In 1943 the 12 SS Hitlerjugend Panzer Division was formed. Mainly from boys born in 1926 who'd been in the Hitlerjugend previously. The division trained in Belgium more specifically in Beverloo. Many NCOs and Officers from the 1 SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH), they were combat veterans with knowledge in successful tactics and training. The training was hard for the teenagers, the LAH NCOs didn't know how to properly train younger soldiers and often pushed them past their limits. However in doing this the 12th SS became one of the hardest units in the German forces.

By April 1944 the unit moved to Normandy in France. While in Normandy Generaloberst Heinz Guderian inspected the division and was very pleased with what he saw. At that point the HJ was declared fully operational and was to await the allied invasion of France.  Come D-Day, on June 6th 1944, the 12th SS HJ was ordered by "Panzer gruppe West"  at 1505 hrs:

To 12th SS Panzer Division: Division to move forward immediately north of the axis Alencon- Carrouges- Flers into the area around Evrecy. The division subordinated initially to the LXXXIV Army Corps.

Assignment: Operating on the left flank of the 21st Panzer Division, throw the enemy west of the Orne into the sea and destroy him.

The next day the 25th SS-Panzergrenadier regiment confronted the Canadians in Caen. The HJ's baptism of fire had now started. During the fighting in Caen many losses were recorded, possibly up to 900+. Further more, the 12th SS became known for murdering of Canadian POWs in the back of the Abbey d'Ardennes. In 1945-46 Kurt Meyer, the Commander of the 25th PzGr Regt. at the time, was trialed by the Canadian Army, sentenced to death, then to a lifetime in prison, and was finally let out for good conduct and later on even helped the Canadian Forces in teaching them tactics and warfare planning. On June 14th the first Commander of the division, Fritz Witt, is declared dead due to a naval bombardment.

Not long after D-Day the division was tasked to go hold a pocket of the Falaise Gap to keep an open escape route for other German units. While at the pocket the unit suffered it's greatest losses up to that time. It was no longer a fully combat capable force due to it's low amount of soldiers. During September the 12th SS was re issued 10 new tanks and sent back to Germany to rebuild it's ranks.

Once it was rebuilt the unit's strength was around 19,700 men, or boys could also be a more appropriate term. The division's main objective was to break through the American lines and to proceed to the Muse River.

By the time January rolled around, the offensive was cancelled and the 12th SS was to be sent to Hungary. In February 1945 the division was involved in very heavy fighting in Budapest and was forced to retreat towards Austria. In the closing weeks of World War II the division made it American lines, and surrendered with only 455 soldiers left. The fanatical fighters of the "Baby division" were now able to put down their arms and, for most, go home to their families. Many of the Officers of the division were found guilty of War crimes and sentenced to death, not all were as lucky as Kurt Meyer who managed to get away, and die in their own homes due to old age.