File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-299-1802-09,_Michael_Wittmann_b.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Michael Wittmann
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OverviewAI-generated
Michael Wittmann (1914–1944) was a German military personnel and soldier who served in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He held the rank of Hauptsturmführer and was a member of the Schutzstaffel and the Nazi Party. His active service period spanned from 1934 to 1944. Wittmann was killed in action in Caen and is buried at the La Cambe German war cemetery.
The provided records also list an author named Michael Wittmann, born in 1870, who wrote fifteen works including *Die grundfragen der ethik* and *Die Ethik des Aristoteles in ihrer systematischen Einheit und in ihrer geschichtlichen Stellung untersucht*. This individual is distinct from the soldier.
Synthesized by Vinony from 31 facts across 5 sources: Wikidata, Open Library, Crossref, Last.fm, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Key facts
- 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
- Branch
- German Army , Waffen SS
- Service years
- 1934–1944
- Rank
- SS- Hauptsturmführer
- Unit
- SS Division Leibstandarte , 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion
- Conflicts
- 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
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Michael
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Nazi Germany
- Place of death
- Caen
- Occupation
- soldier
- Political party
- Nazi Party
- Languages spoken
- German
- Conflict
- World War II
- Military branch
- Waffen-SS
- Military rank
- Hauptsturmführer
- Image
- Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-299-1802-09, Michael Wittmann.jpg
Show 12 more facts
- Commons category
- Michael Wittmann
- date of birth
- 1914-04-22
- date of death
- 1944-08-08
- member of
- Schutzstaffel
- Commons gallery
- Michael Wittmann
- place of burial
- La Cambe German war cemetery
- different from
- Albert Widmann
- military casualty classification
- killed in action
- name in native language
- Michael Wittmann
- start of work period
- 1934-00-00
- P8168
- Ciarán McMenamin
- end of work period
- 1944-00-00
via Wikidata · CC0
~31 min read
Encyclopedic overview
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.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Michael Wittmann” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.