SS STURMBANNFUHRER GERD BREMER. Gerd Bremer was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 October 1941, while commanding the Reconnaissance Battalion of the Leibstandarte. The very mobile nature of the Reconnaissance troops meant that they were often to be found at the very forefront of the fighting and this was certainly the case with Gerd Bremer and his unit. During the early days of the Eastern campaign, Soviet forces were retreating faster than the Germans could advance. Bremer's unit raced after the retreating soviets, and in one single engagement captured over 500 prisoners and a hoard of military equipment. Gerd Bremer's unit stormed on through two soviet defense lines and outflanked a third, penetrating into the enemy town of Mariupol, Russia. This impetuous daredevil attitude was to typify Bremer's style of leadership. His reputation as a fearless daredevil continuing to grow. In 1943 Gerd Bremer was transferred to the newly formed 12 SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend and given command of the division's Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. The reckless bravery of the young Grenadiers of Hitlerjugend is well known and Bremer's style of leadership was ideally suited to these fanatical young men. In the Falaise Pocket, some nineteen German divisions, including the remnants of six SS Panzer Divisions were trapped. There was a narrow exit about 24 miles across through which the survivors were pouring as quickly as they could in the face of the devastating allied air attacks. Hitlerjugend was principally responsible for holding open the northern end of this corridor until the flow of Germans trying to escape ceased. The allies soon found out about this German breakthrough and steps were taken to block such an exploitation. However; such an exploitation had already been taken; and primarily by one man: The commander of Hitlerjugend's Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion SS Sturmbannfuhrer Gerd Bremer. Driving up the Caen-Falaise road that morning to reconnoiter, Bremer had suddenly encountered the allies streaming towards the corridor to close the trap. Like a Mythic Teutonic warrior; Gerd Bremer posted himself in the highway, challenged the oncoming allies, unleashing all the Reconnaissance firepower in all its fury and drove back the panic-stricken allies in total disorder. Through stinging counterstrokes, the 12th SS Reconnaissance unit bolstered by a handful of SdKfz 234/2 PUMAS and SPW SdKfz 251D/9 STUMMELS under the leadership of Gerd Bremer was able to bring the enemy advance to a halt in a successful delaying action, long enough to permit thousands of German troops to make good their escape. In a final gesture of defiance, Gerd Bremer and a small party that included his adjutant Kurt Buckheim made good their escape from the pocket, proud and defiant. In recognition for his outstanding and extraordinary exploits upon the field of battle, Gerd Bremer became the 668th recipient of the Oak leaves to his Knight's Cross on 25 November 1944. The Hitlerjugend Division was exhorted to mount and assist on the defense of the Reich against the "Anglo-American Gangsters" in the west, and the "Bolshevik Rapist Hordes" in the east. These young Grenadiers, the oldest among them was barely 18, these youths have not yet learned to live, but God knows, they understood how to die!... Grinding tank tracks brought their young lives to an end in a concert of death. With fresh, radiant faces they had marched into battle, and have endured the powerful hammer blows of the bloody brutality of war. At the critical age when they were just beginning to feel the pulse of life, were set face to face with death. The boys of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend were plunged into the abyss of blood and darkness that is modern total war. Too young to fear death, yet old enough to face it and die.
