12. SS in the battle of Rots (Normandy) 11th June 1944

[erictay]

Need expert help about 12. SS-Division "Hitlerjugend".
Can anyone help me with information about the SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 that was involved in the battle of Rots (Normandy) 11th June 1944. My dad belonged to the 46th Royal Marine Commando and I want to put the complete story together about happened on both sides. I have extensive material abut the Commando and Canadian participation that day but lack reports from War diaries etc. about the 12th SS. I've seen the extract concerning this battle in Meyer's book "The 12th SS" but have been told there is much more which exists.
For instance from:

June 11th 1944 in Rots from:
Leutnant Pohl 4. Kompanie/SS-Pz Rgt 12. Lt. Pohl belongs to the Wehrmacht attached to SS HJ.
and
SS-Oberscharführer Hahn. Zugführer H. Zug. 1 Kompanie. SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 26

If anyone can help I would really be obliged.

Have no problem reading German

[Moniroth You-Bell]

Erich Pohl

B:4.9.20 Rohr
Honour Roll:5.2.45 Ostuf. Chef, 4./SS-PzRgt.12
DKiG:30.12.44 Ostuf.Chef, 4./SS-PzRgt.12
Ustuf. 4./SS-Pz.Rgt.12 8.44
Promoted to Heer Leutnant from Gfr after
destroying 14 T-34s on 18.8.41
AU:21.8.41 EKI,II:18.8.41 PABS:24.8.41
WBS:15.8.44 WB:15.8.41
SS: Ostuf:1.9.44 Ustuf:15.8.44
Heer Leutnant:18.8.41

Karl-Friedrich Hahn
B:27.5.20
Oscha. 1./SS-PGR.26 6.44
Strm. LSSAH 2.41
SS:365309 Oscha:

[Ste]

Rots was held by the following forces:

- 1.Kompanie from SS-Panzergrenadier-Rgt 26 (which occupied the city on 9 June)
- One zug from 16./SS-Panzergrenadier-Rgt 26 (pionier Zug)
- 2 Pak from 4./26 (both were later lost that day)
- 4.Panzer-Kompanie
- SS-Divisionsbegleit-Kompanie 12

[Mike Tal]

Commander of 4. Panzer-Kompanie SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Hans Pfeiffer (former personal adjutant to Adolf Hitler for many years and member of LSSAH) was killed in Rots. Some sources indicate shrapnel wounds other sources claim he had his head blown off when his PzKpfw V was hit on the commanders copula by a Sherman. Apparently, Pfeiffer was reversing out of Rots, with his turret turned in the direction of his tank's motion (i.e. towards the rear of the chassis). He did realize that a Sherman appeared behind him, but was unable to turn his turret back to face the Sherman because of the narrow streets in Rots. He attempted to race down the street to a wider place nearby, where he could turn the turret, but BANG and he was gone. It is said he was the only officer and the only tanker who died on the German side in Rots that day.

[Alanmccoubrey]

It must have been common for HJ officers to have their heads blown off since it is claimed that one of the Panzergrenadier Battalion commanders had his blown off against the Canadians on 7th or 8th June.

[Sheldrake]

It must have been common for HJ officers to have their heads blown off since it is claimed that one of the Panzergrenadier Battalion commanders had his blown off against the Canadians on 7th or 8th June.

Stick your head out of an AFV and it is likely to attract a bullet. 4/7 DG lost a lot of troop commanders on D Day from this cause.

German commanders were expected to lead from the front when necessary. Schoerner is supposed to have turned down a recommendation for a Knights Cross with a comment that leading from the front with a machine pistol and grenades is just what is expected of a colonel.

There is a suspicion that the Hither Youth took risks that might have worked on the Eastern front but were fatal against an alert well trained enemy.
The 3rd Canadian Division was both . To quote Colonel Clifford CO of 13 RCA "“The Germans thought we were fcuking Russians! They did stupid things and we killed those bastards in large numbers” (cited in the Guns of Bretteville: Marc Milner)

3rd Canadian Division were not just green, but had very few officers or soldiers with prior operational experience. Their performance was very creditable , especially since many of the units had taken part in the initial assault.

[FransN]

"11 June 1944
I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 12:
The Kompanien were in securing positions. Around 14:00 12 enemy armoured fighting vehicles attacked Reitzenstein's unit (i.e. 5. (schwere) Kompanie of SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12) with mounted infantry. The 1. Kompanie took over the securing tasks.
At 14:30 hours the 3. Kompanie was hit by heavy tank and artillery fire. The Caen-Fontenay (-le-Pesnel) road was battered by smoke and high explosive shells. Both the 1. and 2. Kompanien kocked out one Sherman each, the Pionier Zug destroyed two anti-tank guns, and rendered one Sherman immobile. Untersturmführer Fritz Fiala was wounded on his right forearm.
The 4. Kompanie repulsed a reconnaissance unit of 12 soldiers. A British vehicle was taken into safety and the British (it is more likely that these soldiers were English-speaking Canadians) were shot down because they attempted resistance. The Ordonnanz Offizier immediately tool the documents to the division. The 4. Kompanie knocked out 16 Shermans during the attack against Rots. Hauptsturmführer Hans Pfeiffer (Kompanie Chef of 4./SS-Pz. Rgt. 12) was killed during the attack. Heavy artillery activity occurred during the whole day. Losses due to shell fragments (wounded soldiers).

War diary Appendix no. 5.
12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend" O.U. 15.06.1944
4. (Kompanie)/SS-Panzer-Regiment 12

Prevention of enemy attack against Rots and Le Bourg on 11.06.1944.

