Wittmann in Belgium

[oscarpilli]

Hello dear collectors,
That picture was took , in Belgium in the area of Mons I suppose ( ghlin ) from what i see , is it possible that his crew wearing assault gunner jacket with for some regular m43 ss green cap ? Or they wear pea dot camo jacket ?
picture supposedly took between March and April 1944
Thank you for opinion

[Lou58]

For me they look Pea dot jackets and M43 caps.

Lou

[Gran Sasso]

What has the photo to do with Witmann?

[lennard999]

image_4810257.jpg Hi,

Photo is of Gunther's Tiger 311, with the 3rd Company commander Raasch, briefing his Tiger commanders, the sSS Pz Abt 101 commander, von Westernhagen, is looking over his shoulder.

Always thought this photo sequence was taken in Normandy, maybe not ??

cheers Paul

[oscarpilli]

What has the photo to do with Witmann?

According to internet was took in the area of Mons ?

[JanC]

Hi,

Photo is of Gunther's Tiger 311, with the 3rd Company commander Raasch, briefing his Tiger commanders, the sSS Pz Abt 101 commnader, von Westernghagen, is looking over his shoulder.

Always thought this photo sequence was taken in Normandy, maybe not ??

cheers Paul

Thought that too...I do have it in some books about the battle of Normandy. Will check what description it has

[Gran Sasso]

According to internet was took in the area of Mons ?

My question still stands - what has that photo to do with Michael Wittmann?

[lennard999]

Hi,
Yes, what has it to do with Wittmann ?, apart from its the same Battalion, but for interest, at least five of the soldiiers being briefed are Unterscharfuhrers, whch makes it very likely that Raasch and Westernhagen are briefing all the14 tiger commanders of the 3rd Kp plus a few others. The one looking at the camera on the right of the photo, wearing a greatcoat, is apparently Uschaf Otto Blase, chef Tiger 314. Anybody know any of the others ?.

[oscarpilli]

My question still stands - what has that photo to do with Michael Wittmann?

According to the net wittmann visit his crew and supposed the be wittmann crew ( I suppose ) but according to the info , I get on this thread It is not his crew .

[oscarpilli]

Wittmann

[Lloyd I.]

Facts matter. You're probably reading a yet another terrible Pinterest caption where re-pinning leads to continued misinformation.

The series you are talking about which usually misidentifies SS-Ostuf. Hanno Raasch with M. Wittmann was taken in Beauvais when 3.Kompanie was conducting field exercises.

When 3rd Kompanie was in Mons they still had high visibility turret numbers as seen in the below images.

Tiger 3rd Kompanie s.SS-Panzer Abt 101 Mons, France 1944 II.jpg Tiger 3rd Kompanie s.SS-Panzer Abt 101 Mons, France 1944.jpg

The image you posted shows Tiger 311 and the following

1. SS-Ustuf. Willi Iriohn
2. SS-Stubaf. Heinz von Westernhagen
3. SS-Ostuf. Hanno Raasch, Führer 3.Kompanie
4. SS-Uscha. Otto Blase
5. SS-Uscha. Alfred Günther, Commander of Tiger 311
6. SS-Uscha. Hoffman, driver of Raasch's Tiger 305

image_4809986 copy.jpg

[Lloyd I.]

For your reference here is a portrait of SS-Obersturmführer Hanno Raasch

SS-Obersturmführer Hanno Raasch.jpg

SS-Ostuf. Raasch would in this same series take command of Tiger 311 and von Westernhagen would ride the rear engine deck to observe the field exercise in Beauvais May 1944. I hope this helps answer your question.

Hanno Raasch and Heinz von Westernhagen beauvais May 1944.jpg

[TK GUY]

Great information and photos Lloyd.
Thank you for posting them.

Paul