Fritz Witt
| Fritz Witt | |
|---|---|
Witt (centre) with Max Wünsche (left) and Kurt Meyer (right). France, 1944
|
|
| Born |
27 May 1908 Hohenlimburg, German Empire |
| Died | 14 June 1944 (aged 36) Venoix, Occupied France |
| Buried at | Champigny-Saint-André German war cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Waffen-SS
|
| Years of service | 1933–44 |
| Rank | SS-Brigadeführer |
| Service number |
NSDAP #816,769 SS #21,518 |
| Commands held | SS Division Hitlerjugend |
| Battles/wars | Invasion of Normandy † |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Fritz Witt (27 May 1908 – 14 June 1944) was a German Waffen-SS commander during the Nazi era. During World War II, he served with the SS Division Leibstandarte before taking command of the SS Division Hitlerjugend. He was killed in action in June 1944.
Born in 1908 into a family of a merchant, Witt worked in the textile industry until he lost his job in June 1931. Witt joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) (Nr. 816,769) in December 1931 and the SS (Nr. 21,518). In March 1933, Witt became a member of the SS-Stabswache "Berlin", a bodyguard unit to protect Adolf Hitler. It was renamed to SS-Sonderkommando "Berlin" in September and in the following month, Witt was appointed a platoon leader. This unit was the nucleus of the later SS Division Leibstandarte (LSSAH). In January 1935, Witt was appointed company commander in the SS-Standarte "Deutschland", a unit that later became part of the SS Division Das Reich.
Witt participated in the Invasion of Poland in September 1939 as a member of the motorized infantry regiment "Deutschland", which was subordinated to Panzer Division Kempf, a combined arms unit commanded by General Werner Kempf. Witt's unit took part in the Battle of the Border and then in the fighting at Zakroczym where men from Panzer Division Kempf committed the Massacre in Zakroczym on 28 September 1939. During the campaign, Witt was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross.
On 19 October 1939, Witt was appointed battalion commander in the SS-Regiment "Deutschland", leading the battalion in the Battle of the Netherlands and the Battle of France. On 4 September 1940, Witt was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was then transferred to the LSSAH on 16 October 1940 as battalion commander.
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