Wittmann's nemesis revealed

He may well have been a fine soldier, but he was an instrument of the Nazi regime who used his name and reputation for their advantage; anyone fighting for Nazi Germany in WW2 was the same. They may not have been shovelling bodies into the furnaces themselves, but they were all part of the regime that did, and it is hard to escape from that. Some may have resisted the regime, like Rommel and the bomb plotters, but you could argue that was only when things were going bad for Germany: which leaves a rather hollow tone IMHO.

 

No, they were part of the British Army and a tank unit in 33rd Armoured Brigade. Good article (although it is for FOW wargaming) here:

http://www.flamesofwar.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=313

There has always been some debate over who killed Wittmann. A good on-line article is here:

http://www.panzerace.net/english/pz_bio_05.asp?page=3

 

That article is a good summing-up, Paul. Rather as with Glenn Miller, we'll never know for 100% sure what happened. I'm currently reading Christopher Wilbeck's 'Sledgehammers' which also has a useful summary with a good bibliography of sources about Wittmann's career in Normandy.

On a personal note, I find it really strange ; despite my 'head' telling me that Wittmann, a high-ranking officer in the SS, was a deadly battlefield foe, responsible for the deaths of countless Russian and Allied soldiers - whenever I read the Wittmann story my 'heart' always feels a slight sadness at his sudden and violent end.

But there you are - we're all illogical at times.....

 

I recall reading Panzermeyer saying that Wittman died attacking the way he was so fond of: Trusting the 10 cm frontal armor and in full speed in order to shock the enemy.

 

There has been a recent book published on Totalize - Brian Reid's 'No Holding Back'. This is a superb and long overdue account of the battle. Highly recommended. One Appendix is devoted to looking at the many claims about Wittman's end. In a very persuasive account he comes down to the Canadians being the ace's nemesis. I can't remember the details now, but I would recommend that people who are interested get hold of a copy and have a read. I was convinced.

Regards

Paul

 

if you were to look at Michael during his time with the Liebstandarte Tiger Kompanie and then in the Schwere 101 Pz. Abt. you could see the guy was running himself literally into the ground. He would of died anyway whether a heavy Allied round hit him or some rocket fired Typhoon. It was inevitable. Taking I believe another 4 Tiger I's with him they were literally sitting ducks out in an open field with no heavy infantry support or mechanized vehicles to cover their flanks. In a broadside all of the Tigers were hit and flamed up, possibly 1 made it back a piece of useless junk. Wittmman never should of carried out this defense or probing attack to feel the Allied wing. As said he was a goner and probably had a good notion his time was up.

An excellent map of his demise in an aerial type shot is shown in Meyers 12th W-SS book. to me it is possibly one of the stupidest deployments of heavy armor in the war, although in small quantity.

 

Thanks for the recommendation, Paul - that's one I'll keep in mind....

 

well it was from concealed allied positions on the ground that has been proven there is at least 1 if not 2 eye-witness accts from the German side of things found in Hubert Meyers monster book on the 12th SS in Deutsch and English. Part of the 12th SS recon was on hand to watch the silly suicidal attempt to go across an open field

what a waste of human life needlessly

 

Well, after reading Brian A Reid's most excellent book, 'No Holding back - Operation Totalize Normandy 1944', I'm certainly convinced not to be convinced !

Seriously, Reid conducts a fascinating review and analysis of all available sources in a special appendix about the death of Wittmann. The group of Tigers was certainly attacked by elements of the Canadian Sherbrooke Fusiliers positioned on their left flank in Gaumesnil, as well as by the Northants Yeomanry firing from orchards near St Aignan de Cramesnil on the right flank. From the damage to Wittmann's Tiger, it is reasonable to assume that a Canadian tank scored the decisive hit.

2nd TAF are proven to be out of the picture. There is also little doubt that, even if he wasn't the 'man who killed Wittmann', Trooper Joe Ekins was , on that day at least, responsible for some excellent marksmanship with a tank which wasn't renowned for accuracy.

Sensibly, Reid ( a Canadian ) doesn't descend into partisan revisionism. Having presented his case, he states that no-one will ever be 100% certain as to who fired the fatal shot. One can only be fairly certain that the successful weapon was a Sherman Firefly.

