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In 2006, during my visit to the German military cemetery at La Cambe, I visited the graves of the crew of Tiger Ausf E Nr 007, the armoured vehicle of the famous SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann of the s.SS-Pz.Abt.101 (schwere. SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101), the same unit as SS-Oberscharführer Hans Swoboda, who lies at the Mont de Huisnes mausoleum and was the subject of an article on HistoReich.
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| The Tiger Ausf E destroyed at Villers-Bocage is believed to belong to SS-Oberscharführer Hans Swoboda |
Who is Michael Wittmann ?
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| SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann on Invasionsfront |
Michael Wittmann's biography is worth more than a blog post. I recommend reading: Tiger Ace, The life story of Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann or Michael Wittmann & the Waffen SS Tigers commanders of the Leibstandarte in WWII by Patrick Agte.
Michael Wittman was born on 22 April 1914 in Vogelthal in Germany.
30/10/1934-30/09/1936. Served in the Wehrmacht with the 10/Inf.Rgt 19
01/11/1936. SS-Mann to the LAH n°SS 311 62,
11/11/1937. SS-Sturmmann
20/04/1939. SS-Unterscharführer
09/11/1941. SS-Oberscharführer
21/12/1942. SS-Untersturmführer. SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz
03/1943. SS-Untersturmführer 13/SS-Pz-Rgt.1/1 SS Panzer-Division Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler"
30/01/1944. SS-Obersturmführer
21/06/1944. SS-Hauptsturmführer, head of 2./s.SS-Pz.Abt.101
August 1944. Kommandeur s.SS-Pz.Abt.101
08/08/1944. Michael Wittmann disappears with his crew at Gaumesnil near Cintheaux at 12.55pm. Despite an extensive search, the bodies are never found.
23/03/1983. A farmer discovers bones and quickly reports this to the authorities. The remains of crew 007 were finally found in the field where the Tiger had been destroyed. A leather jacket, a black uniform, an SS officer's belt, a 6.35 pistol, part of a headset, Luftwaffe clothing (Günther Weber's), identification plates and part of the skeletons were found.
What is a Tiger Ausf E ?
Several projects for a new battle tank were submitted in 1941, among which stood out Henschel's VK 3001 (H), Porsche's 30-tonne VK 30001 (P) and Henschel's 36-tonne VK 3601. None made it beyond the prototype stage and a new VK 4501 project was ordered. The armoured vehicle was to weigh 45 tonnes and be equipped with an 88 mm.
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| Henschel's VK 4501 (H) will become the famous Tiger after a few improvements |
Two prototypes were presented to Adolf Hitler on his birthday, 20 April 1942. A Porsche and a Henschel, both with a Krupp turret and the main armament being an 88mm KwL L/56 gun.
Judged too complicated, the Porsche project was rejected by lm but its study was retained for the creation of the heavy ‘Ferdinand’ Jagdpanzer, named after its creator, Ferdinand Porsche. The armoured vehicle was finally called the Elefant.
Henschel won the contract in August 1942. The official name of the heavy armoured vehicle was Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf H1 then Pz.Kpfw Tiger I /Ausf E, production started in August 1942 and ended in August 1944. A total of 1,354 were produced.
Where I can see a Tiger ausf E in Europa ?
HistoReich has presented three articles on the Tiger Ausf E, Wittmann's model tank.
.jpg "Tiger Ausf E near Vimoutiers") |
| Tiger Ausf E near Vimoutiers |
We can see another one in Germany, in Panzermuseum Munster. The history of the Tiger is described in this article : le grand retour du char Tiger
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| The Tiger Ausf E, Panzermuseum Munster in Germany |
The crew of Tiger 007 on Invasionsfront
At the start of the Invasionsfront, Wittmann's Tiger was number 205. Wittmann had a young SS-Sturmmann Günther Boldt as loader, who was later assigned to Tiger number 321.
