Opinions on this Michael Wittmann letter

[mailalan]

Would anyone be so kind as to give me their opinions on this Wittmann document? I believe the feldpost number is valid and the contents of the message seem valid given that Wittmann had just visited Henschel a few days earlier. I am no expert but the signature seems acceptable to me after comparing it to other examples I found online. I was hoping I could get the opinion of the document as a whole and of the signature from those more knowledgeable than me.



I have been able to verify that there was an engineer at Henschel named Robert A. Pertuss. There are some quotes from him in the book "Tiger I and Sturmtiger in Detail" by Uwe Feist and Bruce Culver. Of course if the document was faked they could easily have gotten the name from the book. There is also a photo of Wittmann with Herr Pertuss here: Bilderarchiv 1933-1945

Here is a closeup of the signature.



I would be grateful for any opinions.
Thank you,
Alan Hamby

[bigmacglenn]

I like it very much...I believe it is an authentic letter...I'm fluent in German, by the way...
cheers, Glenn

[mailalan]

Glenn, Thank you very much for your reply. I had run it through an online translator to understand what it was saying but I didn't know if grammatically it sounded correct for something a wartime soldier would write. So the grammar sounds correct to you?

Alan

[Paul D]

Very unusual Alan i've never seen a document on personalised notepaper for someone of such a low rank ( even with Wittmanns status ) !!

Are there any examples of anything similar anywhere ?

[Paul D]

FP Nummer is correct

59450



(12.3.1943-7.9.1943) Stab u. Einheit schwere Panzer-Abteilung Generalkommando I. SS-Panzer-Korps Leibstandarte,

(8.9.1943-22.4.1944) 6.10.1943 Stab u. Einheit schwere Panzer-Abteilung I. SS-Panzer-Korps Leibstandarte,

(8.9.1943-22.4.1944) 3.2.1944 Stab u. Einheit schwere Panzer-Abteilung 101 (I. SS-Korps),

(23.4.1944-24.11.1944) 8.9.1944 Stab u. Einheit schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 (SS-Korps-Truppe).

[Feuerbach]

Far from being an expert, but looking at the signature it looks some what hesitant. It seems as if it was writen very slowly, missing the flowing lines one would expect from a signature. At some points the lines are wobbly (W), and there is no sign of ink spray around the signature.
Again Im no expert on this matter, nor have I ever seen a authentic Wittmann signature, just my thoughts.
Any body have a Wittmann signature for comparison?

[StefanM]

IMO the typing style looks period as does the personalised heading style and document paper. But this could be replicated easily enough by someone who had observed the detail of such documents. The introduction of typing flaws/errors would be a very astute addition if it were non-authentic. The one or two hyphenated line breaks also look convincing as though done by a typist familiar with using a typewriter. IMO the texture of the paper might cause a less than smooth signature due to the pen nib dragging unevenly over the surface but equally it could be a sign of a copyist.

[HPL2008]

Glenn, Thank you very much for your reply. I had run it through an online translator to understand what it was saying but I didn't know if grammatically it sounded correct for something a wartime soldier would write. So the grammar sounds correct to you?

I cannot really comment on the authenticity of the document as such, but grammar, spelling, style and turn of phrase are all correct.

For the benefit of the non-German speaking members, here's what the letter says:

"Michael Wittmann
SS-Obersturmführer
in an armored unit of the LSSAH
Field post no. 59.450 C


In the field, 25th April 1944


Dear Mr. Pertuss!

With reference to our fruitful talks at Kassel during my tour of the production facilities of the Henschel plants, I would like to entrust to you the proposed improvals and field modifications found in the attachment to my letter.

Take your time in studying the list of proposals for changes to the Tiger tank. We front soldiers, who entrust our young lives to this steel colossus, hope that one or two of the useful changes will be implemented in the future output.

[signed: Michael Wittmann]"

[Gunny Hartmann]

I cannot really comment on the authenticity of the document as such, but grammar, spelling, style and turn of phrase are all correct.

For the benefit of the non-German speaking members, here's what the letter says:

"Michael Wittmann
SS-Obersturmführer
in an armored unit of the LSSAH
Field post no. 59.450 C


In the field, 25th April 1944


Dear Mr. Pertuss!

With reference to our fruitful talks at Kassel during my tour of the production facilities of the Henschel plants, I would like to entrust to you the proposed improvals and field modifications found in the attachment to my letter.

Take your time in studying the list of proposals for changes to the Tiger tank. We front soldiers, who entrust our young lives to this steel colossus, hope that one or two of the useful changes will be implemented in the future output.

[signed: Michael Wittmann]"

I wonder what changes were proposed?....

[wizardman]

interview with Herr Robert Pertuss, a cheif engineer at Henschell:
"One day Herr Kniepkamp ( of Heereswaffenamt) showed up at Kassel and reported that the Russians had used magnetic mines, which tank hunting teams attatched to the sides of our tanks and could be made inneffective by a thick grooved layer of some form of cement applied over the surface of our vehicles. With this method the magnets would not get a strong enough grip to keep the mines in place. Our Purchasing department was able in an afternoon to telephone I.G Farben chemical company to find out what materials would be suitable, available and quickly obtainable. It had to be fast drying and stone hard when dry. Two days Later the first drums of "Nitro-Spachtel" arrived. Using improvised tools made out of sheet metal we made a test application. In only 3 hours the material was dry and could be painted. The drying time shortened considerably when we used a blow torch to dry the material. Tigers ready for delivery the day after the "Nitro-Spachtel" arrived were coated and painted and we delivered Tigers with the Material until the end of production"