MICHAEL WITTMANN (1914-1944), proud son of the Bavarian village of Vogelthal and winner of the coveted Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves and Swords, has to go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, exponent of the art of armoured warfare in the modern era.

During his many campaigns both on the Eastern front and in the West, Wittmann was to make a name for himself with his exceptional skill and bravery, and would highly respected both by his colleagues and superiors and acknowleged after the war for his achievements by his former enemies. While his skill had been recognised on the harsh battlefields on the Eastern Front, his exploits during the Normandy campaign of 1944 – and the famous assault at Villers-Bocage – were to elevate him to the status of a legend...

CAREER TIMELINE

• 22.04.12 Born in Vogelthal, Landkreis (District) Beilngries, Oberpfalz, Bayern
• 01.02.34 Joins Freiwillige Arbeitsdienst (FAD, later Reichsarbeitsdienst or RAD)
• 30.10.34 Assigned to 10. Kompanie of the 19th Army Infantry Regiment, Freising
• 01.11.35 Promoted to Gefreiter
• 30.09.36 Period of Army service ends
• 01.04.37 Joins 17. Kompanie, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler at the rank of SS-Mann. SS number 311,623
• 01.11.37 Promoted to SS-Sturmmann
• 13.03.38 Awarded Austria reunification (Anschluss) medal
• 01.10.38 Awarded Sudetenland medal
• 20.04.39 Promoted to SS-Unterscharführer
• 03.09.39 War declared. Wittmann is at this time an armoured car commander
• 16.07.40 Concludes assault gun training. Posted to new StuG unit in Paris-Clarmant
• 06.04.41 Start of campaign in the Balkans and Greece
• 22.06.41 Operation “Barbarossa”, the invasion of the USSR, begins
• 12.07.41 Awarded Iron Cross 2nd Class for his success in Greece

Anschluss Medal, 13th March 1938

Sudetenland Medal, 1st October 1938

Iron Cross Second Class

• 20.08.41 Awarded Wound Badge in Black following injury caused by shell fragments
• 08.09.41 Awarded Iron Cross First Class for further achievements
• 09.11.41 Promoted to SS-Oberscharführer
• 21.11.41 Awarded Tank Assault Badge in Silver on claiming twenty-five victims

Verwundetenabzeichen (Wound Badge)

Iron Cross First Class

Panzerkampfabzeichen (Panzer Assault Badge)

• 04.06.42 Begins officer training at the Junkerschule, Bad Tölz
• 00.08.42 Awarded Royal Bulgarian Soldiers Cross of the Order of Bravery 2nd Class
• 00.08.42 Awarded Eastern Front (“Frozen Flesh”) Medal
• 05.09.42 Completes training, posted to Panzers as Officer Candidate

Royal Bulgarian Soldiers Cross of the Order of Bravery 2nd Class

Eastern Front Campaign Medal

• 21.12.42 Promoted to SS-Untersturmführer
• 25.12.42 Assigned Commander of Light Platoon, 4. Kompanie, LSSAH
• 31.03.43 Moved to Tiger Company as commander of the 3rd Platoon, 4. Kompanie
• 05.07.43 Beginning of Operation “Zitadelle”, the battle of Kursk
• 05.08.43 Given command of 2nd Platoon, 3. Kompanie 101. Panzerbattalion LSSAH
• 30.12.43 Given command of 2. Kompanie 101. Panzerbattalion LSSAH
• 14.01.44 Awarded the Knight’s Cross after halting Russian attack near Sherepki
• 30.01.44 Awarded the Oakleaves for destroying over 60 enemy tanks in less than a month
• 30.01.44 Promoted to SS-Obersturmführer
• 02.02.44 Officially Awarded Oakleaves by Hitler at the Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg
• 01.03.44 Marries Hildegard Burmester in Erbstdorf
• 21.06.44 Promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer
• 22.06.44 Awarded the Swords following the successful attack at Villers-Bocage
• 25.06.44 Receives the Swords from Hitler at the Berghof

Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes

Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub

Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwerter

• 10.07.44 Assigned Battalion Commander, 101. Panzerbattalion LSSAH
• 08.08.44 Killed in Action around St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Normandy...