Fritz Witt

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Fritz Witt bigraphy, stories - SS general

Fritz Witt : biography

25 May 1908 – 14 June 1944

Fritz Witt (27 May 1908 – 14 June 1944) was a German Waffen-SS officer who served with the 1.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler before taking command of the 12.SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend. Witt was killed by an allied naval barrage in 1944.

Normandy invasion

On 6 June 1944, the Western Allies launched Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. Witt’s Division, along with the 21st Panzer Division, was the closest armoured unit to the landing beaches. Witt readied the division for immediate action, but was forced to wait for Hitler’s personal authorisation releasing the panzer units. The unit did not move out until 14:30, early in the afternoon of D-Day on 6 June. The division’s advance to the areas near Sword and Juno Beaches was severely hampered by incessant Allied fighter-bomber attacks. Forward elements of the division finally reached their assembly area near Evrecy at 2200 on 6 June, too late in the day to be committed to action.

Witt ordered his division to form up north of Caen, defending the city and the Carpiquet Aerodrome. On 7 June, SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer’s 25th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, along with the 2nd Battalion from SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche’s 12th SS Panzer Regiment, attacked the advancing 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, destroying 28 Canadian tanks and annihilating a company of The North Nova Scotia Highlanders for the loss of only six tanks, according to Meyer’s recollection of the battle after the war. Records from the 27th Canadian armored regiment rather suggest that at least 31 German tanks were destroyed, mainly Panzer IV’s. Infantry casualties on both sides were heavy; the North Nova’s lost 242 men, including 128 prisoners; German casualties are uncertain, but at least 50 German wounded were seen by Canadian prisoners at the nearby Abbaye d’Ardenne. It is generally believed that the 12th SS lost around 80 killed and 150+ wounded. One thing is certain though: the 12th SS fell short of their objective, which was to push back the allies to the sea, but they did stop their advance north of Caen for weeks. Meyer’s regiment was then deployed near the villages of Authie and Buron, in positions covering Carpiquet.

On 8 June, the 26th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment under command of SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Wilhelm Mohnke arrived and took up positions to the west of Meyer. Upon arrival, the regiment launched an attack towards Norrey-en-Bessin, capturing the vital village. The 12th SS Reconnaissance Battalion, under the command of SS-Sturmbannführer Gerd Bremer deployed to the west of Mohnke’s regiment, and by the evening of 8 June the division was in position to halt the allied advance on Caen. Witt visited the front frequently, working hard to provide all the support he could to his subordinates. He set up his command post at the village of Venoix, close to the front lines.

Over the next week, Witt’s division managed to hold the line above Caen despite incessant determined attacks and constant air, artillery and naval bombardments. The HJ inflicted devastating losses on the British and Canadian forces, the training which Witt had developed maintaining his unit’s morale and fighting ability. However, Witt himself was not immune from the unrelenting Anglo-Canadian attacks.

On 14 June, a British naval barrage hit the divisional command post in Venoix. Witt was hit in the face by shrapnel and killed instantly. The division and his former 1st Panzer Division comrades mourned his loss. The 33 year old Kurt Meyer was ordered to take command of the division.

Witt was buried with full military honours at Champigny—Saint-André-de-l’Eure in France.

Summary of SS career

Dates of rank

  • SS-Obersturmführer: May 9, 1934
  • SS-Hauptsturmführer: June 1, 1935
  • SS-Sturmbannführer: May 25, 1940
  • SS-Obersturmbannführer: November 27, 1941
  • SS-Standartenführer: January 30, 1943
  • SS-Oberführer: July 1, 1943
  • SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS: April 20, 1944