Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (November 15th 1891 with Heidenheim - October 14th 1944 with Herrlingen) is a German general of the Second world war. He carried out a brilliant career of military officer lasting more than thirty years and served in the various German armies of his time.
Following its countryside in North Africa, it was called, as well by its compatriots as its adversaries, “the Fox of the desert” (or German Wüstenfuchs in ). It directed 1941 to 1943 the German of North Africa, known army under the successive names of Afrika Korps (DAK, starting from the February 18th 1941), PanzerGruppe Afrika (July 25th 1941 following fusion with the Italian troops), PanzerArmee Afrika (February 21st 1942), and finally HeeresGruppe Afrika (of the February 23rd 1943 with the evacuation or the rendering of the troops of the Axis of North Africa the May 12th 1943, Rommel definitively leaving Africa the March 7th same year).
Youth
It is born in 1891 with Heidenheim, a small town of the Wurtemberg, near of Ulm.It has the same first name as his father, who was mathematics professor like his grandfather. His/her mother, Helene von Luz, are the girl of the president of the government of Wurtemberg, Karl von Luz. It has an older sister, Helene, and two younger brothers, Karl and Gerhard. As of its more young age, he aspires to becoming soldier even if, at five years, it is only while ordering from tin soldiers. His/her sister describes it like: “a very nice and flexible child, who held much of his mother”.
Impassioned History, it is not, on the other hand, very attentive in the remainder of the matters, its side dreamer and rebel make of him Turkish the head of the Gymnasium of Aalen, whose his/her father is director since November 1898. It has also evil to be accustomed with the rather rigid discipline, more strict than in the school of its early childhood. At twelve years, into 1904, however, the Erwin young person changes radically, it starts to work in all the matters, of which mathematics for which it has a real talent (just like his/her grandfather and its father). It is also put at the sport and in particular at the ski, the race on foot and the bicycle. It resembles more and more the ideal of the Wurtemberg, rigorous and sporting German. The following year, he is discovered also a passion for the incipient Aviation, which he divides with his comrade August Keitel. Erwin would have liked to be pilot as of its schooling finished and, in front of the refusal of his/her father, in 1910, it engages finally in the army, as raises officer.
In the imperial army
It joined the 6th battalion of the 124 {{E}} regiment of infantry, based with Weingarten. Like all the officer cadets of Reich, it must initially be useful in the row before being able to follow the courses of the military academy, its strong endurance impressing its instructors on this occasion. In October, it is promoted Caporal and, as of December, it is named Sergent. One of its instructors comments on: “Rommel is made to order and lead men to the war. It is disciplined and never seems tired. It will make without any doubt an officer out of the commun run. Its audacity in operations was particularly noticed. ”. In March 1911, Erwin Rommel joined the military academy of Dantzig. At the end of the year, Erwin Rommel slightly makes a success of its examinations with notes above the average; its results were very good with the practical but less good examinations in theory. In January 1912, it receives its patent of Sous-lieutenant and turns over to his regiment, the 124e regiment of infantry, where it is in charge of the instruction there. It gains a reputation of ascetic quickly owing to the fact that it does not smoke nor does not drink and besides his/her comrades officers find it too serious for its age, his life being divided between the drive of the recruits and the letters which it daily writes in his been engaged Lucie.
As of its arrival with Weingarten, it becomes acquainted with Walburga Stemmer, a commercial young person, from their idylle is born a girl, Gertrud Pan in 1913. The opposition of the family of Erwin makes them give up the marriage and, finally, Erwin marries a coed in language, girl of a land great landowner of Eastern Prussia, Lucie Maria Mollin, whom it met in April 1911 with Dantzig. Walburga commits suicide after the birth of Manfred Rommel in 1928.
The March 5th 1914, it is detached near the 49 {{E}} regiment of field artillery with Ulm, where it learns the operations from Artillerie, with interest. It turns over to the 124e regiment of infantry, the July 31st, for the command of a section of the 7th company.