Reid makes what is , I think, a fair point which is that Wittmann's Tigers drove straight into a fairly obvious ambush situation. If such a manouevre had been carried out by an Allied tank force, historians would have no hesitation in citing it as a typical example of British/Canadian/American incompetence and muddled tactical thinking. But Wittmann's action survives in folklore as an example of courage and audacity.

Reid's book is superb, by the way, and currently available from Amazon at a very reasonable price. Anyone interested in 'Normandy' should read it.....

 

Describing Wittmann as a 'Nazi-Soldier' is a true enough description of him.

Sadly several poorly researched books have taken the Nazi propaganda myths about him and rehashed them as fact. He was devoted to the regime and was a willing tool, happy to be used for propaganda and enjoyed the glory.

Wittmann is portrayed as some sort of chivalrous hero by some authors and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Simpson's narrative bio of Wittmann is pure fantasy and Gordon Williamson's write-up of Villers-Bocage has no relation to the real events.

While I will freely admit he was a first class tank commander, lets not forget most of his kills were built up on the Eastern Front with an excellent crew and one of the most outstanding tank gunners of the war serving under him.

Its sad that by trawling out the old propaganda that other tank aces get forgotten about. Not only are Allied tank crews overlooked but very little appears on Germany's top scoring ace.

Perhaps the fact that he wasnt in the Waffen-SS doesn't make him as glamourous or as much of a 'bookseller' as Wittmann.

 

All men serving the Germany's war machine were Nazis, all Soviet soldiers were bolsheviks, all western allies were the best possible human beings imaginable, who would never hurt a fly, just doing their duty.

I'm deadly serious here.


Cheers

 

Aiidii,

Whats your point exactly?

It doesnt seem to be in relation to the topic.

 

no, best if we just ignore it......

IMHO the trouble with just "marveling at his deeds on the battlefield" as someone put it, is that the propaganda machine went into overdrive with types like Wittmann so its very difficult to know what is fiction and what is not....similarly who here can say how much of a Nazi he actually was ..take away the deaths-head uniform and my guess is he may just have been a simple farm boy. The bottom line though I guess - he served the elite vanguard of an evil regime and was recognised by his peers as one of the best - interpret that how you will..

again IMHO while his demise might have come as a blow for his immediate circle, perhaps even for the Party, his actions and his death continue to intrigue those of us interested in how exactly it could have happened. At the same time most of us here are thankful for the sacrifice of those Allied soldiers who ran up against him in combat, who, yes, were doing their duty in the name of GOOD as opposed to EVIL, & who were finally able to defeat him...

..unfortunately the Wittman 'legend' is part of this (rather unhealthy) fixation that most of us interested in the period seem to have with the Waffen SS, and which we have all in part helped to cultivate ...

 

I can feel this going perilously off-topic but....

It's natural to a degree that those of who are interested in WWII are bound to have an element of fascination for 'the most professionally skillful army of modern times' ( vide Hastings, 'Overlord' ).

And I freely admit to a considerable interest in Wittmann - I do think that Villers-Bocage took considerable courage and skill to execute. But always in my mind is the thought of what those 88mm rounds did to their targets ( 'our boys' ) ....and I cannot think of the Waffen-SS without the association of Oradour and Malmedy.

But, as someone who has been accused elsewhere on the internet of being a 'Nazi sympathizer' by virtue of having conversed with a Luftwaffe veteran, I do not accept the simplistic view that 'every German was a Nazi'....IMHO the lesson we as later generations have to try to learn is how relatively decent, 'normal' people become part of an abhorrent National policy - and I'd hope that this Forum can in some way play its' part toward this.

And, FWIW, I read nothing by Gordon Williamson who to me is far too admiring and uncritical, and I honestly rate 'Tiger Ace' by Simpson as one of the worst-writen WWII books I've ever come across.

Here endeth the sermon - and can we please try to keep this thread to the original topic ie Wittmann's final action....?

 

..excellent post Martin - I don't think there's much any sensible person could disagree with there ....

 

as having two veteran familie members serve in the Luftwaffe as well as 4 others in the German Heer................I greet you with a notable Blllllllllllllllllllllttttttttttttttttttttttttt ! nazi smazi - puke.

WTF up aiidii

ok nothing more needs to be said as Neil forthwithly put