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| Subject: | Re: Michael Wittmann |  |
| Date: | Jan 6, 2003 |
| From: | Christophe Jacquemont | |
Found this on a quick search of the web :
http://www.thehistoryof.co.uk/World_War_2/People/Michael_Wittman.html
Not sure about the Typhoon theory, I read elsewhere he fell victim to a
Firefly...
=quote=
SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann was the most successful and
famous tank
commander of World War II. Wittmann was born on April 22nd of
1914, in
Vogelthal near Oberpfalz, in the Hight Palatinat. He was a son of a
local farmer
- Johann Wittmann. On February 1st of 1934, Wittmann joined
Reichsarbeitdienst - RAD (The German Labour Corps) and served for six
months, until
July. On October 30th of 1934, he enlisted Germany Army's
19th Infantry
Regiment as a Private. Wittmann left the service on September
30th of 1936,
as a Junior Non-Commissioned Officer - Unteroffizier. Shortly
after, on
April 5th of 1937, Michael Wittmann joined No.1 Sturm of 92nd
Standarte of
the elite Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. In late 1937, he
received
driver training on Sd.Kfz.222 (a four-wheeled light armored car) and
then
Sd.Kfz.232 (a six-wheeled heavy armored car) and proved to be
excellent
driver. Wittmann, then joined the 17th Companie which was the
Panzer Scout
Companie of LSSAH. In the summer of 1938, it was reduced in
status to a
Panzer Scout Platoon. In September of 1939,
SS-Unterscharführer Michael Wittmann commanded Sd.Kfz.232 of the
reconnaissance elements of LSSAH and took part in the Polish Campaign. In
October of
1939, Michael Wittmann joined the 5th Panzerspähkompanie (the
depot company
of the Leibstandarte) based at Berlin (Lichterfelde) which was
an assault
gun "academy". In February of 1940, Wittmann was transfered to
the newly
formed SS-Sturm-Batterie (assault gun battery - Sturmartillerie) of
LSSAH,
equipped with Sturmgeschutz Ausf A. The reason of his transfer was
that Wittmann
was an "under-officer" with three years service experience on
an armored
vehicle. At the same time, Wittmann became friends with Hannes
Philipsen,
Helmut Wendorff, Alfred Günther, and other members of that unit.
In late 1940,
Michael Wittmann started his panzer combat career in the
Balkans
(Yugoslavia and Greece). While in Greece, Wittmann was in
command of
the platoon of Sturmgeschutz III Ausf As (part of LSSAH
SS-Sturm-Batterie) and fought there until mid 1941. In June 11th of 1941,
Wittmann
along with LSSAH was transferred to the east, in preparations for
the upcoming
operation "Barbarossa", which started on June 22nd. LSSAH
was order to
advance into southern Russia. On July 12th of 1941, Michael
Wittmann
received an Iron Cross (Second Class). Some time later, Wittmann
was wounded
in combat, but remained with his unit and received the Wound
Badge. On
September 8th of 1941, he received Iron Cross (First Class), and
after
fighting in the Rostov area, Wittmann received the Panzer Assault
Badge (for
destroying six Soviet tanks in single engagement) along with the
rank of
SS-Oberscharführer. Until June of 1942, Wittmann fought with his
unit in
Russia. On June 5th of 1942, because of his outstanding service
Wittman
accepted as a cadet for the officer training in the SS Junkerschule in
Bad Tölz
(Bavaria). On September 5th of 1942, Wittmann left Bad Tölz
school as a
Panzer instructor (SS-Panzerausbildungs und Ersatz-abteilung).
On the
December 21st of 1942, Wittmann was promoted to the rank of
SS-Untersturmführer and on December 24th, he joined the 13th Kompanie of
Leibstandarte
SS Adolf Hitler. Michael Wittmann was put in the command of
Panzer III
Ausf L/M platoon of Tiger kompanie. The platoon was designated
to protect
the back line of the Tigers from enemy infantry and other
obstacles. In
the early spring of 1943, Michael Wittman joined the Tiger
kompanie, and
left his Panzer III support section. On July 5th of 1943,
Wittmann
started his combat career on Tiger during the Operation Citadel
(Zitadelle).
LSSAH was located in the southern sector of the bulge. On the
first day of
action, Wittmann destroyed two anti-tanks guns and thirteen
T-34s, while
saving Helmut Wendorff's platoon, which run into trouble. On
July 7th and
8th, Wittmann destroyed two T-34s, two SU-122s and three
T-60/70s. On
July 12th, Wittmann destroyed eight Soviet tanks, three
anti-tank
guns and one gun battery. This operation finished on the 17th of
July 1943,
and included the battle of Kharkov and Kursk along with other
engagements.
During that time Wittmann's Tiger destroyed 30 Soviet tanks
along with 28
guns. On July 29th of 1943, 13 kompanie was used to form
schwere SS
Panzer Abteilungen 101 which was then attached to LSSAH. In
August of
1943, LSSAH was transferred to Italy, for refiting and
occupational
duties. In sSSPzAbt 101, Wittmann (Tiger #1331) served with
other Tiger
Aces like: Franz Staudegger (Tiger #1325), Helmut Wendorff
(Tiger #1321)
and Jürgen Brandt (Tiger #1334). The command of this unit
was given to
SS-Haupsturmfuhrer Heinz Kling (Tiger #1301). In October of
1943, after
the start of Soviet Autumn Offensive, LSSAH was transferred
back to the
Eastern Front (Kiev area). Also in October, Wittman changed his
Tiger #1331
for the Tiger #S21, and got under his command Jürgen Brandt
(Tiger #S24).
On October 13th, Wittmann's Tiger destroyed twenty T-34s
along with
twenty three infantry and anti-tank guns. In December, Wittmann
took part in
numerous engagements and destroyed a number of Soviet tanks
and guns. On
January 13th of 1944, Michael Wittmann received the Knight's
Cross for his
outstanding service to the Fatherland. On January 15/16th of
1944,
SS-Rottenfuhrer Balthasar (Bobby) Woll received his Knight's Cross.
Balthasar
Woll was an excellent gunner, who was even able to fire accurately
while on the
move. On January 20th, Wittmann was promoted to the rank of
SS-Obersturmfuhrer. Two weeks later, on January 30th 1944, Wittmann
received
following telegram from Adolf Hitler himself: "In thankful
appreciation
of your heroic actions in the battle for the future of our people, I
award you as
the 380th soldier of the German Wehrmacht, the Oakleaves to
the Knight's
Cross of the Iron Cross. Adolf Hitler.". On February 2nd of
1944,
Wittmann received Oak Leafs to his Knights Cross from Führer's
hands, in
"Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze" (Wolfslair - Rastenburg in East
Prussia). On
the February 28th of 1944, Wittmann's unit which was under
the command
of SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinz Kling, counted five Iron Cross
"Knights":
SS-Untersturmführer Staudegger, SS-Untersturmführer Wendorf
and
SS-Hauptsturmführer Kling. SS-Obersturmführer Wittman was the only
one with Oak
Leafs to his Knights Cross. During the period from February
29th to March
2th of 1944, the larger part of the companie was transferred
to Mons in
Belgium. At the time of the transfer, Wittmann received the
command of
2nd Kompanie of sSSPzAbt 101 of LSSAH. After leaving
Eastern
Front, Michael Wittmann stated that Soviet anti-tank guns were
harder and
were more prized targets than tanks. On March 1st, Michael
Wittman
married Hildegard Burmester and his mariage wittness was his
gunner -
Bobby Woll. At that time, Wittmann became a national hero and was
seen
everywhere. The propaganda made him into a hero of the entire German
nation. In
the April of 1944, Wittmann visited the Henschel und Sohn factory
at Kassel and
spoke to the employees thanking them for their great job on
producing
Tiger I. During his visit he discovered the production line of Late
Type Tiger I
Ausf E. In May of 1944, Wittmann re-joined the sSSPzAbt 101
of the LSSAH
which was stationed in the area of Lisieux in Normandy,
France. LSSAH
was a part of panzer reserve which included 12th SS Panzer
Division
"Hitlerjugend" and the Panzer Lehr Division. At that time the
command of
sSSPzAbt 101 was given to Heinz von Westernhagen (Tiger
#007). On the
June 6th of 1944 (D-Day), Wittmann got a new late
production
model Tiger I #205. From 6th to 12th June, sSSPzAbt 101
moved to the
invasion front in Normandy. On their way, Wittmann's 2nd
Kompanie was
reduced to six Tiger by Allied air attacks. Wittmann's
company along
with the Panzer Lehr Division and the 12th SS Panzer
Division
"Hitlerjugend" was part of Heeresgruppe under the command of
Erwin Rommel.
On June 13th, the battle began near Bayeux area. At the time
Wittmann's
company was near Villiers-Bocage, at the south of
Tilly-sur-Seulles (Caen area). On June 13th of 1944, Wittmann's company
destroyed
entire 4th County of London Yeomanry Regiment travelling on the
road No.175
to Villers-Bocage, at the Hill No.213. Fighting did not finish on
the road
No.175, it was continued in the village of Villers-Bocage where both
Germans and
British lost some tanks. On July 22nd, after his success at
Villers-Bocage, Wittmann received the Swords for his Knight Cross with Oak
Leafs after
being recommended personally by the LSSAH's commander,
SS-Obergruppenfuhrer und Panzergeneral der Waffen SS Josef "Sepp"
Dietrich. The
ceremony was on June 25th of 1944 and Adolf Hitler in person
decorated
Wittmann who then became the most decorated tanker ace of
World War II.
