Michael Wittmann

Michael Wittmann
Wittmann in 1944
Born	(1914-04-22)22 April 1914 Vogelthal, Bavaria, German Empire
Died	8 August 1944(1944-08-08) (aged 30) near Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Normandy, German-occupied France
Buried	La Cambe German war cemetery (reinterred)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer (1934–1936) Waffen SS (1936–1944)
Years of service	1934–1944
Rank	SS-Hauptsturmführer
Unit	SS Division Leibstandarte 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kursk Operation Citadel Western Front Western Allied invasion of France Battle of Normandy Battle of Villers-Bocage Operation Totalize  †
Awards	Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Michael Wittmann (22 April 1914 – 8 August 1944) was a German Waffen-SS tank commander during the Second World War. He is known for his ambush of elements of the British 7th Armoured Division during the Battle of Villers-Bocage on 13 June 1944. While in command of a Tiger I tank, Wittmann destroyed up to 14 tanks, 15 personnel carriers and two anti-tank guns within 15 minutes before the loss of his own tank.

Wittmann became a cult figure after the war thanks to his accomplishments as a "panzer ace" (a highly decorated tank commander), part of the portrayal of the Waffen-SS in popular culture. Historians have mixed opinions about his tactical performance in battle. Some praised his actions at Villers-Bocage, while many others found his abilities lacking, and the praise for his tank kills overstated.^[1][2]

Although the number is disputed, he is credited with destroying 135 to 138 enemy tanks. German tank kills were recorded as a unit.^[3] When he was presented with the Oak leaves to his Knights Cross by Hitler on 2 February 1944 his total was 117 tanks.^[4]