Tiger Ace; The Life Story of Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann

346, [6] pages. Illustrations. Oversized volume, measuring 10-3/4 inches by 7-3/4 inches. Ink name of previous owner written in ink inside the front board. DJ is price clipped. Decorative endpapers. Appendices include: Life Chronology, Villers-Bocage, Research Notes, and Additional Notes. The Appendices are followed by Bibliography & Sources and Index. Michael Wittmann, was not a man not at the top of the military pyramid, but at a lower level upon which the whole military structure depended. Unlike the high ranking German officers who commanded vast armies in the field through close coordination with their field commanders, and as such were usually removed from direct combat roles, Wittmann was placed in the heat of battle. His military exploits stand out from all of the rest, as his Sturmgeschutz III and Tiger I crews succeeded in destroying 138 enemy tanks and 132 antitank guns and field artillery pieces. Michael Wittmann (22 April 1914 - 8 August 1944) was a German Waffen-SS tank commander during the Second World War. He is known for his ambush of elements of the British 7th Armoured Division, during the Battle of Villers-Bocage on 13 June 1944. While in command of a Tiger I tank, Wittmann destroyed up to fourteen tanks and fifteen personnel carriers, along with two anti-tank guns, within the space of fifteen minutes. The news was picked up and disseminated by the Nazi propaganda machine and added to Wittmann's stature in Germany. For his actions during the battle, Wittmann was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer, and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.[ Wittmann became a cult figure after the war thanks to his accomplishments as a "panzer ace" (a highly decorated tank commander) as part of the portrayal of the Waffen-SS in popular culture. Historians have mixed opinions as to his tactical performance in battle. Some praised his actions at Villers-Bocage, while others found his abilities lacking, and the praise for his tank kills overstated. First Edition [stated], presumed first printing.…