At the same time he also received the rank of
SS-Haupsturmfuhrer. Wittmann was offered a position of an instructor at a
training
school but he refused and returned to Normandy on July 6th and
participated
in the Battle of Caen (3rd to 10th of July). During July of 1944,
Wittmann
fought near Caen area until August. At the time Wittmann got a
new Tiger
#007. In the beginning of August, Wittmann along with sSSPzAbt
101 was
transferred to Cintheaux area. At the time Germans tried to
recapture
Caen which was completly destroyed by ongoing fighting. On
August 8th of
1944, a new battle began near Cintheaux. It was Wittmann's
final battle.
At 12:55am (as reported by SS-Hauptscharführer Höflinger -
Tiger #213
which was positioned in the same field at the rear, right of
Wittmann's
Tiger.) in a field near the road to Caen-Cintheaux, at Gaumesnil,
Wittmann's
Tiger was destroyed and its entire crew killed. After fighting the
remains of
Wittmann and his crew were buried beside what was left of their
Tiger,
without any markings. Until 1983, the destruction of Wittman's Tiger
was an
mystery even for crews of sSSPzAbt 101. Many sources say that it
was destroyed
by the "Firefly Ambush", but different units claimed to
ambush and
destroy Wittmann's Tiger, including those of the either 1st
Polish
Armoured Division, 4th Canadian Armoured Division (Canadian
Shermans
supposedly surrounded and shot Wittmann's Tiger to pieces) or
33rd British
Independent Armored Brigade. In the memoirs of a former
member Mr.F.R
of sSSPzAbt 101, official version at the time stated that
Wittmann's
Tiger was destroyed by an airplane bomb. Both presented a
picture of
Wittmann's Tiger without its turret with the gun barrel placed on
the hull
which in fact is the picture of SS-Untersturmführer Alfred Günther's
Tiger
destroyed by an airplane bomb at Evrecy. Along with those two
versions,
some claims were made that units which were not even present in
the area at
the time, were responsible for destroying Wittmann's Tiger. Both
versions were
proven wrong in 1945, by Mr.Serge Varin who found Tiger
#007.
Mr.Varin was interested in this tank because its turret was teared
away from the
hull. Mr.Varin examined Wittmann's Tiger and noticed that it
was not
penetrated by any shells fired at it during the fighting. The only
damage to the
hull was a big hole in the rear, near the engine deck. further
examination
Mr.Varin concluded that the impact came from the air. The
rocket hit
Tiger's rear deck (made of 25mm thick armor), penetrated the air
intakes and
exploded causing the explosion in the engine compartment and
fighting
compartment which ignited the stored ammunition. The second
explosion
instantly killed the entire crew and blew off the turret into the air.
Wittmann's
Tiger was destroyed by a rocket fired from a Royal Air Force
Hawker
"Typhoon" MkIB - attack aircraft. Typhoons were armed with HE
(High-explosive) rockets and took heavy tow of German tanks during the
Normandy
battles (for example on August 8th of 1944, Typhoons destroyed
135 German
tanks and among those Tiger #007). Michael Wittmann and his
crew was
killed in action on August 8th of 1944, at Gaumesnil near
Cintheaux. In
March of 1983, the unmarked field grave of Tiger #007's crew
was
discovered during the construction of the road and was excavated. It
was possible
to identify the remains by Wittmann's dental records and
Heinrich
Reimers's (driver) identification tag. Wittmann and his crew was
then
officially buried in the German Military Cemetery of "De La Cambe" in
Normandy,
France. That event had fully proven the exact location of
Wittmann's
Tiger and its fate as previosly suggested by Mr.Varin.
=unquote= |
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|
 | michael wittmann - mathew hughes - Jan 6, 2003 |
| . . . Re: michael wittmann - Christophe Jacquemont - Jan 6, 2003 |
| . . . . . . Re: Michael Wittmann - Christophe Jacquemont - Jan 6, 2003 |
| . . . . . . . . . Re: Michael Wittmann - mathew hughes - Jan 6, 2003 |
| . . . . . . . . . Re: Michael Wittmann - Mike Canaday - Jan 7, 2003 |
| . . . . . . . . . Re: Michael Wittmann - bill kiernan - Jan 7, 2003 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Michael Wittmann - Steve Frost - Jan 7, 2003 |
| . . . Re: michael wittmann - Rick Young & Carol MacLennan-Young - Jan 11, 2003 |
| . . . . . . Shops in Aust Sydney - Neville Lord - Jan 11, 2003 |
| . . . . . . . . . Re: Shops in Aust Sydney - Trevor Ware - Jan 11, 2003 |
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