Michael Wittmann Biography

Michael Wittmann was a German military officer who served as a German Waffen-SS tank commander during the Second World War. He gained recognition for his surprise attack against elements of the British 7th Armoured Division, during the Battle of Villers-Bocage on June 13, 1944. As the commander of a Tiger I tank, Wittmann took out up to fourteen tanks and fifteen personnel carriers, as well as two anti-tank guns, within 15 minutes. Originally from the Kingdom of Bavaria, Wittmann joined the German Army in 1934 and was associated with it for the next two years. He then became a member of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and was designated to the regiment, later division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), a year later. Wittmann participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union in the spring of 1941. Later, he saw combat in Normandy. The Nazi propaganda machine made him a cult figure during his lifetime and used him to promote service in the German military.