Baptism of fire
, The regiment is put on the war footing and leaves for the western face, reaching Meix-the-Stem, the August 20th. The August 22nd, the engagements start, as of 5 hours of the morning, for the 124e which meets the French in the village of Bleid, close to Longwy. Rommel and its section are with the outposts on dimension 325, with two kilometers of Bleid. There, it meets the enemy, in the fog, which opens fire then moves back. Rommel then follows with its section the enemy thanks to the traces that this one leaves behind him, in particular in a cabbage field. The French lead them to the doors of Bleid, the section is put at the shelter behind a farm and Rommel leaves in recognition with three other soldiers. There, after having skirted the wall is farm to join the road which leads to Mussy-the-City, Rommel surprises a group of twenty French soldiers on the roadside, which did not see it coming, these soldiers being drinking a coffee. They belong to the 5th company of the Laplace battalion, the 101 {{E}} regiment of infantry and are directed by the Capitaine Ferraton. This company should have been put in position at the south-eastern exit of Bleid. Rommel reflects and makes the decision quickly to attack. With his three companions, it opens fire, part of the French collapses but another succeeds in fleeing and sheltering behind staircases and low walls of close houses. Rommel, covered by a wood pile, has, vis-a-vis him, an adversary with twenty meters sheltered behind a staircase. A singular combat engages then between the two men who fire and empty their weapons; Rommel reloads more quickly than its adversary, aims and draws again. The enemy collapses.
Rommel gives the order of the attack, but him and the three others are accommodated by a heavy fire of the French placed behind the windows of a good number of houses. Rommel and its men withdraw themselves then to find the remainder of the section to the farm. Rommel hesitates, the choices are simple: either it remains with its men hidden near the farm while waiting for the reinforcements of its company, or it attacks immediately. Rommel, always daring, decides to attack and develops a plan. A half-section will take by storm the farm where an small group of French was cut off and another half-section will draw in cover towards the windows from which came the French shootings. The Tir of suppression begins and the half-section leaves to the attack, inserts the door of the barn and fire puts at it. A dozen French escapes, Erwin sees them and, with two of its men, puts fact fire on them and them out of combat. Rommel and its men give up the farm then and take the road of Gévimont with an aim of taking the remainder of the village by storm. In way, they cross a group of French hidden on the low side of the road. Negotiations begin and finally it is more than fifty French soldiers who are made prisoners, of 6th and 7th companies of the 101 {{E}} regiment of French infantry, whose retirement was cut by the arrival of the 123 {{E}} of pomegranates German. The section joined the Bois of Chechmate, but the Rommel second lieutenant, exhausted, loses consciousness. He awakes whereas its regiment is in full rout. A quarter of the officers and a seventh of the soldiers of the 124e regiment of infantry died or wounded. Despite everything, the regiment sounds the gathering and then takes the direction of the village of Goméry. Little time after, a news restores the moral one: the French fold up themselves. Rommel cannot be let go to the joy after this victory which cost him two of his/her best friends. The Régiment spends the night to Ruette in the fields.
The September 24th, it once more receives its first wound whereas it only fights against three French soldiers, in a wood, in Argonne, close to Varennes, thorough by its intrepidity of advancing a little too much. He is proposed besides by his Major for the Croix of iron of 2nd class and receives it. Beginning January 1915, its hardly healed wound, it turns over in its regiment on the face of the Argonne. As of the January 29th, it receives the iron cross of 1st class for a brilliant deed with its regiment enabling him to take four lost forts and a position the day before by the Germans, by losing only ten men. During all this period, it sows panic in the French rows while attacking positions quickly, with weak detachments, and while setting out again also quickly. In middle of year, it is promoted lieutenant and is wounded one second time at the leg.
In the troops of mountain
Beginning October 1915, it is transferred to the head of a company of the Bataillon of mountain of Wurtemberg, a unit of elite in formation with Müssingen. Composed of six companies of Rifleman S and six sections of machine gunner S, intended to form six autonomous groups of combat, this new type of unit is thus equipped with a manpower higher than the normal, it is involved in the mountains of the Alberg, before joining the face of the the Vosges, in January 1916, where it fights in particular in the sector of the Old-Armand.
In October, the battalion is sent on the face is, near the Romania, in the Carpates, following the victorious Russian offensive of the be of the Général Broussilov. The November 11th, the company of Rommel removes the Mont Lescului (culminating with 1200 meters) and emerges as of the following day in the Plaine of Valachie (with Kurpensul) where a violent counter-attack of the Roumanians takes place, which is finally pushed back. In end-of-day, the company of Rommel enters the town of Targu Jiu. End November, Rommel profits from a permission to go to marry Lucie with Dantzig and, with the mid- December, Rommel already joined its battalion. In January 1917, to seize the village of Gagesti, the legend would like that Rommel remained lengthened in snow by - 10°C up to ten hours of the evening, with some steps of the Rumanian positions, waiting until the Roumanians fall asleep. As soon as Rommel considers the garrison deadened, it orders the offensive and captures four hundred Rumanian soldiers whereas it does not lose of it almost any. This action is worth with its battalion to be quoted with the order of the army. In August 1917, Rommel seizes a position considered impregnable, the Mont Cosna which are, with saying of all, Alliés as Germans, a true eyrie. Following the Treated of Brest-Litovsk between Germans and Russians, the Roumanians are obliged to also negotiate peace them and, as of the December 9th 1917, takes place the Armistice of Foscani.
