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Rudolf Witzig entered the history books as the heroic captor of Belgium s supposedly impregnable fortress Eben Emael in May 1940 the first time that glider-borne troops were used in the war. To many people, he is also known as the commander of the battle group that fired the first shots of the Tunisian campaign. Remarkably, next to nothing has been written about him as an individual. This biography, completed with the full support of Witzig s widow and son, is a comprehensive history of the man and also provides important new detail on the German parachure arm that he served. In the course of his service, he was awarded the coveted Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross. He could not be awarded the decoration because he had not yet earned the Iron s Crosses 2nd and 1st class to resolve the problem he was awarded all three on the spot. Witzig was involved in Operation Mercury, the invasion of Crete, but was injured during the fighting. After his recovery, he was sent to Tunisia where he was credited with several successful defensive actions. He ended the war in captivity, surrendering to the Allies on 8 May 1945, the day after his name was placed on the Honour Roll of the Luftwaffe.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a meticulously researched biography of Rudolf Witzig, a well-known and highly decorated member of Germany's parachute forces: the Fallschirmjäger.
In this book Colonel Villahermosa presents Witzig's entire life story from his childhood and pre-war training to his battles during the Second World War and post-war service in the Federal German Army.
Using interviews both with surviving wartime comrades of Witzig and his family, as well as unpublished material written by Witzig himself, the author has produced a comprehensive and well written narrative of his subject's eventful life. It is sure to appeal to everyone with an interest in the history of the Fallschirmjäger in particular and airborne forces in general.
Although I favour the use of original (in this case, German) rank, unit names and military terminology etc. in works of serious military history such as this; this is only a personal preference and should not be seen as a criticism of a excellent book which would grace any Second World War military history enthusiast's bookshelf.
Highly recommended.
In this book Colonel Villahermosa presents Witzig's entire life story from his childhood and pre-war training to his battles during the Second World War and post-war service in the Federal German Army.
Using interviews both with surviving wartime comrades of Witzig and his family, as well as unpublished material written by Witzig himself, the author has produced a comprehensive and well written narrative of his subject's eventful life. It is sure to appeal to everyone with an interest in the history of the Fallschirmjäger in particular and airborne forces in general.
Although I favour the use of original (in this case, German) rank, unit names and military terminology etc. in works of serious military history such as this; this is only a personal preference and should not be seen as a criticism of a excellent book which would grace any Second World War military history enthusiast's bookshelf.
Highly recommended.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
8 reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Highly Recommended!
10 Nov 2010
Format:Hardcover
This is a meticulously researched biography of Rudolf Witzig, a well-known and highly decorated member of Germany's parachute forces: the Fallschirmjäger.
In this book Colonel Villahermosa presents Witzig's entire life story from his childhood and pre-war training to his battles during the Second World War and post-war service in the Federal German Army.
Using interviews both with surviving wartime comrades of Witzig and his family, as well as unpublished material written by Witzig himself, the author has produced a comprehensive and well written narrative of his subject's eventful life. It is sure to appeal to everyone with an interest in the history of the Fallschirmjäger in particular and airborne forces in general.
Although I favour the use of original (in this case, German) rank, unit names and military terminology etc. in works of serious military history such as this; this is only a personal preference and should not be seen as a criticism of a excellent book which would grace any Second World War military history enthusiast's bookshelf.
Highly recommended.
In this book Colonel Villahermosa presents Witzig's entire life story from his childhood and pre-war training to his battles during the Second World War and post-war service in the Federal German Army.
Using interviews both with surviving wartime comrades of Witzig and his family, as well as unpublished material written by Witzig himself, the author has produced a comprehensive and well written narrative of his subject's eventful life. It is sure to appeal to everyone with an interest in the history of the Fallschirmjäger in particular and airborne forces in general.
Although I favour the use of original (in this case, German) rank, unit names and military terminology etc. in works of serious military history such as this; this is only a personal preference and should not be seen as a criticism of a excellent book which would grace any Second World War military history enthusiast's bookshelf.
