An Official Press Photo of SS-Standartenführer Fritz Witt Receiving the Oak Leaves from A.H., measuring 175x235mm, near extremely fine condition with intermittent discolouration, slightly warped. It shows SS-Standartenführer Fritz Witt receiving the Oak Leaves from A.H. This official press photo was taken in the Führerhauptquartier Vinnytsia (Ukraine) on March 1, 1943. The Oak Leaves were awarded to Witt in recognition of his leadership role in the Third Battle of Kharkov (February 19 - March 15, 1943). After the ceremony, Witt went straight back to the still ongoing battle.
Footnote: Fritz Witt (1908–1944) was a high ranking SS officer. He joined the SS in 1933 and became a platoon leader in the SS-Sonderkommando (special command) “Berlin”, which was a unit of bodyguards to A.H. During the invasion of Poland, Witt served in the SS Standarte “Deutschland” and showed great promise early on in the war, winning both classes of the Iron Cross during the campaign. He was subsequently promoted to battalion leader. In this function he fought in the Battle of the Netherlands and the Battle of France. His actions during this period of the war earned him the Knight’s Cross in the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer. In late 1940, he was made a battalion commander in the newly formed 1st SS Panzer Division “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler”, with which he fought in the Greek campaign, where his brother, also part of the unit, died in battle. Witt went on to lead his unit to Russia in 1941. In early 1942, in the rank of SS-Obersturmbannführer, he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. In mid 1943, Witt took command of the newly formed 12th SS Panzer Division “Hitlerjugend”. Shortly before the invasion of Normandy in early June of 1944, he was promoted to SS-Brigadeführer and Major General of the Waffen-SS on A.H.’s birthday, April 20. He was the second youngest officer to reach a General rank at only 35 years after Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland. Witt was killed in action on June 14, 1944 during the Battle of Caen when a Royal Navy naval artillery barrage fired by HMS Rodney hit his divisional command post.