Bio of Oberst Alfred Wittmann (1906-1960)

Alfred Ernst Louis Wittmann

Date of Birth: 20.05.1906 - Meiningen, Thuringen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 26.07.1960 - Frankfurt am Main, Hesse (West Germany)

Parents: Ernst Wittmann and Alma Wittmann

Promotions:
27.06.1927 Polizei-Wachtmeister
01.05.1930 Polizei-Oberwachtmeister
01.04.1933 Polizei-Offizieranwärter
01.04.1933 Leutnant der Landespolizei
01.07.1934 Oberleutnant
01.10.1937 Hauptmann (with RDA from 01.10.1937 [17])
01.10.1941 Major (with RDA from 01.02.1942 [59a])
00.00.194_ Oberstleutnant
01.02.1944 Oberst

Career:
12.04.1926 - 31.03.1927 Training at Polizeischule Münden
01.04.1927 - 29.05.1934 Career as a Schützpolizei officer
30.06.1934 - 29.02.1936 Stab L.F.A.
01.03.1936 - 30.09.1936 III.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 57
01.10.1936 - 11.10.1937 Stabsoffizier Infanterie-Regiment 57
12.10.1937 Adjutant Infanterie-Regiment 36
00.00.19__ II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 427
00.05.1944 Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 546

Awards and Decorations:
02.10.1936 Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse
12.04.1938 Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht III.Klasse
16.06.1940 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
24.10.1940 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
10.12.1941 Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
24.12.1941 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
15.05.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 546 / 389.Infanterie-Division

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Alfred Wittmann was an active officer who had started his career in the Reichswehr police, and reached the officer ranks while serving with the Schutzpolizei in Frankfurt am Main in 1933. By the start of the war, he served as Hauptmann and Adjudant with Infanterie-Regiment 36. Wittmann started accumulating awards in the French campaign, where he earned the EKII and the EKI. In his first winter on the Russian front, he earned the DKiG as Bataillonskommandeur of Infanterie-Regiment 427, part of the 129. Infanterie-Division fighting on the Rzhev front.  

Later on, he would be promoted to Oberstleutnant and took command of Grenadier-Regiment 546, part of the 389. Infanterie-Division in the refreshing operation following the destruction of this division at Stalingrad. With the 389.ID, he fought the Russians on the southern sector of the Eastern Front, finally ending up in the Tscherkassy pocket early 1944. Wittmann was lucky to escape from the encirclement with the remnants of his regiment, and would later be deployed in another encirclement, the Kurland pocket. For his courage commanding his regiment in the Cherkassy battle, Alfred Wittmann was awarded the prestigious Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on May 15th, 1944. After a last promotion to Oberst, Wittmann survived the war but passed away at the age of 54 in Frankfurt on 26th of July, 1960.

Source :
Jim Haley photo collection
https://crainsmilitaria.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64_76&product_id=2602
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=159818&p=1414392&hilit=alfred+wittmann#p1414392
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/20995/Wittmann-Alfred-Grenadier-Regiment-546.htm