Early War Campaigns
On 1 September 1939, the Invasion of Poland began, sparking the Second World War. Witt was still in command of the 3./SS-Standarte Deutschland, and although the Deutschland played a mostly supporting role to Kempf's panzers, Witt's company saw some heavy fighting and he served well during the campaign. For personal bravery in combat, Witt was awarded both the first and second classes of the Iron Cross within a ten day period.
By October 1939, Witt had attained a rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer and was placed in command of I.Battalion of the Deutschland, redesignated SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Deutschland. In the same month, the SS-Verfügungs-Division was formed and placed under the command of SS-Gruppenführer Paul Hausser.
Witt led his battalion through the Invasion of France, again showing bravery and skill commanding his unit. On 27 May 1940, 20 British Matilda tanks attacked Witt's battalion. Despite the fact that Witt's unit had no anti-tank weapons, Witt rallied his battalion and they held, destroying nine of the British tanks with grenades and other improvised methods. In Hausser's post battle report, he said of Witt's actions
- The opinion of the Regimental commander, describing him as the soul of the resistance, must be stressed. Witt is the model of the young leader, never retreating in the face of anything
For his actions repulsing the armoured attack, Witt was awarded the Knight's Cross, which he received on 4 September 1940.
On 16 October, Witt was transferred to the Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, where he took command of III.Battalion.
Read more about this topic: Fritz Witt
Famous quotes containing the words early, war and/or campaigns:
“I believe that if we are to survive as a planet, we must teach this next generation to handle their own conflicts assertively and nonviolently. If in their early years our children learn to listen to all sides of the story, use their heads and then their mouths, and come up with a plan and share, then, when they become our leaders, and some of them will, they will have the tools to handle global problems and conflict.”
—Barbara Coloroso (20th century)
“I realized how for all of us who came of age in the late sixties and early seventies the war was a defining experience. You went or you didn’t, but the fact of it and the decisions it forced us to make marked us for the rest of our lives, just as the depression and World War II had marked my parents.”
—Linda Grant (b. 1949)
“That food has always been, and will continue to be, the basis for one of our greater snobbisms does not explain the fact that the attitude toward the food choice of others is becoming more and more heatedly exclusive until it may well turn into one of those forms of bigotry against which gallant little committees are constantly planning campaigns in the cause of justice and decency.”
—Cornelia Otis Skinner (1901–1979)