During the fighting in Normandy in the Summer of 1944, audacious panzer ace Michael Wittmann and a force of heavy Tiger tanks destroyed a British armored column in Villers-Bocage. This article appears in: Spring 2017 By Major General Michael Reynolds The "single-handed" attack by Wittmann early on, has excited imaginations to the extent that some historians and writers conclude that it has dominated the historical record to an unwarranted degree and that while "remarkable", the role of Wittmann in the battle has been exaggerated. Background D-Day and Operation Perch
VillersBocage Wittmann's Tigers, the Desert Rats, and Allied Disaster
SS Lieutenant Michael Wittman was already a Tiger ace with at least 100 kills on the Eastern Front before Villers-Bocage. This photo was taken a week after the fighting at Villers-Bocage. Brigadier Hinde was aware that a German counterattack was likely. At 9:00 am Sergeant O'Connor, belonging to the 1st section of company A of the 1st Rifle Brigade, progressed on the road at level 213 aboard his half-track when he discovered Wittmann's Tiger tank. He screams on the radio: " Good God, we have to get out of here! There is a Tiger tank that is progressing about fifty meters from us! During the late morning of August 8, 1944, the day famed tank commander Michael Wittmann would meet his end in combat, German SS-Oberführer (Colonel) Kurt "Panzer" Meyer sat in his staff car as his driver made his way toward the town of Cintheaux, France, near the front lines. Led by Wittmann's Tiger Nr. 205, Tigers of the Second Company head towards the area surrounding the town of Villers-Bocage, June 1944 The build up: Morning, 13th June 1944. On the morning of 13th June, the available LSSAH panzer unit commanders conferred with "Sepp" Dietrich to discuss their plan of action.
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In June of 1944 Wittmann was in command of a company of tanks of the 101st Heavy Tank Battalion of the 1st SS Panzer Division. Already highly experienced and decorated, Michael Wittman was credited with over 100 tank kills before he arrived in Normandy, most on the eastern front. Michael Wittmann, the most successful panzer ace of the Second World War and in the history of warfare was a charismatic person and his accomplishments on the battlefield were often met with praise. Before he became the famous Ace, he served as a private, joining the Army in 1934. The battle of Villers-Bocage was one of the more infamous incidents of the Normandy campaign, that took place on 13 June 1944, one week after the Normandy La. The element of surprise was crucial. Wittmann slowly approached the highway, accompanied by the two other running Tigers 221 and 223 belonging to SS-Untersturmführer Hantusch and SS-Oberscharführer Brandt, with SS-Unterscharführer Sowa in the half-fit 234 sitting back to provide the rearguard.
Photo 7 Michael Wittmann in VillersBocage, 13 june 1944 Dioramas and Gallery on
When he made the decision to turn against the British armour and take his Tiger into Villers-Bocage, Michael Wittmann had set out on a path that would write its own chapter in the history books. The "Huet-Godefroy Tiger" Michael Wittmann was soon to become the most famous Tiger tank commander in the Waffen-SS for his exploits at Villers-Bocage.. Michael Wittmann was soon to become the most famous Tiger tank commander in the Waffen-SS for his exploits at Villers-Bocage. The plan for Operation Perch in June 1944 was for the British 7th Armoured Division to.
The battle of Villers-Bocage (13 June 1944) was one of the more infamous incidents of the Normandy campaign, and saw an advanced force of British armour almost destroyed by Michael Wittmann's Tiger tanks, before a larger German counterattack forced the British to retreat.However the battle also cost the Germans several Tigers, the first lost in Normandy. He was wounded twice but stayed with his unit. During heavy fighting in the southern Rostov-on-Don area, Wittmann's panzer demolished six Russian tanks in a single engagement. He was promoted to SS oberscharführer (technical sergeant) and awarded the Panzer Assault Badge and Iron Cross First Class.
Tiger 1 nr. 007 commanded by Michael Wittmann in action at VillersBocage where he single
The Battle for Villers-Bocage on the 13 th June 1944 saw SS-Untersturmführer Michael Wittmann's Tiger S04 and its crew of 5, including SS-Rottenführer Bobby Woll, SS-Panzerschütze Werner Irrgang, SS-Panzerschütze Sepp Rössner and SS-Sturmann Eugen Schmidt enter into battle. Updated: Jun 12, 2021. June 13, 1944. Normandy. A British tank unit moving out from the village of Villers-Bocage runs into an ambush engineered by SS Captain Michael Wittmann. The Tigers of his company rip into the Allied force in one of the legendary tank actions of history, with Wittmann's Tiger launching on a reckless run and blazing.
