(5/5) TANKS! Panzer Ace: Michael Wittmann

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Michael Wittmann WAFFEN SS "Tanks"

Videos Running Time 00:47:00 in 5 Parts

Tanks: " Aces: Michael Wittmann "

This episode of Tanks chronicles the exploits of SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann (1914-1944)

Michael Wittmann's later actions are known to most readers in the Normandy campaign. However, Wittmann began his career as a tank ace in actually an assault gun; the StuG III. In the Ukraine Whitmann found success with the StuG III against T-34's. He was credited with several victories during this time. On July 12, 1941, Wittmann received the first of many awards; the Iron Cross Second Class. When asked, at the presentation of the medal, if he had any special requests, Wittmann requested that a T-34 crew be given treatment afforded any brave soldier. His request was granted. Whitmann was awarded the; Iron Cross First Class on September 8th, 1941. Wittmann, his crew, and their StuG III nicknamed "Buzzard" were quickly making a name for themselves fighting against superior T-34/76.

On December 20th 1942, Wittmann completed the Officer Training course at Bad Tölz. He was commissioned a SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant) and assigned to Heavy Panzer Replacement Battalion 500. Wittmann checked out in a long-barreled PzKw IV. Soon after Wittmann began training in the weapon that would make him famous; the PzKw VI "Tiger." As fortune would have it, he was paired with an excellent crew. One, the soon to be best gunners in the Waffen-SS, Rottenführer Balthasar "Bobby" Woll first met Wittmann during this training. With Whitmann, Woll, loader Rottenführer Karl Berges, driver Rottenführer Gustav 'Gustl' Kirschmer and gunner/radio operator Rottenführer Herbert Pollmann the Waffen-SS had assembled one of the best tank crews in history.

Whitmann returned to the Russian Front assigned to 1 SS Panzer Grenadier "Leibstandarte." Whitmann was assigned to first a PzKw III J, but soon received command of a Tiger. During Operation "Zitadelle" (Kursk) Wittmann is credited with 30 victories and 28 anti-tank guns. Wittmann was awarded the Knight's Cross.

In the famed battle that took place near Villers-Bocage, Wittmann single handedly blunted a large British offensive attempting to capture Caen. In this action Whitmann destroyed 22 British armored vehicles

August 8th 1944 would be Wittmann's last battle. Wittmann's last crew consisted of; SS-Unterscharführer Karl Wagner as gunner, SS-Sturmmann Günther Weber as loader, SS-Unterscharführer Heinrich Reimers as driver, and SS-Sturmmann Rudolf 'Rudi' Hirschel as bow machine gunner and radio operator. Much controversy has surrounded Wittmann's death. Both Polish and British units claim destroying his Tiger.

Wittmann's remains were located in 1982 and buried in France in 1983, at the Germany cemetery at La Cambe in Normandy

Enjoy this excellent episode of TANKS!!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• World
• War
• II
• Tank
• Panzer
• Michael
• Wittmann
• Waffen
• SS
• WaffenSS
• Tiger
• German
• Germany
• Normandy
• D-Day
• Armor
• PanzerVI
• 7.92
• 88mm

[ferret666blood]

He is a Hero

[50percentFirebird]

A real BAMF for sure

[MegaKaiser45]

RIP buddy

[SuperMachinegunner]

@gurumagoo yeah but i havnt been ther in a while, been in germany for the last 3 years, goin back in march

[gurumagoo]

@SuperMachinegunner LOL! You live in Little Rock?!?! I grew up in Conway 20 minutes up the road. Before I moved to Louisiana I had a house off Chenal. I miss Little Rock. Baton Rouge sucks.

[SuperMachinegunner]

@gurumagoo thats all you need to be an armoured ace in the US ? man wittman mustve been a god then by american standards, nah im just messin with ya not bad for him especially considering how hard it was to kill german armor, sucks about the p47 but sadly friendly fire aint rare

[USSRman45]

@ferret666blood Hero hell, the man is a legend and a total badass!

[ChayaJoslyndq262]

hm hab was geiles entdeckt haha

[Taz3TheRayder]

@studenthistory "Many kills in the war were done by weapons. The soldiers got all the credit for them."

[gurumagoo]

The engine in his M18 was cold and they were making the fire so they could heat up cans of oil to start the engine. My grandpa told me when those two Tigers rolled by the house (only about 15 meters away) he shit his pants and had the shakes for days after that. It was the one moment in the war when he was the most frightened. Afterward he got out of his M18 and vomited. For the rest of his life he had nightmares where they kept missing the second Tiger.

[gurumagoo]

He killed the two Tigers in the Battle of the Bulge. His crew was parked beside a house in the Ardennes trying to start a fire when the two Tigers rolled past. They didn't seem him and kept going. Shot the first at about 75 meters. The second reversed and started zig-zagging thinking the shot came from in front of him. He had to shoot at this tank 4 times to hit it. The Tiger crew never realized the shots were coming from behind him. The final was at only 25 meters.