Jack Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Michael Wittman: Hitler went to his wedding As a German war hero, he was in a deadly class of his own - having destroyed nearly 300 enemy tanks and guns. So astonishing were Michael Wittmann's exploits that Hitler went to his wedding and he was feted throughout the Third Reich by the Nazi propaganda machine. So when the highly-decorated Waf-fen-SS tank ace met his death in the Normandy countryside in August 1944, several Allied units claimed the distinction of having killed him. But now, 62 years on, the man who really finished off the most successful tank commander of the Second World War has finally been revealed - Joe Ekins, a modest retired shoe factory worker, now aged 82. Astonishingly, as a 21-year-old tank gunner, he had only ever fired five practice rounds before the encounter with Wittmann near St Aignan de Cramesnil on August 8, 1944. But in 12 minutes of superb shooting, the young trooper knocked out three heavily-armoured German Tiger tanks - including one containing the 30-year-old Nazi - with shells from his Sherman Firefly. Later that morning, he destroyed another German tank before his Firefly was hit and he and his crew had to run for safety. After it was revealed that Wittmann - who had destroyed 138 tanks, 132 antitank guns and and other artillery pieces as well as hundreds of light vehicles - was dead, the kill was claimed by a number of Allied units, including Canadians, Poles and various airborne forces. But evidence now shows it was Mr Ekins' Firefly of the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry that fired the fatal shot. And tomorrow he will relive that brief but highly significant battle when he is shown the world's only remaining working Tiger at the Bovington Tank Museum, near Bournemouth. Joe Etkins at war Following the D-Day landings in Normandy in June 1944, Joe Ekins and his comrades had been stuck in the bridgehead for six weeks as the British tried to batter their way through the German defensive lines. "Eventually we went on a night march in a column - about four miles into German territory," he recalled. "We settled in an orchard near St Aignan de Cramesnil and in the morning the Germans counter-attacked. "I could see at least three Tigers coming and we had three Shermans and one Firefly." The Firefly was an upgraded version of the normal Sherman fitted with a powerful 76mm gun - the only one that could penetrate the thick armour of a Tiger. "The squadron had two other Fireflies and I expected them to send one to help, but they decided not to and left me alone. "We pulled out of the orchard and I fired twice at the third tank at the rear and it blew up. We reversed into the orchard so we could come out in a different place. But the second Tiger fired two or three rounds and hit our turret lid. "The lid must have hit the tank commander's head and he jumped out, so our troop officer took over. We pulled out again and fired at the second Tiger and it exploded. We pulled back again and by this time, the third Tiger knew it had lost its two mates. "I finished it off with two shells and had taken out all three in 12 minutes. We later hit one more tank and then we were knocked out. There was a loud bang and sparks flew and we got out and ran like hell - the officer was hit by shrapnel. When we got back, we were made into new tank crews and I was made a wireless operator. It seemed a bit odd making your best gunner a wireless operator. "But it proved lucky, because over the next eight months we were one of the few crews who got through the lot. I only found out eight years after the war that one of the people in the tank we hit was Wittmann, but I'd never heard of him. "He was very well known in Germany and there were lots of claims about who killed him, but it is well accepted now that we got him. He was an ace, but he wasn't too clever that morning. Mr Etkins today, aged 82 "Usually, it took five Shermans to beat one Tiger, but the Fireflies were better. When I heard about the concentration camps, I knew it was all worth it. I'm quite proud. Wittmann was a Nazi from the start - he must have known about the camps. It didn't matter who killed him, just that he was killed." After the war, Mr Ekins married his sweetheart Gwen and had two children. They now also have two grandchildren. He went back to work in the shoe factories near his home in Rushden, Northamptonshire, and retired 34 years later after becoming a factory manager. Myths Tank museum curator David Willey said: "A lot of myths built up after the war. Some started to believe that Tiger tanks were so powerful that our tanks could never have destroyed them. "And so the destruction of the Tigers was attributed to the air force, naval bombardment - anything but our tanks. "But it is pretty much accepted now that Joe Ekins was the man who knocked out three Tiger tanks in one morning, including that of Michael Wittmann. "We want to restore the balance between all that is written about Wittmann and his heroics and that which is written about Joe, a humble cobbler." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Good to hear the record has been set straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Cue the arguments from Canada......:coffee: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 A good book on this subject is Sherman Firefly vs Tiger by Stephen A Hart ISBN 978-1-84603-150-2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 That article (same title at least - looks the same) was in the Mail a couple of years ago and I could have sworn I posted here just before Tankfest 2007. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 That would make sense Alien as the book detailing the evidence was published in 2007. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Just found the link I read recently. http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12156 Sounds like 'Who killed Richthoven', everybody wants the credit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Coe Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Well, he doesn't look 82 in that photo :bow::bow::bow::bow::bow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Cheers for posting article, Jack, (and Alien). Interesting......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agripper Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 (edited) I like many other ex servicemen generaly don't go into detail as to what lives they have had to take in the course of fulfilling there duty. It does not matter who fired the shot but to remember that all who where there fought . Without the imput of others who have not been called hero but have affected the course of events is just as important. War for the men who fight them, work as a team and all should be remembered. How many men went to there deaths in actions which where as a diversion only ,but fought just as hard. This goes for men on both sides. As a Jew I have no love for the NAZI's but do accept that most german troops acted as our troops did and fought more for the men they where with rather than the phylosophy behind the reaon the fighting atarted. End rant. Edited March 27, 2009 by agripper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuceman Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Good post Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerJohn Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Another pic taken at the 60th anni bash at The Mall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Coe Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 It's thanks to people like Joe that we're here on this forum today. Hats off to the lot of 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 It's thanks to people like Joe that we're here on this forum today.Hats off to the lot of 'em! I'll second that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longydagun Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Wow. he certainly ended a legend. Not trying to discredit but wittman truley was amaizing at what he did i mean the amount of kills and all that its just astonishing. But hey even the best fall at some point i guess. What a hero all the guys that fought on the frontline are. Good thread thanks Al :):) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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