the Tiger 1

That morning, Michael Wittmann discovered to his astonishment that a massive British tank column was advancing unopposed through a gap in the front line. Realizing that the entire German army would be outflanked if he did not act immediately, he made the bold decision to skip waiting for reinforcements and attack completely alone with the only operational Tiger I tank he had. Charging out of the woods, he caught the enemy completely by surprise and unleashed absolute chaos on the highway. He first destroyed the front and rear vehicles to trap the column on the narrow road, and then drove parallel to the line, wiping out dozens of helpless vehicles at point-blank range.After pushing directly into the town of Villers-Bocage to hunt down the vanguard Cromwell tanks, Wittmann fell back to rearm and refuel. Hours later, he returned with his full company to clear out the remaining British forces. However, during this second fierce urban assault, a hidden British anti-tank gun managed to strike his Tiger's track, leaving it completely immobilized in the middle of a street. With his tank crippled under heavy fire, Wittmann and his crew abandoned the vehicle, sabotaged its internal equipment, and escaped on foot. For him, the action was an absolute tactical triumph: by sacrificing just one tank, he had single-handedly shattered a major Allied offensive in Normandy.