September 26th 1917, the battalion of Rommel belongs to the seven divisions sent in reinforcement to the Austrian army which underwent heavy losses on the face Italy N since 1915. The battalion of Rommel is more precisely affected with the sector of Caporetto-Tolmino. A plan of offensive is envisaged, in which the battalion of Rommel must follow the the 12th division Bavarian. Rommel, always intrepid and not wanting to remain with the drag, envisages an action plan for its battalion in a way independent with respect to the remainder of the troops and persuades its superior, the Commander Sprösser, to adopt it. Thus, at dawn, Rommel leaves to the head its troops and removes successively Saint-Daniel, Foni, and the Mont Matajur. In forty-eight hours, Rommel traversed twenty kilometers as the crow flies, is assembled to two thousand meters, preceded all the other regiments austro-German, captured a hundred and fifty Officier S, nine thousand soldiers and eighty guns. It lost only six men and counts only one about thirty casualties. This action is worth to him its promotion with the rank of Capitaine.
In November, the battalion of Rommel is affected with the avant-garde of an Austrian division in the sector of the river Piave, where the Italian troops gathered after a hundred and forty kilometers of retirement. The November 9th, Rommel manages to seize the village of Longarone after having crossed with its regiment ice-cold water of the river using cords. This action is worth to him to be the youngest officer decorated with the medal For the Merit, which was usually given to generals, it was the only subaltern with the lieutenant Ernst Jünger to receive it. Its battalion played a determining role in the Bataille of Caporetto, demolished Italian which cost the Italian army forty thousand killed, a hundred and eighty thousand wounded and three hundred and twenty-five thousand prisoners.
The defeat
In January 1918, Rommel much to its regret is affected with the staff French face. The various launched offensives show cuisants failures or rather victories without real results over the remainder of the war. Rommel does not feel there really in its element, him which appreciated forever the theory and which prefers the ground. Rommel, like a good number of officers of Reich, sees the Armistice November 11th 1918 like a treason of the policies with respect to the army because, for him, the German army was not really overcome, quite to the contrary. The Russia was withdrawn from the combat, the Italy was almost overcome and the France did not obtain decisive victory.
End December 1918, Rommel turns over to the 124 {{E}} regiment of infantry of Weingarten. During its way of the French border with at his place to join its wife who is in convalescence, like good number of soldiers in uniform, it is often insulted by the population and is even on several occasions likely to be made stop. To be able to deal with his wife, it makes it settle with Weingarten where already Mrs. Rommel mother lives. In June 1919, Rommel feels the Traité of Versailles like an additional humiliation for its country.
July 1st 1919, the Capitaine Rommel takes the command of a Compagnie of internal security to Friedrichshafen. This company is made up as a majority of former “red” sailors that Rommel with the responsibility of make return in the row and to transform into perfect soldiers. The first time that Rommel appears to them, barded decorations, they is put to hoot it, wants to elect a political Commissaire and holds even a revolutionary meeting. Rommel assists to with it and requires to speak. It goes up to the platform and makes a rather short speech saying that it hopes well to order with soldiers and not from criminals. The following day, Rommel manages to make them parade and its soldiers appear if disciplined that Rommel is congratulated by the inspector Hahn, chief of the police force of Stuttgart.
In the Reichswehr
At the end of the First War, it remains in the Reichswehr, chief of a company of the 13 {{E}} regiment of infantry quartered in Stuttgart. It is then presented like: “A soldier of serious, young spirit, very different from the fire-eaters undoubtedly useful in time of war, but yielding with difficulty with the discipline and the dull exercises of the time of peace. ”. In spite of the deprivations, humiliations and various vexations made with the Germany, Rommel remains deeply legalist and respectful of the Weimar Republic although often opposed to its decisions. It accommodates the come to power of the marshal Paul von Hindenburg by these words: “The come to power of the hero of Tannenberg is the sign of the revival of the German power. Our army thus will find the paramount place which must be his. During four years, we gained only successes vis-a-vis the Allies (Rommel has here a partial reading of the 1st war. Indeed, he forgets the German defeats of Verdun, of the Marne, or of Jutland, etc). The armistice of 1918 is not the consequence of a defection of the soldiers, but of the politicians. ”
In July 1927, Rommel benefits from a permission to go to visit, with his wife, the places of her old exploits in Italy but also to leave on the traces the ancestors his wife, the Famille Molino. The Italian authorities not seeing an good eye this enemy officer visiting the places of Italian defeats, it must shorten his stay, not without to have taken many photographs. The month of August passed through the Rommel family to descend the the Rhine in boats until the Lac from Constancy. On their return to Stuttgart, Rommel still has time to deal with his Lucie wife, which it does as soon as it of on the occasion. He is a husband easy to live with the dires of his wife. In September 1927, Rommel founds the association of the war veterans of the battalion of mountain of Wurtemberg, this association is very Nationaliste but is especially occupied to find all those which were used in this battalion as elite and to organize a general meeting and a procession every year in Stuttgart. The December 24th 1928, the champagne runs with floods in the Rommel family; indeed, after twelve years of marriage, the child so much desired was born the day before from Christmas. He is fore-mentioned Manfred. October 1st 1929, Erwin Rommel is named instructor with the École of infantry of Dresden, station which it occupies during four years. Following the preparation of its courses, it publishes an important work: Infantry greift year ( the Infantry attacks ). This handbook was adopted by the Swiss Armée, whose certain officers admired Rommel and offered to him a watch in Or. This handbook was also read by Adolf Hitler.
In the Wehrmacht
The January 30th 1933, Adolf Hitler is named Chancelier by president Hindenburg. Rommel, in a letter, thinks that: “The come to power of Hitler is a chance for the country. It seems to be called by God so that Reich finds its secular power. The Army can only be delighted by this news. It is one great day for Germany.” Despite everything, Rommel carries little interest to the policy in general and sees especially Hitler like a patriot.
The October 10th 1933, Rommel receives, in addition to its rank of Commander, the command of the 3rd Bataillon of the 17th regiment of alpine infantry with Goslar. This unit of elite passes to be one of best of Reich and all its members are excellent skiers. When Rommel arrives, the officers of the regiment discover a 42 year old man and, doubting that it can order from a regiment of athletes, they then propose to him an excursion with ski in the surroundings. Although there is not the least ski-lift, Rommel accepts and makes the descent by three times, which were not able to make all the officers. They must recognize that Rommel always holds the form and that he is too an excellent skier him.
The May 25th 1935, Rommel accommodates with happiness the new law aiming at making German army (become the Wehrmacht) the most powerful army of Europe with, inter alia, a Military service become again obligatory, and manpower carried with thirty-five divisions of infantry, forty-four motorized divisions, six armor-plated divisions, four divisions of cavalry and fifty and one divisions of infantry of reserve. The July 30th, the first meeting between Erwin Rommel and Adolf Hitler takes place with Goslar at the time of a military procession. A delegate S coming to inform Rommel which a battalion S would ravel in front of its soldiers sees retorting by Rommel which it would be normal that it is the reverse. Hitler, impressed by this attitude, the fact of convening by Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels. During maintenance, Goebbels and Himmler recognize that to make ravel S in front of a battalion of elite is an error and charge the fault of it to a subordinate a little too dedicated. Hitler congratulates Rommel for the excellent behavior on its men, is made dedicate to his specimen of the Infantry attacks , it affirms to him that its fidelity with the mode would not be forgotten.
As of the October 15th 1935, the promise is held. Rommel is promoted Lieutenant-colonel and is named instructor with the Kriegsschule de Potsdam (Academy of war). The Rommel family moves and settles in the surroundings of the Academy. The family mixed little with the Berliner company and only maintained very little fashionable relations with the generals. As in Goslar, the friends of Rommel were officers of the same row as Erwin like their wives. By the force of the things, they know some more on what occurs in the highest levels of power. Rommel, faithful to itself and thinking of its career above all, takes care well not to take the least position in the competitions between the staff of the army and the Nazis chiefs. Rommel follows closely the Italian movements the such invasion of the Ethiopia and the war against the Négus, it draws the following conclusion: “The firepower and the great mobility of the troops are the essential guarantors of the victory. ”
In April 1937, Rommel receives, in addition to its load to the Academy of Potsdam, that to involve the Jeunesses hitlériennes. Its role is mainly to reinforce the bond between the organization of Youths and Wehrmacht. Therefore it meets Baldur von Schirach, which is chief of these Youths. The interview occurs relatively badly and Rommel will treat Schirach of greenhorn. On its side, Schirach reports to Hitler that Rommel is not “a good Nazi tints”. Despite everything, Hitler needing the one and other and relying any on Rommel, which he regards as one of his best instructors, the two men will be forced to get along and work jointly. Moreover, Rommel left a second handbook Infanterie greift year ( the infantry attacks ), for Youths hitlériennes. Hitler made publish this book in a popular edition of four hundred and thousand specimens. Beginning October 1938, Rommel is promoted Colonel, and temporarily orders the battalion in charge of the safety of Führer. It takes part in the invasion of the Sudètes. Hitler relies great on Rommel owing to the fact that he is “an officer national-Socialist who is not resulting from the aristocracy”.
Rommel, after having spent several days at Führer by ensuring its protection, could study the character: “Hitler has a magnetic capacity on crowd, which rises from the faith in a mission which would have been entrusted to him by God. It starts to speaking on the ton about prophecy. It acts on the impulse and seldom under the empire of the reason. It with astonishing faculty to gather the essential points of a discussion and to give him a solution. A strong intuition enables him to guess the thought of the others. It can handle with skill the flattery. Its infallible memory struck me much. He by heart knows books which he read. Whole pages and chapters are photographed in its spirit. Its taste of the statistics is surprisingly developed: it can align very precise figures on the troops of the enemy, the various reserves of ammunition, with real a masterliness which impresses the staff of the army. ”.
After three years of professorship in Potsdam, Rommel is named, at the beginning of November, director of the Académie of war Wiener-Neustadt located at the south-west of Vienna in a mountainous region. This station is perfect for Erwin: it is far from the intrigues of the capacity and has a command independent of the higher authorities. It can thus completely deliver to the drive young recruits and officer cadets. It places with its family in a house surrounded by an immense garden and has only very few contacts with local the Nazis chiefs. It benefits from this assignment to re-study the combat of the face austro-Italian of the First World War. He visits for example the sector of the Trentin where two hundred and fifty thousand Austrian or Italian soldiers fell in 1916. He also devotes himself to his passion for photography: according to a certain number of contemporaries, Rommel had a talent affirmed in this field and even profited from an exposure organized by the mayor of Wiener-Neustadt. This exposure met a certain success besides. Rommel receives, in addition, the best elements of youths hitlériennes to give a solid reserve training but he to them always does not appreciate their fanaticism and their arrogance.
With the mid- March 1938, Rommel is again in charge of the safety of Führer. With the approach of Prague, Hitler requires of him: “That would you make has my place? ”, Rommel answers with much audacity for the person in charge of safety: “I would go without escort to Prague and in a car discovered. ” Hitler appreciates and takes the advice. The August 23rd 1939, Rommel is rewarded by Hitler which names it Général and the fact of assigning to its general headquarter, to thus take again the command of the battalion ensuring the safety of Führer, posts that it again gave up, after the annexation of the Czechoslovakia, to continue to give courses to the academy of war. Rommel is, of this moment, very trustful in the capacities of Hitler and thinks that it would manage to avoid the conflict generalized in Europe. Moreover, the family of his wife living in Eastern Prussia, it is completely favorable to the suppression of the Couloir of Dantzig, but hopes all the same that a diplomatic solution will be found.
September 1st 1939, following the incidental of Gleiwitz, the invasion of the Poland begins, Rommel has an overall picture of the conflict because of its presence at the general headquarter. The September 2nd the general headquarter is already with Prusczo, the 10 with Kielce and the 13 with Łódź. The September 27th, Warsaw (which was defended by the Pole Juliusz Rommel who does not have any family ties known with Erwin Rommel) capitulates and, the 28, the Polish army deposits the weapons with Modlin. It retained like teaching of this Blitzkrieg that: “The importance of a perfect co-operation between aviation and the armoured tanks is from now on obvious. To spread confusion on the backs is often more demoralizing for the unfavourable forces that the undergone losses. It is necessary to push thoroughly the exploitation of the opening of the motorized troops, without taking account of the enemy small islands of resistance which the infantry has as a responsibility of reduce. The tanks must be used in mass and not in dispersed order. ”
We cannot miss making the bringing together with the lobbying of the colonels (then general) De Gaulle and Patton to organize the armor-plated weapon of divisions near their respective governments at the same time. Rommel returns to Germany to the mid- October and is always affected at the general headquarter of Hitler. This one requires of him then: “That is what would make you to pleasure my dear general? ” Rommel answers at once: “An armor-plated division! ”. Hitler gives satisfaction to Rommel and on February 10th, 1940, he entrusts the command of the 7 to him {{E}} Panzerdivision in garrison with Godesberg-amndts-Rhein.
