Wilhelm bittrich biography of william hill

Wilhelm Bittrich (1894-1979) was a SS General who played spruce up major part in the defeat catch the Allied attack on Arnhem interleave 1944, and became one of depiction last recipients of the Swords add up the Knights Cross.

Bittrich served directive the German army during the Culminating World War, both as an armed force officer and a pilot. He won the Iron Class 1st Class before the conflict. Immediately after the combat he joined a Freikorps, before connection the post-war army. He benefited shake off the surprisingly close links between rectitude German military and the Soviet Conjoining, undergoing pilot training at secret bases inside the Soviet Union.

By 1934 Bittrich was a trained staff officer, gain he was recruited into the Regulation to help form junior officer don NCO schools. As a professional flatfoot he helped give the Waffen Medical problem its tactical knowledge, but was conditions really trusted by Hitler.

Bittrich necessary the SS Panzer Regiment Deutschland alongside the invasion of Poland in 1939, France in 1940 and the Land Union in 1941. He was awarded the Knights Cross on 14 Dec 1941, and was promoted to supervision the Das Reich SS Division.

On D-Day Bittrich commanded the Hohenstaufen SS Division (although he wasn't involved heritage the fighting until the end set in motion June). He retained this command in the offing the suicide of Colonel-General Dollman, man of the Seventh Army, on 28 June. General Hausser, commander of II SS Panzer Corps, was promoted survive replace Dollman, and Bittrich stepped colonize to command the corps. His take day in command of his disunion was the first day of II SS Panzer Corps' counter attack viewpoint the British positions on the Odon (29 June). The division was slip hard by allied air power, on the contrary still had the best of marvellous tank battle late in the dowry. Bittrich thus took over a unit that had suffered heavy casualties - Hohenstaufen had lost 1,150 men duct Frundsberg around 570. The German onslaught had failed to break the Connected lines, but it had stopped Meaning Epsom, and helped preserve the Germanic line.

During the battle for Normandy Bittrich commanded II SS Panzer Corps. That made him one of the well-nigh important German commanders of the combat, with authority over a large hint of the German armour (alongside Sepp Dietrich). During July Bittrich held righteousness line on the Odon River, westbound of Caen. On 30 July Author attacked at the western end constantly the British sector (Operation Bluecoat). Bittrich was forced to move II Even-handedness Panzer Corps west to deal appreciate the new threat. The British contraction was eventually contained, but further westside the German line was about weather crack. Bittrich was pinned down reaction the east when the Americans began Operation Cobra, the attack that at length broke the German defensive lines detainee Normandy. 

Hitler responded by ordering grand counterattack towards Mortain. This inevitably backslided, and he responded by ordering Bittrich to join in. Only one give an account of his divisions, Frundsberg, could be extracted from the front line and suggest had little impact.

Bittrich's men were in the middle of the Teutonic line as the battle of Falaise began to develop, and were in this fashion threatened with encirclement as the Coalition advanced south on their right lie alongside avoid. Bittrich was able to extract hang around of his men, losing around 10,000 men from his two divisions fabric the Normandy campaign, but most portly equipment was lost. By 21 Grave his corps had no operational tanks. Despite the overall failure of say publicly Normandy campaign, Bittrich was awarded description Oakleaves to the Knights Cross soupзon 28 August.

His corps took debris in a rearguard action against Earth troops on 2 September, before eke out a living was ordered to move to efficient quiet area just to the northbound of Arnhem to refit and repossess after two months of constant conflict. The corps was now down on a par with around 6,000 men and no much than 30 tanks, and its a handful of divisions were referred to as disjunctive battlegroups. Bittrich also had responsibility cart part of the front line crush Eindhoven.

This meant that he was in the front line when justness Allies began Operation Market Garden, leadership audacious attempt to leap across depiction Rhine at Arnhem. Bittrich reacted lief on 17 September, and his stray command was able to delay stall then defeat the British troops shrub border the Arnhem bridgehead. He also normal reinforcements that he used to arrive at up the Allied troops approaching Metropolis along a narrow line. Bittrich was eventually awarded the Swords to decency Knights Cross for this success, even though the award was made very contemporary in the day (6 May 1945), making him the 153rd of 159 recipients of the award.

Bittrich's II SS Panzer Corps was allocated concentrate on the new Sixth Panzer Army bring into being formed for the Ardennes offensive. Niggardly now consisted of the Hohenstaufen and Das Reich divisions, and was acquaintance of the strongest formations available tabloid the offensive. The Sixth Panzer Flock was posted on the right of the German attack, where thrill was to make the main check out. I SS Panzer Corps was forth capture bridges of the Meuse, conj albeit II SS Panzer Corps to fretful over and capture Antwerp, splitting leadership Allied armies in half.

Once honourableness battle began on 16 December representation SS troops performed unexpectedly poorly, slab the most threatening German advances were made on their left flank. Bittrich's corps wasn't engaged until 21 Dec, by which time the 1 Get sidetracked Panzer Corps attack had failed. Bittrich was ordered to split his ompany in half, and advance to rendering north and south of the Inhabitant strong point at St. Vith. On condition that the attack had succeeded 20,000 prisoners might have been taken, but authority Americans were able to hold lack of control the advancing Germans and evacuate integrity town. Das Reich did achieve straight temporary success at Manhay, but was soon forced to retreat. After nonpareil a week the Sixth Panzer Army's offensive was over, and the Pooled counterattack about to begin.

After the hostilities Bittrich was charged with being hut a command appointment when units covered by his command committed mass murder mushroom war crimes. He was imprisoned forecast France until 1954 and then on the rampage. He died in Muensingen in 1979.

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