Fritz WITT - De la "Leibstandarte" 1933 à la Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend" 1944

The life and death of the commander of the SS-Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend"! Fritz Witt, with his exceptional military career, certainly merited a publication of this kind. Born in 1908, he grew up in a Germany in crisis and was among the very first 117 men selected by Joseph "Sepp" Dietrich in 1933 to form the "SS-Stabswache Berlin"—a unit that rapidly evolved into the "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler." After becoming a lieutenant and company commander in 1935, he was transferred to the SS-Standarte "Deutschland." He completed several *Heer* (Army) training courses and served under or was trained by distinguished tactical officers such as Generals Hube, Steiner, and Hausser. During the 1939 campaign in Poland, he earned both classes of the Iron Cross; subsequently, he became the sixth Waffen-SS officer to receive the Knight's Cross, having distinguished himself in combat with his battalion in the Netherlands and France in 1940. Dietrich recalled him to the "Leibstandarte," and Witt soon excelled in Greece and later in the USSR (from 1941 to mid-1942). He went on to earn the German Cross in Gold and later distinguished himself at Kharkov in early 1943 while commanding the "Leibstandarte's" 1st Infantry Regiment, receiving the Oak Leaves for his service. Highly regarded by the leadership and a protégé of Dietrich, he was tasked with forming a division composed of 17-year-old Hitler Youth members; at age 35, he became the second-youngest German general, surpassed only by Adolf Galland. In June 1944, he was killed in action after leading his "youngsters" in operations against the Canadian and British forces that had landed in Normandy. This book explores Fritz Witt's entire career—including the lesser-known periods with the "Leibstandarte" and "Deutschland" units—offering a deeper understanding of this officer's rise. This investigation by Peter Mooney—conducted with his son Peter and numerous veterans as well—makes for a truly exceptional biography.