, Normandy, on 9 June 1944. From left to right: SS-Unterscharführer Peter Koslowski, unknown, Wünsche (back to the camera with a bandage on his head), SS-Oberschütze Klaus Schuh, SS-Sturmmann Otto Funk (at the far back), SS-Hauptscharführer Wilhelm Boigk, and SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf von Ribbentrop (half-visible, Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend"). Wünsche got injured in the head in the same day this pic was taken. When he was watching the Panthers from the 1st and 4th companies under his command in Villeneuve de Rot who had just returned from the attack on Bretteville, suddenly a mortar shells hits the front of one of the Panthers. One of the fragment from the explosion injured Wünsche in the head and even rendered him unconscious. Another officer on the scene, SS-Obersturmführer Jürgen Chemnitz (1. Kompanie), was hit from head to toe by the same shrapnel, while SS-Untersturmführer Nehrlich from the Stab of SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 was seriously injured and died on the way to the hospital. Wünsche's injury was light, so he had only his wounds dressed and he never left the Regiment. Photo by SS-Kriegsberichter Wilfried Woscidlo.

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/10/foto-12-ss-panzer-division-hitlerjugend.html
https://www.facebook.com/worldwarincolor/photos/ss-obersturmbannf%C3%BChrer-max-w%C3%BCnsche-with-the-bandaged-head-rgt-komm-of-ss-pzrgt-1/823898601073267/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43033214@N07/5341240983/
https://twitter.com/WWIIpix/status/1137657059804176385/photo/1
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/68385806

SS Hitlerjugend at Mailly-le-Camp

This picture was taken in December 1943 at the Mailly-le-Camp training grounds, France, and it shows Panzer officers from SS-Panzer-Regiment 12, part of the newly raised 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend", who were singing in formation. The complete regiment was present for this ceremony. SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf von Ribbentrop (Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Abteilung) is first from the left, followed by SS-Obersturmführer Helmut Schlauss (Nachrichtenoffizier SS-Panzer Regiment 12), SS-Untersturmführer Jürgen Chemnitz (Zugführer I.Zug / 1.Kompanie / I.Abteilung), two unknown SS-Untersturmführer, and SS-Hauptscharführer Robert Maier (Chef Werkstattkompanie / I.Abteilung). In early May 1944, the division was transferred to the Normandy area to further intensify maneuvers.

SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") and SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Von Ribbentrop (Chef 3.Kompanie / I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") at the Mailly-le-Camp training grounds, France, December 1943.

Source :
https://clio-historia.livejournal.com/868574.html?noscroll&utm_medium=endless_scroll
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=132567
https://reibert.info/threads/12-a-tankova-divizija-ss-gitlerjugend-12-ss-panzer-division-hitlerjugend.21323/page-11
https://www.themilitarymark.com/wii-waffen-ss/blog-post-title-four-33x6m-lfjh9-97wws-pe6x3-np5z4-56b88-zh4aj-46h6z-l25c5-s76k3-p89lt-nfdd3
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/68385806

Leibstandarte and Totenkopf Officers in Kharkov

SS-Hauptsturmführer Erwin Meierdrees (left, Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf") and SS-Obersturmbannführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") consult a map during the attack of SS-Panzerkorps on the city of Kharkov, when Totenkopf and Leibstandarte officers met in the village of Peresechnaya near Kharkov on 3 March 1943. That day, Meyer's Kampfgruppe, which included Max Wünsche's I./SS-Panzer Reg.1, linked up with elements of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf", including Meierdress' I./SS-Panzer Reg.3. A lot of photos were taken that day, as Meierdress posed with the "celebrities" from Leibstandarte: Meyer, Wünsche, and Fritz Witt in particular. "Panzermeyer" had just in the past few days returned from Hitler's HQ, where he had received the Eichenlaub that he is wearing in this picture, which were awarded on February 23, 1943. Also in this picture, both Meierdrees and Meyer wore one-piece panzerkombi for tank troops.

SS-Hauptsturmführer Erwin Meierdrees (left, Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf") and SS-Obersturmbannführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") consult a map during the attack of SS-Panzerkorps on the city of Kharkov, when Totenkopf and Leibstandarte officers met in the village of Peresechnaya near Kharkov on 3 March 1943. In this picture, both Meierdrees and Meyer wore one-piece panzerkombi for tank troops.

