Career Timeline

22.04.12 Born in Vogelthal, Landkreis (District) Beilngries, Oberpfalz, Bayern
01.02.34 Joins Freiwillige Arbeitsdienst (FAD, later Reichsarbeitsdienst or RAD)
30.10.34 Assigned to 10. Kompanie of the 19th Army Infantry Regiment, Freising

01.11.35 Promoted to Gefreiter
30.09.36 Period of Army service ends
01.04.37 Career in Waffen-SS begins. Joins 17. Kompanie, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler at the rank of SS-Mann. SS number 311,623

01.11.37 Promoted to SS-Sturmmann
13.03.38 Awarded Austria reunification (Anschluss) medal
01.10.38 Awarded Sudetenland medal

20.04.39 Promoted to SS-Unterscharführer
03.09.39 War declared. Wittmann is at this time an armoured car commander
16.07.40 Concludes assault gun training. Posted to new StuG unit in Paris-Clarmant
06.04.41 Start of campaign in the Balkans and Greece
22.06.41 Operation “Barbarossa”, the invasion of the USSR, begins
12.07.41 Awarded Iron Cross 2nd Class following successful action in Ukraine

Anschluss Medal, 13th March 1938
Anschluss Medal, 13th March 1938
Sudetenland Medal, 1st October 1938
Sudetenland Medal, 1st October 1938
Iron Cross Second Class
Iron Cross Second Class

20.08.41 Awarded Wound Badge in Black following injury caused by shell fragments
08.09.41 Awarded Iron Cross First Class for further achievements
09.11.41 Promoted to SS-Oberscharführer
21.11.41 Awarded Tank Assault Badge in Silver on claiming twenty-five victims

Verwundetenabzeichen (Wound Badge)
Verwundetenabzeichen (Wound Badge)
Iron Cross First Class
Iron Cross First Class
Panzerkampfabzeichen (Panzer Assault Badge)
Panzerkampfabzeichen (Panzer Assault Badge)

04.06.42 Begins officer training at the Junkerschule, Bad Tölz
00.08.42 Awarded Royal Bulgarian Soldiers Cross of the Order of Bravery 2nd Class
00.08.42 Awarded Eastern Front (“Frozen Flesh”) Medal
05.09.42 Completes training, posted to Panzers as Officer Candidate

Royal Bulgarian Soldiers Cross of the Order of Bravery 2nd Class
Royal Bulgarian Soldiers Cross of the Order of Bravery 2nd Class
Eastern Front Campaign Medal
Eastern Front Campaign Medal

21.12.42 Promoted to SS-Untersturmführer
25.12.42 Assigned Commander of Light Platoon, 4. Kompanie, LSSAH
31.03.43 Moved to Tiger Company as commander of the 3rd Platoon, 4. Kompanie
05.07.43 Beginning of Operation “Zitadelle”, the battle of Kursk
05.08.43 Given command of 2nd Platoon, 3. Kompanie 101. Panzerbattalion LSSAH
30.12.43 Given command of 2. Kompanie 101. Panzerbattalion LSSAH
14.01.44 Awarded the Knight’s Cross after halting Russian attack near Sherepki
30.01.44 Awarded the Oakleaves for destroying over 60 enemy tanks in less than a month

30.01.44 Promoted to SS-Obersturmführer
02.02.44 Officially Awarded Oakleaves by Hitler at the Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg
01.03.44 Marries Hildegard Burmester in Erbstdorf

21.06.44 Promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer
22.06.44 Awarded the Swords following the successful attack at Villers-Bocage
25.06.44 Receives the Swords from Hitler at the Berghof

Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes
Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes
Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub
Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub
Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwerter
Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwerter

10.07.44 Assigned Battalion Commander, 101. Panzerbattalion LSSAH
08.08.44 Killed in Action around St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Normandy

Michael Wittmann's autograph

The Story of Michael Wittmann