Description:

DIETRICH RECOMMENDS MICHAEL WITTMANN FOR THE KNIGHTS CROSS WITH OAK LEAVES AND SWORDS
JOSEF 'SEPP' DIETRICH (1892 - 1966) German SS General, one of Nazi Germany's most decorated soldiers. Prior to 1929 he was Hitler's chauffeur and bodyguard but received rapid promotion after his participation in the Night of the Long Knives. Commanded the 6th Panzer Army in the Battle of the Bulge. SEPP DIETRICH RECOMMENDS WITTMANN FOR A KNIGHTS CROSS WITH OAK LEAVES AND SWORDS, THE SAME DAY AS THE BATTLE OF VILLERS-BOCAGE An astounding document, SS Panzer General Sepp Dietrich's personal recommendation of SS-Leutnant MICHAEL WITTMANN (1914-1944) for the Swords to his Knights Cross, written on the very day Wittman and his Tiger tank crew destroyed 14 British tanks, 15 personnel carriers and two anti-tank guns within 15 minutes before his own tank was finally disabled by anti-tank fire. The recommendation is comprised of two parts signed by Dietrich. The first, 1p. 4to., Headquarters, I SS-Panzerkorps 'Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler', [Villers-Bocage], June 13, 1944, is a simple cover letter reading in part:'...RECOMMENDATION NO. 1 FOR THE AWARD OF THE OAK LEAVES, WITH SWORDS, TO THE KNIGHT'S CROSS...TO SS LIEUTENANT MICHAEL WITTMANN COMMANDER 2ND TROOP/101ST SS IND. TANK SQUADRON...' Boldly signed by Dietrich at bottom. The second document, 2pp. 4to., was likewise prepared by Dietrich at his headquarters the same day as the battle, and sets forth Wittmann's heroic actions deserving of this high award. It reads, in full: 'On the 12.6.1944, SS Lieutenant Wittmann had the task of protecting the corps' left flank near Villers-Bocage, since it was expected that the British armoured forces which had broken through would push on to the south and south-west. There were no armoured infantry available. Wittman took up his position at the appointed time with 6 Mk.VI tanks. During the night of 12/13.6.1944, Wittmann's troops had to change position three times, on account of very heavy artillery fire, and in the early morning hours of 13.6.1944 stood ready for action, with 5 MK.VI tanks, at point 213, north-east of Villers-Bocage. Around 1800 hours, an outpost reported to SS Lieut. Wittmann that a strong column of enemy tanks was moving along the Caen - Villers-Bocage road. Wittman who, with his 'Tiger' tanks lay concealed 200m. south of the road, recognised it as a British tank squadron, followed by a British armoured infantry battalion. The situation required very rapid action. Wittman was not in a position to give further orders to his men who were standing dismounted, but immediately pushed straight into the British column with his tank, while firing on the move. The enemy column was at once split up by this sudden attack. At a range of 80m. Wittman knocked out 4 Sherman tanks, got into and alongside the column with his 'Tiger', and moved along it, firing at a range of 10 to 30m. in the direction of travel. In a very short space of time, he succeeded in putting 15 heavy enemy tanks out of action. 6 further tanks were hit, and the crews forced to bale out. The battalion accompanying the tanks was almost completely wiped out. The 4 tanks of Wittmann's troops that came up behind him took some 230 of them prisoner. Wittman pressed on, far ahead of his troops, into the village of Villers-Bocage. In the centre of the village, his tank was hit by a shot from a heavy enemy tank, and rendered immobile. Even so, he destroyed all the vehicles that were within range and scattered the enemy unit. Then, Wittmann baled out with his crew, made his way 15 kms, on foot northwards to the Tank Training Division, reported to the GI (Ops.), turned about immediately and, with 15 Mk.IV tanks from the Tank Training Division, pushed forward afresh to Villers-Bocage. His amphibious Volkswagen had joined up with him again, and with it, he made his way to 1st Troop, now positioned along the main road to Villers-Bocage, and launched it - in accordance with his reading of the tactical situation against the enemy tanks and A/Tk. guns that were still in the area. By his determined action, Wittman largely destroyed, single-handed with his tank, a strong enemy column, (in fact, the British 22nd Armoured Brigade), which was on the attack and moving deep in the rear of our front, and entirely on his own initiative, with the highest degree of personal courage - warded off a serious danger threatening the whole front of I SS Armoured Corps. At that moment, the corps had no further reserves available. Counting today's battle, Wittmann with his tank has reached a total of 138 enemy tanks and 132 enemy A/Tk. guns knocked out....' Boldly signed by Dietrich at the conclusion. Both documents are in fine condition, and NOT trimmed at bottom as scans may appear to indicate. The Germans would take Villers-Bocage, a vital communications center, and hold it until August 4, greatly delaying British attempts to move on Caen. Carlo D'Este wrote that Wittmann's attack was 'one of the most amazing engagements in the history of armoured warfare'; Max Hastings called it 'one of the most devastating single-handed actions of the war', and Antony Beevor wrote that it was 'one of the most devastating ambushes in British military history'. On June 22, 1944 - only nine days later - Wittmann would be awarded the Swords to his Knights Cross, the honor no doubt expedited by the enormous amount of publicity (and propaganda) his feat had received in Germany. Wittmann himself met his end a few months later, on August 8 near Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil. During an ambush, anti-tank shells fired from Canadian tanks penetrated the upper hull of Wittmann's tank, igniting the ammunition within. The resulting fire engulfed the tank and blew off the turret, killing Wittmann and his entire crew. This is arguably one of the most important Knights Cross recommendations ever to come to market, and it would surely be the most coveted piece in any dedicated collector's holdings.

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November 29, 2023 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

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