The steel gauntlet of the 12.SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend, SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 was officially established on 1 June 1944. Veterans transferred from the 1.SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division LAH before and after Operation Zitadelle trained and led the 17 and 18 year old volunteers and draftees. Due to their age, the youths were trained differently than the average soldiers. The training was hard, but focused on practical war craft rather than parade ground drill.