Both the famous tank ace SS-Untersturmführer Michael Wittmann, killed in action as SS-Hauptsturmführer aged 30 on August 8 1944, and the crackshot Saarlander SS-Rottenführer Balthasar
Bobby Woll, died aged 73 on March 18 1996, were awarded their Knight's Crosses on January 14 1944 by SS-Brigadeführer Theodor
Teddy Wisch. On the previous day, on January 13 1944, Michael Wittmann and his crew had destroyed 19 Soviet tanks and three heavy SU-122's. Contact sheet of the Awards ceremony also includes images of this successful Leibstandarte SS Tiger crew being congratulated on the award by SS-Obersturmbannführer
Joachim Peiper. Bobby Woll, Wittmanns gunner, had taken part in 80 of his commander's 88 kills. Like Wittmann, Woll also wears the Iron Cross First Class, Wound Badge in Black and the Panzer Assault Badge in Silver, awarded for twenty-five successful engagements. He ended the war as SS-Oberscharführer.
Both Wittmann and Woll had taken part in the battle of Kharkov in February-March 1943 and experienced the defeat at Kursk during Operation Citadel in July 1943. The three other members of this highly talented crew are all decorated with the Iron Cross First Class and the Panzer Assault Badge. Top image: Waffen-SS Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann standing in front of his Tiger I S04 displaying the total number of tank kills on the barrel, which at the time of this photograph stood at 88. Sitting on the Tiger from left to right is Wittmann's radio operator SS-Panzerschütze Werner Irrgang, loader SS-Panzerschütze Josef
Sepp Rößner, gun layer SS-Rottenführer Balthasar Woll and driver SS-Sturmmann Eugen Schmidt. After having destroyed yet more tanks, 16 days later Wittmann was awarded the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross on January 30 1944. It was reported he had now destroyed 114 tanks. Credit: Richard James Molloy. Commons: Bundesarchiv. Bottom image: destroyed Soviet T-34s in the Belgorod region. Photo by German photographer Franz Grasser of the 376th ID. FU.
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ReplyDeleteMichael Wittmann, aka the Black Baron, was by far the most famous tank commander on any side in World War II. He was always surrounded by a hand-picked top notch crew. So astonishing were his exploits that even Hitler went to his and Hildegard Helmke's wedding in March 1944.
ReplyDeleteThe widow of Wittmann, Hildegard Helmke said in an interview after the war: Do not believe what they say. These boys were nothing but professional soldiers of Germany. You must remember those who won the war control how we remember the war. The Federal Republic is doing well now and has no interest in defending the honor of these men. The protection from the west is all they crave.
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