Obersturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann
Michael Wittmann joined the German Army in the early thirties for a couple of years but was only in 'civy street' for a matter of months before rejoining the military; this time it was to be as a soldier in the SS. He joined Hitler's personal bodyguard the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, at a time when they were transforming themselves from guardsmen to fighting soldiers - the Waffen SS.
Wittmann was a part of the Leibstandarte's Armoured Car Company in the 1939 Polish Campaign, in France during 1940 and the following spring in Greece. At this early stage of the war he was proving to be a natural battlefield soldier and laying the foundations for his future success. After this and climbing the ranks of the Leibstandarte, Michael Wittmann was posted to the Assault Gun Company, where his often independant role on the Eastern Front impressed is superiors. In late 1942 he was commissioned from the SS Junker School at Bad Toltz.
His first assignment as an officer was to the Liebstandarte's newly forming Tiger Company, as commander of the Light Platoon (Mk III Panzers). It was later in 1943 that the now acomplished tank commander and the Tiger were married together to form a fearsome combination on the battlefield.
Wittmann v Ekins
The Death of a Panzer Ace
Wittmann and the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
There was no direct comparability between the British and German awards systems of the Second World War. The British system developed from the Victoria Cross of the 1850s. The VC and the Military Cross (officers) and the Military Medal (other ranks) were for bravery, while medals such as the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Service Medal (again with a rank divide), though combat related, were normally awarded for reasons other than pure bravery e.g. successful command in battle. There was clearly, in practice, some overlap.
In contrast, the Iron Cross in all its grades from Second Class through to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross could be awarded as follows:
‘Article 1’
‘The Iron Cross is exclusively awarded for bravery before the enemy and for excellent merits in commanding troops. The award of a higher class must be preceded by the award of all preceding classes.’
Warrant of re-establishment 1 September 1939
Michael Wittmann’s awards of four grades of Iron Cross were therefore for battlefield bravery and achievement i.e. knocking out a lot of Soviet and British tanks.
At the re-establishment, the Knights Cross (Ritterkreuze (RK)) was newly inserted between the Iron Cross 1st Class (EK1) and the Grand Cross and the first awards were made following the 1939 Polish Campaign.
One of the principals of award was that of upgrade e.g. to receive the Iron Cross First Class a soldier had to already be a holder of the Iron Cross Second Class. Consequently, in what was to be a long war further grades of the Knights Cross were inserted, starting during the Campaign in the West in June 1940 with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves.
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and the separate award with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, w
ere added in September 1941.
At the same time, 28 September 1941, although not a part of the Iron Cross order, the German Cross in Silver (known as the ‘fried egg’) was instituted for distinguished service not in combat. It is mentioned here because it formerly ranked between the EK1 and the RK in the hierarchy of awards. On 16 November 1941 the German Cross in Gold was added for bravery. Michael Wittmann did not receive the German Cross.
The final grade, Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds was inserted in December 1944 and was restricted to being:
‘… awarded twelve times only, to honour before the German people the most successful combatants, who have received all grades of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.’
The Grand Cross remained Hitler’s personal award.
Michael Wittmann made his way up the Iron Cross order as follows:
- 12 July 1941, during the early stages of Operation BARBAROSSA he was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class. As a Scharfuhrer (Sergeant) Wittmann was the commander of a Stug III (assault gun)
- 8 September 1941, in Russia, Wittmann received the Iron Cross First Class. Still with a Stug unit Wittmann gained promotion to Hauptscharfuhrer.
- Now a Tiger platoon commander, on 14 January 1944 while serving in Russia he was awarded the Knights Cross.
'Between July 1943 and the beginning of January 1944 he has destroyed fifty six enemy AFVs, including T 34s and super heavy SPs. On 8 and 9 January he and his platoon halted and destroyed a Soviet tank Brigade’s attempted breakthrough, and in that battle he destroyed a further ten vehicles. On 13 January, nineteen T 34s and three super-heavy SP guns. His total then stood at 88 tanks and SPs.'
· 30 January 1944, back on the Eastern Front, with further kills bringing his total to 116, Wittmann was awarded the Knights Cross with oak leaves and received the following message:
In thankful appreciation of your heroic actions in the battle for the future of our people, I award you, the 380th soldier of the German Wehrmacht, the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Adolf Hitler.
The RK with Oak Leaves was awarded to Wittmann at the Wolfslair on 2 February.
· 22 June 1944, in Normandy, following the destruction of between twelve and fiurteenBritish tanks at Villers Bocage he was awarded the Knights Cross with oak leaves and Swords. He received his award from Hitler 3 days later.