From left to right: SS-Obersturmbannführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"), SS-Standartenführer Dr.med. Hermann Besuden (IVb Divisionsarzt SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"), SS-Hauptsturmführer Erwin Meierdrees (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), and SS-Standartenführer Fritz Witt (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"). The picture was taken during the attack of SS-Panzerkorps on the city of Kharkov, when Totenkopf and Leibstandarte officers met in the village of Peresechnaya near Kharkov on 3 March 1943.



From left to right: SS-Obersturmbannführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"), SS-Hauptsturmführer Erwin Meierdrees (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), SS-Standartenführer Dr.med. Hermann Besuden (IVb Divisionsarzt SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"), SS-Standartenführer Fritz Witt (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"), and SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"). The picture was taken during the attack of SS-Panzerkorps on the city of Kharkov, when Totenkopf and Leibstandarte officers met in the village of Peresechnaya near Kharkov on 3 March 1943.

Officers of Totenkopf and Leibstandarte in front of a Panzerkampfwagen III belong to Totenkopf. From left to right: SS-Standartenführer Dr.med. Hermann Besuden (IVb Divisionsarzt SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"), SS-Hauptsturmführer Erwin Meierdrees (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), SS-Standartenführer Fritz Witt (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"), SS-Obersturmbannführer Kurt Meyer (Kommandeur SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"), and SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche (blocked by Meyer, Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"). The picture was taken during the attack of SS-Panzerkorps on the city of Kharkov, when Totenkopf and Leibstandarte officers met in the village of Peresechnaya near Kharkov on 3 March 1943.

Source :
https://albumwar2.com/ss-hauptsturmfuhrer-erwin-meierdress-and-ss-obersturmbannfuhrer-kurt-meyer-look-at-the-map-of-the-fighting/
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/08/foto-kurt-panzermeyer-meyer.html
http://charkow-43.ucoz.ru/photo/personalii/erwin_meierdress/fotografija_1/70-0-1681
https://waralbum.ru/67838/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/photos-and-paper-items-forum/492762-nice-panzer-meyer-photo/page2#post4514704

Jochen Peiper at Berghof 1940

SS-Hauptsturmführer Joachim "Jochen" Peiper shown at Hitler’s Berghof alpine headquarters along with his boss Heinrich Himmler for a visit on 29 July 1940 after the German conquest of France. Photo by Walter Frentz.

 

Two of Himmler's staff at Berghof Obersalzberg, 29 July 1940. From left to right: SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Karl Wolff (Chef des Hauptamtes Persönlicher Stab Reichsführer-SS) and SS-Hauptsturmführer Joachim "Jochen" Peiper (Adjutant und Begleitoffizier von Reichsführer-SS). The picture was taken by Walter Frentz.

From left to right: SS-Hauptsturmführer Max Wünsche (Ordonnanz-Offizier in Begleitkommando des Führers) and SS-Hauptsturmführer Joachim "Jochen" Peiper (Adjutant und Begleitoffizier von Reichsführer-SS). They are posing for Hitler's photographer, Walter Frentz, at the Berghof Obersalzberg in 29 July 1940.

 

Three SS adjutants at the terrace of Berghof Obersalzberg, 29 July 1940. From left to right: SS-Obersturmführer Hans Pfeiffer (Ordonnanz-Offizier in Begleitkommando des Führers), SS-Hauptsturmführer Joachim "Jochen" Peiper (Adjutant und Begleitoffizier von Reichsführer-SS), and SS-Hauptsturmführer Max Wünsche (Ordonnanz-Offizier in Begleitkommando des Führers). The German leader was already wished to discuss the timing for a vast campaign against Soviet Union. The picture was taken by Walter Frentz.

