Michael Wittman

[hunterkiller]

Hi Guys,can anyone tell me the serial numbers-and colours of numbers on the turret of Wittmans Tiger?

[971wright]

This will start a few arguements which one the one he was killed in .He had the choice of which tank to drive if his was being repaired he would take another .list that I know he drove 007 205 223 and there are more.

regards pete

[tankmad]

Here is a good site for most things you want to know about wittmann http://www.achtungpanzer.com/gen3.htm
Stevie

[littletankman]

Hi Hunterkiller
        You have started the ball rolling now . As far as I know it was Tiger 007 that he was killed in . But I think he had a different one at Villers Bocage .There is a big debate going on about this on several forums .Some say he drove another tank as his was faulty ,the named commander of that tank which he used , people say again he was in another tank not his own . It just goes on and on  Im affraid. Good luck .

All the best Littletankman

[wibblywobbly]

Just don't ask who claimed the final hit.....

[FireflyKeith]

Who claimed the final hit

[littletankman]

Hi Hunterkiller ,
 
I think this post will receive a lot of intrest . Ive seen pictures of Tiger no. 007 its in a bad way with the turret blown of . I think he was surounded by five Sermans and they all hit him at the same time .Dont hold me to this tho . But who fired the desisive shot  ???

Littletankman

[wibblywobbly]

Ooooo nooooooo.....

The full story of what exactly happened to Michael Wittmann and his crew might perhaps never be known, although his legendary reputation has led to him being 'claimed' by a number of Allied units that had been operating in the area at the time. According to one source, Wittmann's Tiger had found itself cornered by tanks of the1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry, B Sqn, 144 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps and the 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusiliers) in the area around St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, while the Canadians have claimed that the Panzer ace had been surrounded and destroyed by a platoon of Shermans belonging to their4th Armoured Division. The Polish 1 st Armoured division also staked their claim. Elsewhere it has been postulated that Wittmann's Tiger had fallen victim to an attack carried out by Allied airborne forces.

Further research has exposed the holes in many of these claims; for instance, the like taken by the Poles actually took them east of St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, and moreover they did not cross their start line until 1355, more than an hour after Wittmann had been reported missing. The claim made for the Canadian 4th Armoured can also be doubted in that their main thrust had taken place through the town of Rocquancourt. The operations record book of 2 Tactical Air Force and the lack of any tank kill conformation in the area on that day can be used to discount the claim that Wittmann's tiger had been destroyed from the air - although there had been confirmed tank kills in the Argentan-Fliers-Falaise area.

From all of the evidence that has been presented, it would appear that only two of those parties named can present claims that can be supported by any kind of evidence: the1 st Northants Yeomanry and the Sherbrookes. According to members of the Sherbrookes, one of their Fireflies had engaged a Tiger close to the RN158, but that this Tiger had been at the time facing in the direction of an orchard where tanks of the 1st Northants Yeomanry had been deployed. From this, it can be deduced that Wittmann's Tiger could have been destroyed by any one, if not both, of these two parties. However, the RHQ vehicle of the Sherbrookes had been destroyed not long after this sighting, so there is no concrete record of the event. (Thanks to Brian Reid for further information on the events of 8th August 1944).

Full details on

http://www.panzerace.net/english/pz_bio.asp?page=5

along with turret 007!

His grave is the only one in the German War Grave Cemetary that has been turned into a shrine, there are even contributions from British War Vets as testiment to the respect that they had for him. It was quite a humbling event to be stood there looking at it.

[FireflyKeith]

[littletankman]

This is going to be the top subject of a post