ATS Across the Aller: Northwest Europe 1945

TOLZENAU, GERMANY, 6 April 1945: As the war wound down in its closing days, the supply of rations to German soldiers, even among the elite of the 2nd Marine Division and 12th SS Hitlerjugend remnants, began to break down. Things got so bad that the average landser of these units had to rely on the generosity of the local population for food. Facing these hungry, and likely war-weary German soldiers were well-fed, well-equipped men of the 11th Armoured Division. Despite the dire situation, local Hitler Youth units turned up the last cadre of soldiers, tasked to hold the Weser River Line with local FlaK elements in support. And although the Hitlerjugend teenagers had received less training than their predecessors, they were still fired with the fanaticism that those outside of the world of the Hitler generation could not fathom—and these young boys were well-led by hardened combat veterans. The combination, along with the nickname Panzer-Teufel (“Tank Devils”) the unit hung on itself, would soon surprise the British, unaware that these boys embraced a philosophy, printed in their pamphlets, with concepts including, “killing is a sport” and “killing is your duty.” And the ultimate, “Panzer-Tuefel always shoots first! The man who shoots first lives longer!” In the Stolzenau area the soldiers of the 11th Armoured did not fare well, and received a clear message that the Germans intended to hold the area—via the fierce resistance put up by the teenaged SS Panzergrenadiers of 3, 5, 7 and 10 Kompanies, SS-Ausb.u.Ers.Btl.12.HJ supported by light Flak and 88mm Flak from the RAD battery 5./280.