Highly recommended.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Biography of a German paratrooper thrust into greatness in May 1940
14 Nov 2010
Format:Hardcover
Why another book on the wartime experiences of a junior ranking German parachute engineer officer? The author explains, "When I started this book I was struck by how little was available in either English or German on Rudolf Witzig, a German paratrooper of great distinction. This is in stark contrast to many histories and accounts of Fallschirmjager and individual German paratroopers in the Second World War. Yet even well-known English-language accounts of the capture of the [Belgian] fortress of Eban Emael, Witzig's greatest triump, provide only cursory information on the young lieutenant responsible not only for planning the operation that led to the capture of a mutli-billion pound fortress (if built today), the last word in steel and ballistic concrete of its day, but also pioneering the tactics, techniques and procedures for the loading and combat use of gliders and shaped charges. It is as though the conquest of Eben Emael somehow had no connection with the man and the men who conquered it. Rudolf Witzig was the quintessential first-Generation Fallschirmjager. He was an elite soldier within an elite and extremely tight-knit brotherhood, and the only German parachute engineer to win the prestigious Knights Cross with Oak Leaves during the Second World War. In all, Hitler awarded that decoration to only fifteen German paratroopers...."
The book is organized into ten chapters of varying length and detail. The best chapters cover the assault on Eben Emael (Chapter 3) and the fighting in Tunisia (Chapters 6 and 7). Witzig's involvement at Crete ended almost before it began when he was shot by New Zealanders mere seconds after parachuting from the Ju-52 transport plane that delivered him to that island. Witzig's wounds were severe enough to keep him from participating in the fighting that followed and which eventually led to a German victory, albeit at a horrendous cost to the parachute formations that took part in the battle. Witzig moved steadily upward in the ranks of the Fallschirmjager after Crete and Tunisia, commanding a battalion in Russia during the Summer 1944 campaign, where most of his unit became casualties. Witzig was given command of a regiment in the 6th Parachute Division in Fall 1944. Although he commanded the regiment until the end of the war, his experiences against British and Canadian troops in Holland were bad enough to convince him that they should not be recorded. Thus, the author substitutes the 6th Parachute Division's experiences for Witzig's in Chapters 9 and 10. One wonders why Witzig steadfastly refused to write about that portion of the war, however, it probably had to do with the fact that his regiment could do very little but try to survive against the well-honed combined arms assault tactics employed by the opposing Allied units. The defending paratroopers could not do anything but delay the inevitable. Chapter 11, entitled "The New German Army and Retirement" is interesting because it gives an rarely provided insight into how the Bundeswehr absorbed and treated former Wehrmacht veterans. All in all, as complete an account of Witzig's life as is possible. Chapters 6 and 7 alone make the book worth buying.
The book is organized into ten chapters of varying length and detail. The best chapters cover the assault on Eben Emael (Chapter 3) and the fighting in Tunisia (Chapters 6 and 7). Witzig's involvement at Crete ended almost before it began when he was shot by New Zealanders mere seconds after parachuting from the Ju-52 transport plane that delivered him to that island. Witzig's wounds were severe enough to keep him from participating in the fighting that followed and which eventually led to a German victory, albeit at a horrendous cost to the parachute formations that took part in the battle. Witzig moved steadily upward in the ranks of the Fallschirmjager after Crete and Tunisia, commanding a battalion in Russia during the Summer 1944 campaign, where most of his unit became casualties. Witzig was given command of a regiment in the 6th Parachute Division in Fall 1944. Although he commanded the regiment until the end of the war, his experiences against British and Canadian troops in Holland were bad enough to convince him that they should not be recorded. Thus, the author substitutes the 6th Parachute Division's experiences for Witzig's in Chapters 9 and 10. One wonders why Witzig steadfastly refused to write about that portion of the war, however, it probably had to do with the fact that his regiment could do very little but try to survive against the well-honed combined arms assault tactics employed by the opposing Allied units. The defending paratroopers could not do anything but delay the inevitable. Chapter 11, entitled "The New German Army and Retirement" is interesting because it gives an rarely provided insight into how the Bundeswehr absorbed and treated former Wehrmacht veterans. All in all, as complete an account of Witzig's life as is possible. Chapters 6 and 7 alone make the book worth buying.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
The life of Rudolf Witzig
17 Dec 2010
Format:Hardcover
Though I've had previous introductions to Rudolf Witzig by reading about his two biggest accomplishments of the war: assisting in the planning with Capt Koch of and the capture of Eben Emael. Eben Emael was the new Belgain strongpoint in northeast Belguim that was intended to stop the Germans from attacking in the manner of their WWI invasion. Germany wanted that fortress complex just for that reason. It would clear the way for their northern pincer when invading the west. The attack also had the benefit of deceiving the Allies into looking to the north while Rommel's panzers attacked through the Ardennes into northern France. The other major accomplishment dealt with his contribution in the hard fought battle for the island of Crete. Being in the lead of a number of operations his men suffered heavy casualties; Witzig was wounded as well during Operation Mercury.
