Deployment
Deployment
Although young German men joined the war effort with a variety of jobs, most conscripted Hitler Youth initially joined as Flak gunners, or as anti-aircraft fighters. As the war progressed, it became mandatory for Hitler Youth aged 16-18 to learn how to use German infantry weapons. If you've ever watched depictions of Hitler Youth in WWII movies, you've most likely seen them as either operating large flak guns or running around with Panzerfausts (Tank-fists, or anti-tank bazookas).
In 1943, the war stopped advancing in Germany's favor. The Germans were crushed at Stalingrad and their counter-attack was foiled at Kursk. With the Allies about to invade, all able-bodied German males, including the Hitler Youth, were called to fight.
Fearless
Unlike the adults at the front, the Hitler Youth had not yet experienced death and destruction up close. They did have, however, years of Nazism and physical priming behind them- courtesy of the Hitler Youth program. The result was a fearless, rash, and eager contingent of German youth, ready to fight for the Führer as they had so long anticipated.
The initial deployment of Hitler Youth proved to be somewhat combat effective. Flak gunners, which had become entirely operated by Hitler Youth at that point, saw successes in defending supply points; older Hitler Youth infantry could fight nearly as well as an adult soldier; Nazi military staticians calculated that 70 youths could do the work of 100 ordinary soldiers. The real surprise came in the way the German children fought. One ex-Waffen-SS Officer, in an interview, said:
“At first we thought, My God, now they’re taking the children. But then we saw the children fight. I saw them myself… I set my sights on an American tank about to fire when to my horror a German soldier [of the Hitler Youth] waved his bazooka to stop us from firing... and blew hismelf up. He had fired from under the tank."
“Boys who joined the infantry had already done field training. They knew camoflauge and knew how to move. They could even dig foxholes for cover. That’s what they practiced in the Hitler youth.”
Such Hitlerjungend truly knew no fear. They attacked American patrols using guerilla warfare; when trapped in groups they fought until the last boy was killed rather than surrender; they volunteered for incredibly risky sabotage missions.
Demise
When the Allies began nearing Berlin, the German desparation, which had manifested itself in the form of the Volkssturm- the People's Army- called upon German children from the Hitler Youth of all ages to defend the city. 12-year olds comprised entire artillery squads; Americans, many horrified at the sight of boy soldiers (whom they called the "Baby Division"), recall capturing children as young as 7. Girls too began to operate flak guns.
For the Hitler Youth, the defense of Berlin was disastrous. Of the 5,000 sent to protect bridges throughout the city, 4,500 were killed or wounded. Many youths, following the examples of adults, committed suicide rather than face the doom of capture. What might be considered the most disturbing part of their perish is that they had been repeatedly told that the fight at Berlin was the "final fight before victory". The Hitler Youth never knew that Germany had been losing the war for years, and had been led to believe they were dying for something.
Hitler soon committed suicide, and the Hitler Youth, with no Hitler, was no more.