Source :
"Peiper's War; The Wartime Years of SS Leader Jochen Peiper 1941-44" by Danny S. Parker
https://id.pinterest.com/fanispandagou/generals-and-soldiers-ww2/

Bio of SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche

Max Wünsche (20 April 1914 – 17 April 1995) was a member of the SS of Nazi Germany and a regimental commander in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Max Wünsche was born on 20 April 1914 in Kittlitz. In July 1933 Wünsche joined the SS. In 1935, he graduated from SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz and was promoted to Untersturmführer. Wünsche was then posted to the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) as a platoon leader. In October 1938, Wünsche was assigned as an orderly officer for Hitler. In that role, Wünsche joined the Führerbegleitkommando (the SS bodyguard unit), which provided personal security for Hitler.

In January 1940 he was again posted to the LSSAH, as a platoon commander in a motorcycle company under the command of Kurt Meyer, for the invasion of the Netherlands and the Battle of France. In December 1940 he became an adjutant to Sepp Dietrich during the invasion of the Balkans (Operation Marita) and the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa). In February 1942 Wünsche was given the command of the LSSAH Sturmgeschütz (assault gun) battalion.

In 1942 Wünsche completed the General Staff training course at the Staff College in Germany and was promoted to Sturmbannführer. In September 1942 he was posted to the LSSAH and resumed command of the Sturmgeschütz battalion; in October he assumed command of a battalion in a panzer regiment of LSSAH. His battalion's first action was at Kharkov in 1943. On 25 February 1943 Wünsche's battalion went into action against a defensive position manned by the Soviet 350th Rifle Division. Supported by artillery and a company of SS grenadiers, Wünsche's battalion attacked and overran the Soviet front lines. Wünsche's assault would lead to the destruction of 47 artillery pieces and anti-tank guns. For his actions during the battles for Kharkov, Wünsche was awarded the German Cross in Gold and later the Knight's Cross, both in February 1943.

In June 1943, Wünsche was transferred to a new division forming in France, 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, to take command of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment. On 6 June 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy (Operation Overlord) and the division was committed to action on 7 June. The division was later trapped in the Falaise pocket, where on the night of 20 August, Wünsche escaped on foot. He was wounded and taken prisoner by British soldiers.

Wünsche spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war in camp 165 at Caithness, Scotland, a special camp for high-ranking German officers. In 1948 Wünsche was released and returned to Germany. He died in 1995.

Source :
https://br.pinterest.com/euclidescamargo/camerad/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_W%C3%BCnsche

Max Wünsche and DRK Nurse

SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche and unidentified DRK nurse

Source :
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIG-WWII-WW2-GERMAN-ELITE-PERSONAL-MAX-WUNSCHE-LARGE-PHOTO-KNIGHTS-CROSS-RARE-/164266745822?fbclid=IwAR0ae-dWYqmrUtA1QP0anvJLGJfzMe_t39NMruqBGdmOWVwgoKy4RBtmbcA&nma=true&si=e83QjeQJBulqw2RYR6aR2pyxCzw%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Max Wünsche at Kharkov

SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") in a series of photos taken during the Third Battle of Kharkov in Ukraine, March 3, 1943. In these photos he wore a distinctive Russian fur hat called ushanka, with added Totenkopf and SS Adler pin. He also wore the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, which he received on 28 February 1943.

Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2011/02/album-foto-max-wunsche.html
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152986901863424/

Max Wünsche at Berghof Obersalzberg

Smiling SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche (Kommandeur I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") photographed at Berghof, in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps, Germany, in the spring of 1943. In June that year, Wünsche was transferred to the newly formed 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend", where he became the leader of SS-Panzer Regiment 12.

Source :
http://5sswiking.tumblr.com/post/165561553047/ss-sturmbannf%C3%BChrer-max-w%C3%BCnsche-of-the

Fritz Witt in the Third Battle of Kharkov

Fritz Witt (center) photographed in March 1943 as a commander of SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 1 of the Leibstandarte Division. He holds the rank of SS-Standartenführer, but he has abandoned military etiquette and opted for comfort and warmth, commandeering a loose sheepskin jacket. Witt, the decorated veteran of the war in the Soviet Union who participated in the capture of Kharkov, went on to forge the 12. SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend into a crack fighting unit, and was killed in action leading it during the campaign in Normandy in June 1944. Max Wünsche is right below Witt's hand

Source :
http://5sswiking.tumblr.com/post/143185314092/fritz-witt-center-photographed-in-march-1943-as