Situation:
Heavy enemy pressure towards Rots and Le Bourg. The reconnaissance sweeps of the enemy towards Rots and Le Bourg were repulsed on 10.06.10.

Task:
Secure the Rots-Le Bourg line together with the Grenadiers, that is, on the left flank at Le Bourg with 5 tanks of the Kompanie, and on the right flank on the western side of Rots with 2 tanks; securing in the south-western, western and north-western direction.

to be continued...
Frans

[FransN]

Continuation

Course of battle:
On 11.06 constant heavy artillery fire on the securing positions of the Kompanie until the evening. 15-45 enemy tanks were observed from Rots moving northwards on the Bretteville road. 16 enemy armoured fighting vehicles provided constant security towards Le Bourg on the northern outskirts of Bretteville (l'Orgueilleuse). Heightened vigilance was ordered to be kept on the right flank. Tank no. 425 was damaged in an enemy artillery fire strike, and the radio operator, Schütze Testor was killed. The observed enemy armoured fighting vehicles were immediately reported to the Kompanie Chef, who then went to the right flank and saw them for himself. The damaged tank was withdrawn from the securing line and was taken to the maintenance unit for repairs.
At 18:30 hors the Kompanie received the following report: "490 from the direction of (Villons-(-les-Buissons)) 71 towards (Rots) 46 enemy tanks. Achtung, Achtung!" (These tanks were presumably vehicles of the Canadian 10th Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse). Squadrons B and C of the battalion-sized regiment were equipped with duplex drive (DD, amphibious) Shermans. Each tank platoon included one Sherman Firefly with increased firepower). Our own force on the threatened flank consisted of three tanks.
The Kompanie Chef and the Zugführer of the III. Zug, Untersturmführer Günther Deutscher, fell back from the left flank at Le Bourg and took over the securing of the northern perimeters of Rots. Around 19:00 hours enemy tanks sweeps began on the Bretteville road towards Le Bourg. Unterscharführer Hanitsch's tank no. 438 knocked out a Churchill from 900 metres away.

To be continued....

[FransN]

Continuation:

Shortly afterwards tank no. 415 of Leutnant Erich Pohl knocked out a Sherman from a distance of 70 metres and another one from 10 metres. The other tanks turned to the west.
Around 19:30 hours repeated attacks followed heavy artillery preparation. In a fierce battle Oberscharführer Heinz Lehmann's tank no. 426 knocked out four of the attacking 12 enemy tanks., hit a further three, upon which the enemy tanks retreated (four Shermans knocked out, two Shermans and one Churchill hit). Panther no. 426 received an order from the Kompanie Chef to relocate to the northern outskirts of Rots, where the damage done by artillery fire (on the running gear, on the tracks and the wheels) could be repaired by the maintenance unit. Around 21:30 hours heavy artillery fire introduced an enemy attack against Rots, and the enemy succeeded in entering the village with infantry and tanks.
Haupsturmführer Hans Pfeiffer decided to carry out a rush forward with three tanks and the Grenadiers. Untersturmführer Deutscher's tank no. 435 entered Rots on the Le Bourg road, reached the church and knocked out three tanks (Shermans) in a streetfight. Panthers no. 405 and 426 also attempted to reach the church from the east, but upon reaching the eastern outskirts of the village, they met enemy tanks, out of which three Shermans were knocked out by the tank of the Kompanie Chef. These burning tanks could not be rounded on the narrow road. The two tanks occupied an ambush position on the outskirts of the village behind the hedges, and with high explosive shells and machine gun fire repulsed the enemy infantry advancing through the village. Untersturmführer Deutscher's tank no. 435 could not be contacted on radio, and as it later turned out, was knocked out. One of the enemy tanks that had broken through was set aflame by a hit from Unterscharführer Schlehuber's tank no. 425. The enemy succeeded in defeating the right flank and forced the remaind of the Kompanie with two tanks to retreat to the Caen-Le Bourg road.
Meanwhile the tank of the Kompanie Chef was hit on its hatch, Hauptsturmführer Hans Pfeiffer was killed.
There was no radio connection anymore with the left flank of the Kompanie, therefore they could not be informed about the current situation, and there was apparent danger that they could be cut off. Leutnant Pohl gathered the remains of the Kompanie, three tanks altogether, and until noon, defended the previous position. After the Grenadiers retreated 1 km, the Kompanie also retreated knocking out four armou[*]red personnel carriers en route."

Source: Pages 51-55 from
Norbert Szamvéber: "Waffen-SS armour in Normandy. The combat history of SS-Panzer Regiment 12 and SS-Panzerjäger Abteilung 12, Normandy 1944, based on their original war diaries", Helion & Company Ltd, Solihull, UK, 2012.

[Mike Tal]

Alanmccoubrey, regarding the heads being blown off quite often. Otto Carius from PzAbt 502 mentioned in his book of memories that German tank commanders very often opted to command their tank peering out of the open commander cupola even in the heat of the battle. According to him, this gave them upper hand over the Russian tankers who "were all zipped up, all hatches closed", as they they had much better field of view and could spot enemy and react faster. However, this was at the expense of being exposed and vulnerable to enemy fire of all kinds. This practice might be the reason why decapitated German tank commanders were not that uncommon. Also, I think one does not need to peek outside of the commanders copula. I think a direct hit on the copula is enough to take ones head off.

As per the other incident you mention, that could have been the case of Unterscharführer Friedrich Eismann from 3. Kompanie/ SS-Panzer-Regiment 12, who not only peered out of the copula, but decided to stand on his commander's seat, leaning half way out and ending up being cut in half by a shell - upper torso gone, bottom part falling down into the tank onto his gunner. Blood, guts and all... This happend on June 9th, 1944 during the failed attack against Norrey-en-Bessin....