Kharkov
In the early months of 1942, Witt's battalion continued defensive actions along the Mius. In May 1942, the division went back on the offensive and Witt's battalion was again committed to action in the recapture of Rostov on Don. After over a month's heavy fighting, the city had fallen, and the exhausted division was ordered back to France to rest and refit. Witt had led his formation exceptionally over this period, and as a reflection, in the month of July 1942 he was awarded the Order of the Star of Romania, Officer Class with Swords on the Ribbon of Military Virtue, and the Bulgarian Military Order for Bravery in War 4th Class, 1st Grade.
The Leibstandarte was to be reformed as a Panzergrenadier division. For refitting and training, the division was ordered to the Normandy area in Northern France. Witt travelled the scenic countryside, unknowingly gaining information which would later prove invaluable. In August, he was promoted to SS-Standartenführer and given command of the Leibstandarte's 1st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment. Witt and the division spent the remainder of 1942 resting and refitting in France.
In January 1943, the reformed SS Panzergrenadier Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was deemed ready for action, and together with the SS Panzergrenadier Division Das Reich and the SS Panzergrenadier Division Totenkopf was formed into the SS Panzer Corps. The SS Panzer Corps, commanded by Witt's old commander Paul Hausser, was sent east to Kharkov to join Erich von Manstein's Army Group Don which was attempting to halt the Soviet advance after the 6th Army's defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad.
Witt's 1st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment was stationed in the outskirts of Kharkov, and in early February saw heavy fighting against the forces of the Soviet Mobile Group Popov. At the town of Merefa, Witt's regiment, fighting alongside SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche's 1st Battalion/1st SS Panzer Regiment, fought a bitter delaying action on 8–9 February. Although severely outnumbered, Witt and Wünsche halted the spearhead of Mobile Group Popov, inflicting heavy losses on the Soviets. Despite these actions, the Soviets were still advancing on the SS Panzer Corps' flanks. Fearing encirclement, Hausser disobeyed Hitler's orders and authorised a full withdrawal from Kharkov.
In early March, Witt's regiment now took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov. Witt's force was reinforced with tanks, artillery and assault guns, and was given the task of attacking from the North. The force, renamed Kampfgruppe Witt, was to form one of three pincers which would destroy Mobile Group Popov and recapture Kharkov.
The attack got underway on 2 March, and by 10 March KG Witt had reached the suburbs of Kharkov. After ferocious fighting near Dergatschi, Witt broke through and advanced into the city centre, fighting alongside Kurt Meyer's Kampfgruppe Meyer. Over the next few days, the Kampfgruppes of Witt and Meyers' saw intense fighting, and were cut off several times inside the city. Despite this, they held and Kampfgruppe Peiper under Joachim Peiper reached them and together the three Leibstandarte units annihilated the Soviet defenders.
By 16 March, the battle was over, with Kharkov retaken. In honour of the 4,500 casualties suffered by the Leibstandarte in the severe fighting, Kharkov's Red Square was renamed Platz der Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. The division was pulled back for much needed rest and refit. For his actions in leading his Kampfgruppe, Witt was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross and promoted to the rank SS-Oberführer.
Read more about this topic: Fritz Witt, Paris