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Fritz Witt - Early Life - Pre-War SS Service

Fritz Witt - Early Life - Pre-War SS Service: Encyclopedia II - Fritz Witt - Early Life - Pre-War SS Service

Fritz Witt was born on 27 May 1908 in Hohenlimburg, a suburb of the city of Hagen. Witt's family was middle class, his father being employed as a textiles salesman. After attending school Witt followed his father's trade, working as a textiles salesman from 1925 until 1931. During this period of time, he witnessed the rise of Adolf Hitler and the NSDAP, becoming a strong supporter. Witt saw the Nazis as the answer to the chaos and poverty of the Weimar Republic. On 1 December 1931, Witt applied to join both the NSDAP (Nr.816 769) and the SS ...

Fritz Witt: Encyclopedia II - Fritz Witt - Early Life - Pre-War SS Service

Fritz Witt - Early Life - Pre-War SS Service

In On 9 May 1934, Witt was promoted to SS-Obersturmführer, and soon after took command of the third company of SS-Standartenführer Felix Steiner's SS-Standarte Deutschland, one of the four Standarten which comprised the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT). The other Standarten were the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, SS-Standarte Germania and SS-Standarte Der Fuhrer). In October 1938, the SS-VT was subordinated to Heer command, stepping closer to it's future combat role.

While commanding the 3./SS-Standarte Deutschland, Witt was involved in the March into Austria as part of the anschluss. After this, the Standarte was motorised. The Deutschland now took part in the occupation of the Sudetenland. In March 1939, Witt served with the Standarte during the bloodless annexation of Bohemia and Moravia. Hitler ordered the formation of an SS-Verfügungs-Division, comprising all three SS-VT Standartes (The Leibstandarte was to form it's own unit). The Polish crisis put these plans on hold, and the SS-Standarten were deployed for action during the upcoming offensive, Fall Weiss. Witt's SS-Standarte (mot) Deutschland was subordinated to Panzer-Verband Kempf, based in East Prussia.

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1.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, 12.SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend, 1908, 1944, 21.Panzer-Division, 3.SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf's, 6 June, 8.8cm Flak 18s, anschluss, Adolf Hitler, Army Group South, Austria, Authie, Balkans, Battle of Stalingrad, Belgium, Bohemia, Bulgarian, Caen, Carpiquet, Champigny, Crimean Peninsula, Erich von Manstein's, Evrecy, Fall Weiss, Felix Steiner's, France, Gauleiter, Gerd von Rundstedt, German, German Cross, German Shepherd, Greece, Hagen, Heer, Hitler Youth, Hohenlimburg, I.SS-Panzerkorps, Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Invasion of France, Iron Cross, Joachim Peiper, Josef Dietrich, Juno Beaches, Kampfgruppe, Kharkov, Kiev, Knight's Cross, Kurt Meyer, Kurt Meyer's, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Martin Bormann, Matilda, Mius, Moravia, NSDAP, Normandy, Operation Marita, Operation Overlord, Panzer-Verband Kempf, Panzergruppe 1, Panzergruppe West, Paul Hausser, Perekop, Perekop Isthmus, Polish September Campaign, Rostov on Don, Rudolf von Ribbentrop, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf, SS-Panzerkorps, SS-Stabswache Berlin, SS-Verfügungs-Division, SS-Verfügungstruppe, Second World War, Stuttgart, Sudetenland, Sword, Third Battle of Kharkov, Venoix, Waffen-SS, Weimar Republic, Western Allies, Wilhelm Mohnke, panzergrenadier, panzers, textiles

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Early Life - Pre-War SS Service", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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