Michael Wittmann’s Visit to His Hometown

On January 16, 1944, Wittmann was awarded the Knight’s cross, Nazi Germany’s second-highest

military honor. Then just a few weeks later his knight’s cross was upgraded with oak leaves and his promoted to 1^st lieutenant. On February 2^nd, 1944 Wittmann was called to the Fuhrer's eastern front headquarters, to receive his new commendation from Adolf Hitler himself.

Wittmann is now ordered back to Germany where his exploits had already made him famous. But the country he finds upon his return is in ruins. The result of allied bombing that rages over Germany, facilities were burning, the house was falling and trembling.  

Letters from Michael Wittmann “The sight of such senseless destruction of our cities is enough to make one’s heart bleeds. The Anglo-Americans have taught us to hate. They will see the same hate transformed into energy. We desire one thing, to get them in front of our guns. We only have one watchword, and that is Revenge”. He visited the Henschel Factory and made a speech for the workers on a partially finished Tiger.

The Western Front

During his triumphal tour in Germany, Michael Wittmann marries a 19-year-old Heldigard Burmester. The couple is offered a special wedding gift, Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”. Because Hitler did come to Michael Wittmann’s wedding because a tank ace in Germany is so important. But before he can arrange a honeymoon for his young bride, Wittmann receives a new posting, so his wife accompanies him with his Tiger battalion to the Chateau Elbow in Normandy France.

 Michael Wittmann will soon have his chance of revenging his country. On June 6 1944 allied forces land on Normandy. Hitler orders his Panzer forces to drive the allies back to the sea. For Michael Wittmann and his panzer forces, it will take 5 days to reach the allied landings because the allied beachhead is about 200km away, under relentless attack by the allied fighters that decimates his forces.

Battle of Villers Bocage

Under the cover of trees, Michael Wittmann and his Tiger unit are sheltering from allied fighters. His position from the left and the most crucial part of the sector facing the British and Canadians. The allies are breaking the beachhead. Their plan is to send the British 7^th armored division towards the key city of Caen through the town of Villers Bocage.  June 13^th 1944, Wittmann and his surviving tigers position their tank on Villers Bocage under the cover of trees.

The column of British tanks are just 200 meters from Wittmann’s Tiger position, the British didn’t really know Wittmann is there but they are about to find out. Letters from Michael Wittmann from the 101^st SS Panzer Battalion Battle Report “Then a man came into the command post and said tanks are driving pass I don’t think they’re Germans, I had no idea that the enemies might suddenly appear. I went outside and saw English and American tanks passing about 150 to 200 meters distance, never I had been as impressed by the strength of the enemy as I watch those tanks passing by.

The decision to attack is a very difficult one, but I knew it will absolutely have to be and I decided to strike out the enemy. I had no time to assemble my company; I set off with just one tank. I drove up to the column surprise the enemy as much as they had surprised me”. Wittmann is facing 130 tanks and armored vehicles while he has only 6 tanks, Wittmann’s second split decision will become legendary. He first knocked out 2 tanks from the right of the column, then 1 from the left.

He then turns his tank to the left and attacked the armored troop carriers in the middle of the armored regiment. They never left the road, they were so surprised. They jumped out and he shot the battalion’s vehicles as he drove by, he drove his tiger to the rear of the column on the same road knocking out every tank that came towards him, the enemy was thrown into total confusion. He was able to take out tanks as well as armored troop carriers.

Then he drove straight to the town of Villers Bocage. The town of Villers Bocage is already been occupied by British and Canadian armor, as Wittmann gets close to the middle of the town his tiger is hit by an anti-tank gun immobilizing their tank. He destroys every tank that he can reach and he abandoned the tank. Wittmann’s deadly rampage has lasted in 15 minutes, but he has devastated an entire enemy regiment.

