FAQ
Answers to common questions
panzerace.net has been running for the best part of a decade, but from time to time visitors may have certain questions to ask about the site, its subject and what motivates it. The purpose of this FAQ is to provide answers to these common questions.
What is the purpose of panzerace.net?
Panzerace.net was initially created as a small portrait of the wartime Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann, and has since become a thorough dossier of the man's life and career. The site serves as archive for information, which can be used by anyone from military historians and model makers through to students of the Second World War.
Is panzerace.net yet another of those sites that lionises the Nazis?
No. panzerace.net, if anything, is fiercely critical of the Nazi regime and its political record. The site has been used as an educational and historical resource by many people around the world, and source material from the site has been used for partworks, historical journals and for the exclusive guides provided with the historically authentic Forces of Valor 1/16 scale Michael Wittmann Tiger tanks.
Does panzerace.net glorify the wartime record of the Waffen-SS?
The purpose of panzerace.net is to bring the historical record in line with the facts, and its purpose is to provide a balanced portrayal of Michael Wittmann and the role he played as one of the war's premier tank commanders. While this naturally may suggest a certain sympathy with the Waffen-SS, it is not the intention of the site.
Does panzerace.net have any wider political objectives?
No. The site is an historical resource, and does not promote any political position or persuasion. Those who have visited the site and played a part in either research or the forum community are first and foremost Panzer enthusiasts. The site is not concerned with politics, but military history.
Is it true that neo-Nazis might take an interest in the subject matter?
Naturally. The subject concerns a figure who fought in one of the many uniforms of Nazi Germany, and as such might be seen as a heroic figure by certain fringe elements. However, this fact has no bearing on the content of the site, which offers no ideological support to such individuals. The site has had help and assistance from people from around the world, and their only thing in common has been an interest in military history.
Might some sections of the community find some areas of the site offensive?
This is always a risk with any site that discusses a subject that might be described as in some way controversial. The site does not promote any ideology past or present, and its sole purpose is to provide information to those who might be interested in military history in general, and the career of Michael Wittmann in particular.
Was Michael Wittmann a war criminal?
This is a loaded question. In the context of the Nuremberg judgement which decreed that the Waffen-SS was a criminal organisation, it could be argued that Michael Wittmann, and every other soldier who fought in the uniform of the Waffen-SS, were war criminals. However, this blanket judgement is part of the reason why I have felt the need to bring history back in line with the facts.
Michael Wittmann was a soldier who excelled on the field of battle, and had no involvement in any shape or form with acts that might have been judged as war crimes. He is as much a war criminal as any other soldier who performed a similar combat role during the Second World War, whether it be the regular German Army or any of the Allied armed forces.
The branding of the Waffen-SS as a criminal organisation has been proven to be nonsensical: the American historian George H. Stein's study of postwar de-Nazification records suggests that ninety-nine percent of all Waffen-SS personnel were not involved in any sort of criminal activity. SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann and his fellow Tiger commanders are among this number.
Was Michael Wittmann a Nazi?
No. Michael Wittmann was not a member of the NSDAP, and both records and various anecdotes from former contemporaries suggest that he had no time for politics. He was first and foremost a professional soldier, and an officer who was known and respected by his men as being not at all ideological.
Some of the items on sale in the shop might be seen as promoting Nazism, such as the symbol of the Totenkopf ("Death's Head") on the beer mugs and glasses. Might this not be seen as offensive?
The designs on all of these items are the divisional insignia of the seven premier Waffen-SS Panzer divisions, and were seen on the vehicles of those military formations. This includes the Totenkopf and the Viking sunwheel symbol which were used by the 3rd and 5th Panzer Divisions respectively.
But might these symbols not be seen by some as offensive?
This is possible, though in much the same way as some people may see the symbols of the Soviet Red Army offensive, an image of Joseph Stalin, Chairman Mao or Che Guevara. It is all a matter of interpretation, and everyone is usually offended by something.
But isn't the Totenkopf a symbol of death, an overt Nazi symbol that might be used by neo-Nazis?
It is likely that neo-Nazis may make use of the Totenkopf as a symbol that represents their ideals. But in the same way a supporter of Stalin's genocidal policies might say the same thing about one of the many fashionable articles of clothing adorned with the face of Che Guevara. The point is that neo-Nazis and other extremists will continue to exist even if such items were unavailable.
But isn't the Totenkopf a hate symbol?
The Totenkopf has been projected as a "hate" symbol due to the lack of education surrounding its history. The SS chose this symbol not because they wanted to have something scary on their headgear, but because it was an age-old symbol used by military elites. The use of the Totenkopf as a military insignia can be traced back to the early nineteenth century; a derivation is still used today by the Queen's Royal Lancers, a cavalry unit of the British Army.
Why is the symbol of the 5th Panzer Division a Swastika?
The symbol of the 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking" was the sunwheel, an ancient and folkloric Viking symbol that predated the Nazis. Given the fact that the core of this division were Scandinavians, this symbol was chosen as the divisional insignia.
Might neo-Nazis not purchase the Panzer Division merchandise?
I have no doubt that some people who may express interest in these items may harbour certain fringe beliefs; however, in my experience these items have proven far more interesting for military enthusiasts. This has been borne out by the fact that the most popular items have been those featuring the Leibstandarte key symbol - something which your common or garden neo-Nazi would be ignorant of or indifferent to.
Why can I not purchase any panzerace.net items using PayPal?
Paypal, like its parent company eBay, has a number of policies in place that have determined that items classified as "Nazi memorabilia" and the like are banned. This is why you cannot purchase a politically neutral item like the Michael Wittmann t-shirt while at the same time being able to buy a similar item adorned by a smiling Mao Tse-Tung. Try going to eBay and searching for "Mao t-shirt".
