Michael Wittman and the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte in WWII, Volume Two

Author: Patrick Agte Series: Stackpole Military History

Michael Wittmann was by far the most famous tank ace on any side in World War II, destroying 138 enemy tanks and 132 anti-tank guns with his Tiger. This classic of armored warfare is both combat biography and unit history, as Patrick Agte focuses on the life and career of Wittmann but also includes his fellow Tiger commanders in the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Volume Two follows Michael Wittmann and his unit into Normandy to defend against the Allied invasion. A week after D-Day, Wittmann achieved his greatest success. On June 13, 1944, near Villers Bocage, the panzer ace and his crew attacked a British armored unit, single-handedly destroying more than a dozen tanks and preventing an enemy breakthrough. The exploit made Wittmann a national hero in Germany and a legend in the annals of war. He was killed two months later while attempting to repulse an Allied assault.

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Summary

Accounts of what it was like to command a tank in combat * Contains maps, official documents, newspaper clippings, and orders of battle Volume Two follows Michael Wittmann and his unit into Normandy to defend against the Allied invasion. A week after D-Day, Wittmann achieved his greatest success. On June 13, 1944, near Villers Bocage, the panzer ace and his crew attacked a British armored unit, single-handedly destroying more than a dozen tanks and preventing an enemy breakthrough. The exploit made Wittmann a national hero in Germany and a legend in the annals of war. He was killed two months later while attempting to repulse an Allied assault, but the book continues beyond his death until the Leibstandarte's surrender.

About the Author

Patrick Agte has written a biography of another renowned tank commander, Jochen Peiper (0-921991-46-0).

More on this Book

Barely two months after leaving the Eastern Front, Michael Wittmann and the Leibstandarte found themselves in Normandy facing the Allied invasion in June 1944. A week after D-Day, Wittmann achieved his greatest success, single-handedly destroying more than a dozen British tanks and preventing an enemy breakthrough near Villers Bocage. He was killed several months later while leading a Tiger battalion against an Allied assault. The Leibstandarte went on to fight at the Battle of the Bulge and in Hungary and Austria before surrendering in May 1945.