Rent Wittmann v Ekins: The Death of a Panzer Ace (2010)
1h 17min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
On the war-torn battlefields of Normandy in August 1944, two men participated in one of the most fearsome and controversial tank actions of the Second World War. Decades later, the true identity of the man who knocked out Panzer Ace Michael Wittmann is still fiercely debated. This video pulls together the facts, figures and personal accounts of the man who stood against this deadly opponent. Michael Wittmann was a knight of the Nazi regime. He was a highly decorated and accomplished soldier who wore the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Trooper Joe Ekins, a shoemaker from Northamptonshire, was a volunteer for military service. He was a reluctant soldier in a county yeomanry armoured regiment, while Wittmann served in the Waffen SS's elite Tiger Battalion. Panzer Ace Wittmann had 138 tank kills to his name, including an impressive score against 7th Armoured Division at Villers-Bocage early in the Normandy Campaign, where he destroyed 11 tanks and 20 armoured vehicles in just one day. However, by August 1944, the Allied breakout was gaining momentum and 1 SS Panzer Corps were struggling to contain the British and Canadian troops as they battled towards Falaise. In the fields south of Caen, Wittmann's Tiger and Ekins's Sherman Firefly were pitted against each other, but how was the Panzer Ace finally knocked out? This video documents the remarkable career of Michael Wittmann from his involvement in Greece and on the Eastern Front to his distinguished action at Villers-Bocage. Presented by Tim Saunders and Tom Dormer, accompanied by military vehicle expert Richard Hone, the trio travel to the battlefields of Normandy to follow the paths of these two soldiers to their meeting in battle. Accompanied by analysis of the British and German vehicles used during the campaign, as well as detailed and exclusive interviews with Joe Ekins, the team shed new light on the mysteries surrounding Wittmann's death. - Actors:
- Michael Wittmann, Joe Ekins
- Directors:
- Tim Saunders
- Narrated By:
- Tom Dormer, Richard Hone, Tim Saunders
- Studio:
- Pen & Sword Digital
- Genres:
- Children & Family, Documentary, Special Interest