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| Wittmann's Tiger 205 goes to the Invasionsfront. The Tiger was hit in the Battle of Villers-Bocage |
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From left to right: SS-Unterscharführer Karl Wagner pointer, SS-Sturmmann Rudolf Hirschel radio operator, SS-Unterscharführer Heinrich Reimers tank pilot. No photo for SS-Sturmmann Günther Weber loader. |
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| SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann on Invasionsfront |
Tank commander, SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann
Driver, SS-Untersharführer Heinrich Reimers
20 years old. Born on 11/05/1924 in Schnepke
Pointer, SS-Untersharführer Karl Wagner
24 years old. Born on 31/05/1920 in Eppisburg
Loader, SS-Sturmmann Günther Weber
A former member of the Luftwaffe's Flak unit
19 years old. Born on 21/12/1924 in Sprockövel
Radio operator, SS-Sturmmann Rudolf Hirschel
20 years old. Born on 03/01/1920 in Gleiwitz
Nr 007 was in fact the Tiger of the unit's commander, SS-Sturmbannführer Heinz von Westernhagen (who was killed on 20 March 1945 in Hungary).
Wittmann's Tiger 205 was the ‘official’ tank but the crew will be killed on board Nr 007
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| Tiger Nr 007 where Wittmann will be killed |
Destruction of Tiger 007
August 8th 1944 in Normandy, the Allied forces had broken through the front line and were heading for Falaise, it is "Opération Totalize". On the night of August 7-8, 1,020 enemy bombers bombed the area of the future offensive. Ten planes were shot down. During the night, the 51st Division's armored troops took Garcelles, Saint Aignan and Cramesnil, and pushed south towards the woods they occupied. The German 89.ID lines are broken.
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| The German counter-attack. Note the canadian military cemetery along RN 158 in 1947. |
For the Anglo-Canadians, the next step is to push along the RN 158. Facing them are a few units of the 12.SS Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend, a few Tigers from the schwere. SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 and some artillery from Werfer-Regiment 83.
At 12.30 pm, near Cintheaux, under artillery fire, six Tigers take the Route Nationale 158 and head north towards Caen. They are supported by artillery, Hitlerjugend infantry and Panzer IVs. Gaumesnil was soon on their left. Although the terrain was flat and well suited to the power and range of the German 88mm guns, the crews were wary of the wooded area to their right. Suddenly there was carnage. Two Tiger were destroyed, followed by a third a few minutes later, two Panzer IVs are also destroyed nearby. The other two Tigers, on the other side of the road, were also destroyed.
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| Map of German, Canadian and British positions. We can see Cintheaux, Gaumesnil |
Although the Germans knew that Saint Aignan de Cramesnil was occupied by the enemy, they did not know that Canadian tanks had taken up position in Gaumesnil. Caught in a vice, to the right and to the left by Sherman Firefly tanks, death was bound to be at the end of the road.
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| The plain where the Tigers were destroyed, on the left the farm where Wittmann's Tiger was destroyed nearby. |
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Wittman's Tiger 007 was destroyed near a farm. In the distance, we can see the trees where the British Fireflies were hidden. |
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| Wittmann's Tiger destroyed by fire from the farm on the other side of the road |
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| Tiger Nr 007 destroyed, the crew was buried nearby |
It wasn't just Wittman's crew that died, the Tiger Nr 134 also suffered casualties, the SS-Unterstumführer Willi Iriohn dying in the confrontation, the other crew members are unfortunately unknown.
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| SS-Untersturmführer Irhion's Tiger Nr. 134. Note the impact on the turret |
SS-Untersturmführer Karl Heinz Porsch, 1.Zug de la 5.Panzerkompanie/12.SS Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend is dead too. He's buried at La Cambe Bloc 17 grave 257
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| SS-Untersturmführer Karl Heinz Porsch, |
In search of the crew of Tiger 007
In 1947, when SS-Rottenführer Herbert Debusmann, a prisoner of war, was tasked with "clearing out" the Gaumesnil sector, he saw five Tiger guns destroyed and two Panzer IVs, with the SS-Pz.Abt 101 insignia clearly visible on the armoured glacis. He described Tiger Nr 007 with its turret ripped off, although he was not sure whether it was Wittmann's or not. Another Tiger from the 2 Kompanie, which did not appear to be damaged, was nearby. He noted their locations imprecisely but clearly enough to locate the tanks approximately.
