The Tiger Ace (Waffen SS Liebstandarte Division)Michael Wittmann(April 22, 1914 August 8, 1944) was a GermanWaffen-SStank commander during theSecond World War. Wittmann would rise to the rank of SS-Hauptsturmfhrer(captain) and was aKnight's Cross of the Iron Crossholder.He was credited with the destruction of 138 tanks and 132 anti-tank guns, along with an unknown number of other armoured vehicles, making him one of Germany's top scoring panzer aces, together withJohannes Blter,Ernst Barkmann,Otto CariusandKurt Knispelwho was the top scoring ace of the war with 168 tank kills. Wittmann is most famous for his ambush of elements of theBritish 7th Armoured Division, during theBattle of Villers-Bocageon 13 June 1944. While in command of a singlePanzerkampfwagen VI Tigerhe destroyed up to 14 tanks and 15 personnel carriers along with 2 anti-tank guns within the space of 15 minutes.The circumstances behind Wittmanns death have caused some debate and discussion over the years, but it had been historically accepted that TrooperJoe Ekins, the gunner in aSherman Firefly, of the 1stNorthamptonshire Yeomanrywas his killer. However, in recent years, some commentators have suggested that members of theCanadianSherbrooke Fusiliers Regimentmay have been responsible instead.

Early life and careerMichael Wittmann was born on April 22, 1914 in the village of Vogelthal in theOberpfalzregion ofBavaria. He was the second son of local farmer Johann Wittmann and his wife Ursula. In February 1934, Michael joined the Volunteer Labour Service, the FAD (what later became theRAD) and on October 30, 1934 he joined theGerman Army. He was assigned to the 19. Infantry Regiment based atFreisingbyMunich, eventually reaching the rank ofGefreiter(lance-corporal). In October 1936 the 22-year-old Wittmann joined theAllgemeine-SS. On April 5, 1937, he was assigned to the premierregiment, later divisionLeibstandarte-SSAdolf Hitler(LSSAH) and was given the rankSS-Mann(private). A year later, he participated in the occupation ofAustriaand theSudetenlandwith an armoured car platoon.

Second World WarEarly WarHis first experience of action came in thePolish Campaign, followed by theBattle of Franceas a commander of the new self-propelled assault guns, theSturmgeschtz III Ausf. A. The Greek campaign -Operation 'Marita'- was launched on April 6, 1941. Leibstandarte SSAdolf Hitler(LSSAH) captured theGreekcapital and formed the spearhead, alongside the 9thPanzerDivision, which punched through the Greek countryside. After three weeks of campaigning,Nazi Germanyhad conquered Greece. Wittmann and his unit were sent toCzechoslovakiafor a refit.The Eastern FrontThe rest would not last long, however, as Wittmann's unit was soon dispatched to theEastern Frontto participate in the invasion of theSoviet Union. He initially served as a commander of a StuG III assault gun. He was assigned for both officer and tank training in the winter of 194243.Returning to the Eastern Front as a newlycommissioned officer, Wittmann was reassigned to the SS Panzer Regiment 1, a tank unit with the rank of SS-Untersturmfhrer(second lieutenant), where he commanded aPanzer IIItank. By 1943, he commanded a Tiger, and by the time of theBattle of Kursk(Operation Citadel), he was a platoon leader. On January 14, 1944, he was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Crossand on January 30, the Oak Leaves for his continued excellence in the field. By this time, he had destroyed 88 enemy tanks and a significant number of other armoured vehicles. In Agte's book on Wittmann (Michael Wittmann And The Tiger Commanders Of The Leibstandarte) it calculates his kills thusly: In the 5 days of Zittadelle Wittmann destroyed 'at least' 30 tanks.(page 100) 'destroyed 13 T34's' on 21 November 1943 (page 130) 56 enemy tanks in the period July 1943-7/1/44 (page 158) In summary:56 kills on 7/1/44 (page 213)66 kills on 9/1/44 (page 181)88 kills on 13/1/44 (page 213)114-117 kills on 29/1/44 (page 185)It would seem over half his total were claimed in a three week period in January 1944.