Operation Totalize in Normandy Were Michael Wittmann’s Faith and His Myth Will Be Sealed

Michael Wittmann is the most famous tank officer of the German army, but the stress of battle shows on his face. Wittmann is celebrated for his amazing fight by 1^st SS Panzer Corp Commander Sepp Dietrich that recommends hem yet another commendation.

In July 1944 Wittmann was again personally decorated by Hitler, this time adding 2 swords for his Knight’s cross with oak leaves. August 8 1944 2 months after Villers Bocage, Michael Wittmann is now a captain and acting commander of his battalion. As Michael Wittmann’s career rises, Germany’s tank companies are headed towards destruction.

Now the allies launched a decisive punch, codenamed Operation Totalize. British and Canadian armor is heading to the Caen smashing 14 km through the German Lines towards the city of Cintheaux. 300 allied tanks roll down the road of Cintheaux, the 12^th SS panzer division is ordered to barge their advance, with the remnants of the heavily outnumbered division is Captain Michael Wittmann with a small group of Tiger 1s.

Colonel Kurt Meyer the division’s leader, now orders an Immediate counterattack. Michael Wittmann’s Tigers are standing ready behind the hedge East of Cintheaux; they had to risk the attack in order to win Time. Their mission is almost suicidal the Germans might have known that that area is already been occupied by British and Canadian armor, but in order to know, they have to risk some tanks acting as bait. Michael Wittmann is in Reserve so they won’t lose an ace and use him to fight back, but Wittmann insists on leading the attack.

Wittmann said that He must be on the attack himself for the other officers can barely cope, Kurt Meyer knows that the situation is hopeless and he shook Michael Wittmann’s hands and Wittmann left his youthful laugh and climb on their Tigers. And Michael Wittmann set off to their attack.

Just 8 German Tiger tanks advancing against 300 Allied tanks, what Wittmann doesn’t know is that there was a hidden danger waiting for him on both sides of the road. At their right flank was a small wood that can act as an observation post and at their left flank is a long shallow wall. As Wittmann and his Tigers advance, they saw the small wood and it became very suspicious to them as well as the wall at their left flank.

Joe’s Sherman Firefly and Other Shermans vs Wittmann’s Tiger Tanks

The allies not only have the elements of surprise they had a new tank The Sherman Firefly. The Sherman Firefly up-gunned with the powerful 17 pounder gun the Sherman Firefly is a British version of the US medium tank Sherman to solve the problems of penetrating the Tiger.

As Michael Wittmann’s tiger unit passes by Joe Ekins, Ekins is starting to get itchy. The order finally came, Joe’s commander said “Advance driver and we pull out of cover”. Joe looked at its sight and the commander said “Target the rear Tiger” and Ekins fired. The rear tiger was quickly knocked out and Wittmann radios his other tigers “Attention, Attention attack from the right”.

They began taking heavy fire, and Joe’s commander said “Fire 1 shot of the second tiger” and he fired 1 shot of the second tank. After reloading, his commander said “Fire when ready “and he fired. As all of the 7 tanks were destroyed Michael Wittmann moves on alone, the British tanks opened fire at Wittmann’s tank. Wittmann’s tank was hit and triggered a tremendous explosion and the turret was completely blown off from the tank.

Michael Wittmann had fought his last battle and finally completing his will for Hitler and to the

German Reich. After Wittmann died the German army was defeated on August 25^th.  Joe Ekins confirm that he destroyed 3 Tigers that day, not realizing that Wittmann was one of them. Michael Wittmann is buried at La Cambe German Military Cemetery Normandy France; Wittmann’s grave is always honored with fresh flowers. Wittmann was killed in the fields of Saint-Aignan-De-Cramensil where Wittmann’s tank was destroyed. Michael Wittmann is a German Waffen-SS Tank commander who is known for his incredible actions of WW2 and also known for his ambush of the British 7^th Armored Division. Michael Wittmann commanded 4 Tigers Tiger 1331, Tiger S04, Tiger 222, and Tiger 007 the last Tiger Wittmann commanded.