This biography of this accomplished young officer, who was involved in key battles during WWII, by Mr Villahermosa is by far the most comprehensive study of Lt Witzig's career. His book was greatly assisted by the Witzig family who provided important documents, citation history, personal notes and photos. The author also interviewed surviving members of his regiment as well as studying available archives. It also appears the author truly enjoyed writing this book as his admiration for Witzig is clearly shown. For such a young officer to be as brave as he was and have the ability to think independently in times of crisis is an accomplishment.
While Witzig was a dedicated German officer, he was not a Nazi and didn't persecute Jews. Hitler still liked and trusted him, declining to place a political officer to watch over Witzig.
This book is very good for not only the personal coverage of Witzig but also for the operational summary of his operations as well as background information that involved or potentially involved the Fallschirmjager and its key people. People such as Goring, Student, Milch, Jeschonnek, Koch and others are discussed throughout the book. Operational coverage included Gibraltar, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Operation Sealion, Malta, North Africa, Russia, Lithuania, Poland, E Prussia and finishing up with the capture of Berlin among others are given attention.
Besides discussing his childhood, there is also coverage of his involvment with the new German Army after the war, his retirement years and his death in 2001. Restoring the German Army after the war was also very interesting; its a topic that is somewhat neglected.
There are a few maps and many excellent photos. Many of the photos are of Witzig and the men and officers he worked with but there are also a few battlefield scenes as well. As the war dragged on, his paratroopers were doing less flying and jumping and more fighting on the ground alongside the infantry. Coverage of North Africa and Lithuania are good examples.
The author also provides an impressive Notes section as well as a Bibliography of primary and secondary sources if further study is desired on either Witzig or the war.
Mr Villahermosa has written a well researched and interesting book that conveys a lot of information on not only the young officer but also the war and is highly recommended for new and experienced students of the war.
This biography of this accomplished young officer, who was involved in key battles during WWII, by Mr Villahermosa is by far the most comprehensive study of Lt Witzig's career. His book was greatly assisted by the Witzig family who provided important documents, citation history, personal notes and photos. The author also interviewed surviving members of his regiment as well as studying available archives. It also appears the author truly enjoyed writing this book as his admiration for Witzig is clearly shown. For such a young officer to be as brave as he was and have the ability to think independently in times of crisis is an accomplishment.
While Witzig was a dedicated German officer, he was not a Nazi and didn't persecute Jews. Hitler still liked and trusted him, declining to place a political officer to watch over Witzig.
This book is very good for not only the personal coverage of Witzig but also for the operational summary of his operations as well as background information that involved or potentially involved the Fallschirmjager and its key people. People such as Goring, Student, Milch, Jeschonnek, Koch and others are discussed throughout the book. Operational coverage included Gibraltar, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Operation Sealion, Malta, North Africa, Russia, Lithuania, Poland, E Prussia and finishing up with the capture of Berlin among others are given attention.
Besides discussing his childhood, there is also coverage of his involvment with the new German Army after the war, his retirement years and his death in 2001. Restoring the German Army after the war was also very interesting; its a topic that is somewhat neglected.
There are a few maps and many excellent photos. Many of the photos are of Witzig and the men and officers he worked with but there are also a few battlefield scenes as well. As the war dragged on, his paratroopers were doing less flying and jumping and more fighting on the ground alongside the infantry. Coverage of North Africa and Lithuania are good examples.
The author also provides an impressive Notes section as well as a Bibliography of primary and secondary sources if further study is desired on either Witzig or the war.
Mr Villahermosa has written a well researched and interesting book that conveys a lot of information on not only the young officer but also the war and is highly recommended for new and experienced students of the war.
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