Waffen-SS Panzer commander
Michael Wittmann of SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 of the Leibstandarte SS possessed a very real hunting instinct - that would make him the great tank killer of World War II. Despite an impressive tally of destroyed enemy tanks, it took a breakthrough by Soviet armor and Wittmann's success in dealing with it to finally earn him recommendation for Germany's highest military award, the Ritterkreuz or Knight's Cross. At ceremonies held on a snowy overcast day on Jan. 14 1944, the Knight's Cross was presented to SS-Untersturmführer Michael Wittmann and his trusty gunner the crackshot Saarlander SS-Rottenführer Balthasar
Bobby Woll by his division commander, SS-Oberführer Theodor
Teddy Wisch, along with the hearty congratulations of the regiment commander, SS-Obersturmbannführer
Joachim Peiper. On the previous day, on Jan. 13 1944, Wittmann had suffered broken teeth on the inside edge of his tank's turret while stopping yet another Soviet deep penetration. Displayed prominently in all photos taken of the occasion is his Tiger S04 displaying the total number of tank and tank destroyer kills on the barrel, which at the time stood at 88. The more Soviet tanks that poured into the domain of Wittmann's Tiger, the higher his victory total went. And Soviet armor continued to pour in. Before the month was out, Wittmann and his superb crew had destroyed over 100 Soviet tanks, and Wittmann was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on Jan. 30 1944. On Feb. 17 1944, after assuming temporary command of the entire heavy tank company, Wittmann's Tigers slogged through the mud of Ukraine to aid in cracking the Soviet ring around
Cherkassy. Credit: Dr. Gregory T. Jones. Left image: Wittmann's tank crew posing for a photo during the Knight's Cross award ceremony at Vinnytsia. Sitting on Tiger S04 from left to right is radio operator SS-Oschütze Werner Irrgang, loader SS-Pz.Schütze Josef Rößner, gun layer SS-Rttf. Balthasar Woll and driver SS-Strm. Eugen Schmidt.
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 and Panzer Badge. Both Wittmann and Woll had taken part in the battle of
Kharkov and experienced the defeat at Kursk and participated in the desperate defensive fighting around
Kiev in 1943. The three other members of this highly talented crew are all decorated with the EK1 and PKA. SS-Hstuf. Michael Wittmann was KIA aged 30 on Aug. 8 1944, and SS-Oscharf.
Bobby Woll, died aged 73 on March 18 1996. Credit: Richard James Molloy. c. Bundesarchiv. Right image: SS-Ostubaf.
Jochen Peiper after receiving the Oakleaves from Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler himself at the Wolfsschanze on Jan. 27 1944. Note that Peiper is still wearing the gorget patches for SS-Stubaf. even though promoted to SS-Ostubaf. on Nov. 11 1943. Fair use.
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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.
ReplyDeleteLike many others in the Waffen-SS, Michael Wittmann was posthumously tarred with the sweeping brush wielded at the Allied courts. No evidence has ever been found connecting him with war crimes, and like many of those who fought in the elite Panzer divisions, he was guilty of nothing but doing his duty.
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