Fritz Witt: Encyclopedia II - Fritz Witt - Paris - Kharkov

Fritz Witt - Paris - 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 SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1. 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-Panzerkorps. The SS-Panzerkorps, 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 defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad.

Witt's 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 I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, 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-Panzerkorps' 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 panzers, artillery and assault guns, and was tasked with 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, Witt and Meyer's kampfgruppes see intense fighting, and are cut off several times inside the city. Despite this, they hold and Kampfgruppe Peiper under Joachim Peiper reach them and together the three Leibstandarte units annihilate the Soviet defenders.

By 21 March, the battle is over. In honour of the 4,500 casualties suffered by the Leibstandarte in the fighting, Kharkov's Red Square is renamed Platz der Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. The division was pulled back for much needed rest and refit. For his actions leading his Kampfgruppe, Witt was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross and promoted to SS-Oberführer.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Paris - Kharkov", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki