Hitler's Baby Division

The idea of creating a Waffen SS armored division composed
exclusively of Hitler youths has been generally credited to Artur Axmann.
Even Himmler seems to have been under this impression for a while. But
Gottlob Berger jealously insisted that it had been his idea. Since he had known
that the SS Operations Office would oppose the notion, he had discussed the
matter with his recruiting personnel and with RJF chief-of-staff Helmut
Möckel, who had been the main defender of the idea from the start.
According to Berger early negotiations were kept secret in order to avoid
premature resistance by Dr. Ernst Schlünder and other youth leaders. The
RJF as a whole apparently revealed little interest until it discovered that
Hitler was enthusiastic about the plan. The idea of mobilizing teenagers in
separate units may have occurred to a number of people, including Berger
and Axmann. Certain army leaders and Göring seem to have entertained such
a project as well. The ambience of “total war,” produced by the monumental
Stalingrad defeat, was fertile ground for such desperate expedients. 4
During a discussion between Berger and Möckel on February 9, 1943, it
was agreed that the division should be formed from seventeen-year-olds.
These were to be prepared in Premilitary Training Camps for six weeks,
spend four additional weeks in the Labor Service and conclude their training
with another sixteen weeks of intensive military drilling under SS auspices.
As a concession to physical immaturity they were to receive special rations
during training. Möckel offered the services of the RJF in securing adequate
reserves without affecting the reinforcement of other SS divisions. Right
from the start it appears that Berger and Axmann competed for the enticing
job of commanding this extraordinary division. In fact Berger offered his
services to Himmler on the day he conferred with Möckel and suggested that
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