In any case, Wittmann's Tiger remained in the field until 1948, when it was scrapped. The remains of the crew are buried nearby.
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| The French join the German team to recover the remains of the crew |
It was in 1982, while preparing a book, that Jean Paul Pallud went to the scene of the final battles of the Tiger crew. In a field, he discovered pieces of glass and metal from a German tank, as well as two graves dug by local people at the end of the fighting. In one of the graves was a severely mutilated body, wearing black shoes but no boots. The Volksbund was contacted and more serious, scientific excavations were to be carried out. The search resumed in March 1983 under the direction of Otto Horst, and a number of clues were discovered that proved the body to be that of a Panzer crew. Boots, remnants of black uniforms, an officer's belt, dentures (we know that Wittmann was missing some teeth), an Erkenungsmarke and a pistol in a pocket.
After searching the archives, the Erkennungsmarke was identified as belonging to SS-Unterscharführer Heinrich Reimers. The dental file of SS-Hauptsturmführer Wittmann confirms that the dental bridge is indeed that of the famous German AS. The archaeological finds are now stored at the Volksbund headquarters in Kassel.
And SS Sturmmann Günter Boldt ?
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| SS-Sturmmann Günter Boldt, loader of Wittmann's Tiger on the Invasionfront |
While we are at La Cambe, let's go to block 27, grave 169. Here we will find the grave of SS-Sturmmann Günter Boldt, who was born on 23 January 1925 in Königsberg and died on 20 July 1944.
I remind you that SS-Sturmmann Günter Boldt was SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann's loader at Villers-Bocage.
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| Tiger 321 destroyed, Günter Boldt mortally wounded |
On 20 July 1944 near Tilly-la-campagne, a Tiger of the 2./s.SS-Pz.Abt.101, to which the young SS-Sturmmann Günter Boldt had been reassigned, was hit head-on. Boldt's foot was literally torn off, but he managed to extricate himself from the burning Tiger and drag himself several metres. He succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.
As veteran of the Eastern Front, he had been awarded the Croix de Fer 1st and 2nd class.
The german military cemetery of Cambe
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The Deutscher Soldaten Friedhof in La Cambe is located in Normandy. It is home to a large number of Waffen SS.
The graves of the Tiger crew
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| The stones of the members of the crew of Tiger 007 |
The headstones of the members of the crew of Tiger 007 can be found at the following location:
Block 47, Row 3 Grave 120. When you enter, it is on the right-hand side of the cemetery. Over the years, a few bastards have stolen the stones in 2015 and 2018.
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| Michael Wittmann's stone stolen in 2015 |
Of the 5 crew members buried, only 3 have been formally identified: Michael Wittmann, Heinrich Reimers and SS-Sturmmann Rudolf Hirschel. As the 5 bodies were originally "mixed", the crew now lie in a common grave.
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June 1983, La Cambe cemetery. Veterans of the 1.LSSAH and the 12 SS Hitlerjugend pay tribute to the crew of Tiger 007. In the centre of the photo, SS-Obersturmbannführer Hubert Meyer of the 12.SS Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend", who died on 16 November 2012. |
We can also see the grave of the SS-Untersturmführer Willi Iriohn (Tiger Nr 314) : Block 18 grab 68.
What we can see too
Near Cintheaux at Bretteville-sur-Laize, along Route Nationale 158, is the Canadian military cemetery with 2960 graves. There is also a monument erected near Saint Aignan de Cramesnil, Northamptonshire Yeomanry street.
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| Canadian military cemetery at Bretteville-sur-Laize |
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| Saint Aignan de Cramesnil, Northamptonshire Yeomanry |
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