NormandyIn April 1944, the LSSAH's Tiger Company was transferred to theSS Heavy Panzer Battalion 101.[5]This battalion was assigned to theI SS Panzer Corpsand was never permanently attached to any division or regiment within the corps.Wittmann commanded the 2nd Company of the battalion and held the rank of SS-Obersturmfhrer(first lieutenant).]Following the AlliedInvasion of Normandy, the battalion was ordered to move fromBeauvaistoNormandyon 7 June, a move that was completed on 12 June after a five day road march.Due to theAnglo-Americanadvances fromGoldandOmaha Beachs, the German352nd Infantry Divisionbegan to buckle; as it withdrew south, it opened up a 7.5-mile (12.1km) wide gap in the German lines nearCaumont-l'vent.[9][10][11]Sepp Dietrichordered his only reserve, the Heavy SS-Panzer Battalion 101, to position itself behind thePanzer-Lehr-Divisionand12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugendto cover his open left flank.[12]Anticipating the importance the British would assign to the high ground nearVillers-Bocage,Wittmann's company was positioned near the town.The British7th Armoured Divisionwas ordered to exploit the gap in the German lines and capture Villers-Bocage and a nearby ridge, Point 213.The British occupied the town and ridge during the morning of 13 June.Wittmann's company consisted of five tanks, of which two were damaged. He was surprised to discover the British in the Villers-Bocage area much sooner than had been expected.He later stated:I had no time to assemble my company; instead I had to act quickly, as I had to assume that the enemy had already spotted me and would destroy me where I stood. I set off with one tank and passed the order to the others not to retreat a single step but to hold their ground.At approximately 09:00 on Point 213, destroying themWittmann then moved towards Villers-Bocageengaging several transport vehicles parked along the roadside, the carriers bursting into flames as their fuel tanks were ruptured by machine gun and high explosive fire.Moving into the eastern end of Villers-Bocage, Wittmann engaged a number of light tanksfollowed by several medium tanks.Alerted to Wittmann's actions, light tanks in the middle of the town quickly got off the road while medium tanks were brought forward.Wittmann, meanwhile, had accounted for a further British tank,two artillery observation post (OP) tanksfollowed by a scout car and a half-track.Accounts differ as to what happened next. Historians record that, following the destruction of the OP tanks, Wittmann briefly duelled without success against a Sherman Firefly before withdrawing.The Tiger is then reported to have continued eastwards to the outskirts of the town before being disabled by an anti-tank gun.Wittmann's own account, however, contradicts this; he states that his tank was disabled by an anti-tank gun in the town centre.In less than 15 minutes, 1314 tanks, two anti-tank guns and 1315 transport vehicles had been destroyed by the Heavy SS-Panzer Battalion 101, the vast majority attributed to Wittmann.Wittmann would however play no further role in theBattle of Villers-Bocage.For his actions during the battle, Wittmann was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmfhrer(captain) and awarded Swords to hisKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross.Historian Wolfgang Schneider calls into question Wittmann's tactical ability, claiming "a competent tank company commander does not accumulate so many serious mistakes".Schneider also criticises Wittmann's disposition of his forces before the battle by having his Tigers position themselves in a sunken lane with a vehicle with engine trouble at the head of a stationary column thereby hampering mobility of his unit. It also risked blocking the entire company. However, Schneider saves his real opprobrium for Wittmanns solitary advance into Villers-Bocage. Although he acknowledges Wittmann's courage, he points out that such an action "goes against all the rules". No intelligence was gathered beforehand, and there was no "centre of gravity" or "concentration of forces" in the attack. Schneider claims that because of Wittmann's actions, "the bulk of the 2nd Company and Mobius 1st Company came up against an enemy who had gone onto the defensive".He calls Wittman's "carefree" advance into British-occupied positions "pure folly", and states that "such over hastiness was uncalled for". Schneider goes on to surmise that if Wittmann had properly prepared an assault involving the rest of his company and the 1st Company, far greater results could have been achieved. He concludes with the belief that "thoughtlessness of this kind was to cost [Wittmann] his life on August 9, 1944, near Gaumesnil, during an attack casually launched in open country with an exposed flank."Death

Photograph of the wrecked Tiger 007, taken by French civilian Mr. Serge Varin in 1945, still in the field near Gaumesnil where it had been stopped a year before.Wittmann was killed on 8 August 1944 while taking part in a counterattack ordered byKurt Meyer, of the12th SS Panzer Divisionto retake tactically important high ground near the town ofSaint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil. The town and surrounding high ground had been captured a few hours earlier by Anglo-Canadian forces duringOperation Totalize.Wittmann had decided to participate in the attack as he believed the company commander who was supposed to lead the attack was too inexperienced.[41]A group of seven Tiger tanks from the Heavy SS-Panzer Battalion 101, supported by several other tanks, was ambushed by tanks from A Squadron, 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry, A Squadron, the Sherbrooke Fuisilier Regiment, and B Squadron, the 144Royal Armoured Corps. The killing shots have long been thought to have come from a Sherman Firefly of 3 Troop, A Squadron, 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry (commander - Sergeant Gordon; gunner - Trooper Joe Ekins), which was positioned in a wood called Delle de la Roque on the advancing Tigers' right flank]at approximately 12:47. It appears the shells penetrated the upper hull of the tank and ignited the Tiger's own ammunition, causing a fire which engulfed the tank and then blew off the turret.

Pics of the Tiger Ace: Wittmann receiving the Swords to hisKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossfromAdolf Hitler.

Michael Wittman photographed one month prior to Operation Overlord on the turret of his Tiger no. 007

Wittmann with his Tiger crew late 1944.

Wittmann Portrait with the Liebdtandarte division.