Among the new recruits at the time of the Czech takeover was a man who was to acquire legendary status in the ranks of the corps. His name was Michael Wittmann. Michael Wittman was born in the tiny village of Vogelthal, in the Upper Pfalz, on 22 April 1914. He was the first son of a farmer, Johann Wittmann, and his wife Ursula.
In 1934, at the age of 21, Wittmann joined the Germany army, signing up for a two-year tour. In the first days of the Nazi regime compulsory military service had not yet been reintroduced so Wittmann was a volunteer when he reported for military service in Freising, with the 19th Infantry Regiment. As a small standing army, comprised exclusively of volunteers, the inter-war Reichswehr was a high-quality force which expected very high standards. Wittman met those exacting standards and on the 1st November 1935, after one year in the service he was promoted to Grefreiter. The following year was the halcyon period for the Nazi party in Germany. The first flushes of economic successes for Hitler’s National Socialists impressed the young Wittman. In the closed world of the military, the fervent Nazi beliefs of many of his colleagues also made an impression. Many of his colleagues planned to join the newly formed Waffen-SS and Wittmann decided that he, too, would join the military wing of the Nazi party after his own army service. On 1st November 1936 Wittmann applied for admission to the SS, and was accepted into what was to become one of the most notorious organisations in history.
In the case of many exceptional German soldiers, such as Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, supporters have subsequently tried to play down the enthusiasm they held for Hitler and all he stood for. This is not true of Michael Wittmann. In his case there was to be no redeeming conversion or late change of allegiance. He was a simple man and the seductive allure of the Nazi party drew his unquestioning obedience. Wittmann was given the SS number 311623 and proved to be a model National Socialist. In his free time he participated in sports, recruiting, and took part in the mass political demonstrations and rallies of the period. Thanks to his rigorous military background. Wittmann met the very strict selection criteria and was accepted. He began training with his new unit on 5 April 1937, at the main cadet school in Berlin-Licherfelde. Wittmann was assigned to the 17th Company, which was an armoured scout car platoon. As part of an elite formation, the men of the armoured Scout Company received an intensive training course, which transformed them into expert soldiers.
These skills were later to stand him in good stead, but for the time being the new-found expertise was not needed. Hitler was still achieving his aims by a mixture of bluff and inspired gambles. In October 1938 Wittmann took part in the entry into the Sudetenland. The reception he witnessed as waves of excitement swept through the people made a lasting impression on him. The storm of jubilation eclipsed even the fervent national socialist rallies which he had attended. He was awarded his first of many medals, commemorating the reunification of Austria and the Sudetenland with the German Reich. From now on, medals and decorations would occupy a special place in Wittmann’s affections.
Michael Wittman was to become the most famous tank commander of World War II. His story is woven into the narrative of this book.