With the head of 7th Panzerdivision
The Campagne of France starts, the May 9th 1940, for 7th Panzerdivision, attached to the 15 {{E}} Panzerkorps of the general Hoth. It crosses the the Belgian Ardennes and its avant-gardes make contact, the following day, with the first French elements pertaining to the 1 {{Re}} light division of Cavalry. Rommel notes: “With our first shock with the French forces, we opened fire immediately, which led them to be withdrawn in haste. I noted that, in these contacts, success is for the benefit of the first which could put the enemy under his fire. ” The May 11th, Rommel is enroué and tired, it did not cease shouting of the orders, the top of the turret of its Panzerkampfwagen III (Panzer III), since the beginning of the offensive and slept only one very small number of hours, but the following day its division has constrained the 1st DLC, which did not count admittedly in its manpower, which twelve tanks Hotchkiss H35, to fold up itself behind the Meuse.
The aim of Rommel is to cross the river as soon as possible and to establish a head of bridge in the Dining sector of , but the French took time to make jump the bridges of Dining and Houx. Rommel thus will have to make cross its troops on rubber boats. The launched attack the May 13rd for this purpose meeting a sharp resistance on behalf of the French of the 18 {{E}} division of infantry: “I went in the sector of Dining. Several of our tanks reached were on the road leading to the road of the Meuse. The French shells fell with a high degree of accuracy. Our boats were destroyed the ones after the others by the shooting of the French, and the crossing was not carried out. ”. It thus orders with Panzer IV with their guns of 75 millimetres, like with the motorized howitzers Sig 33 of 150 millimetres, to support crossing with tended shootings and, thanks to this protection, the crossing can be finally carried out. It sends also the 7 {{E}} battalion of motorcylcists, to take the village of Grange in the vicinity.
On other bank, the engagements make rage and Rommel must push back a counter-attack of light armoured tanks. The May 14th, a French counter-attack drives out the Germans of the village of Haut-le-Wastia. Rommel having given the order the day before to the genius to restore the bridges, makes accelerate the passage of the tanks by these bridges to reinforce the Tête of bridge established. Rommel, while going in recognition to the edge of the wood of Onhaye, is wounded with the left cheek by a French heavy fire. Indeed, the French counter-attack is vigorous and the motivated men; for example, a French gunner destroyed seven armoured tanks with him only. But the German reinforcements flow and the Luftwaffe, mistress of the sky, obliges the French tanks to hide. Despite everything, the victory remains dubious until the 25e panzer-regiment attacks and restores the situation in favor of the Germans. Indeed, the 18th division of French infantry, against whom Rommel combat, received only half of the anti-tank material planned for a division of infantry. She must thus deal with the two hundred and eighteen tanks of Rommel and her fifty six armoured cars with only twenty and one anti-tank guns. She is supported only by one battalion of forty-five light tanks Hotchkiss (armed with a gun court of 37 millimetres, model 1918) which cannot make large thing against the tide of Panzers.
The May 15th, Rommel must face a new enemy the 1 {{Re}} division armoured of reserve (DCR), Général Bruneau, strong of approximately a hundred and sixty tanks (seventy Renault B1-(a) and ninety Hotchkiss H39), but this division, following problems of supply, is found blocked between Flavion and Ermeton, with half of its tanks not being able more to advance. The 1st DCR must face all the day with the attacks of 5th and the 7th Panzer-divisions, five hundred and fourteen tanks on the whole. Around 10 a.m., after having attacked several times the 1st DCR, Rommel receives the order to circumvent it and of going towards Philippeville, 5th Panzerdivision taking over. Rommel delights by this news, which enables him to save its tanks, which do not make the weight vis-a-vis of B1 (a), even immobilized. The May 16th, Rommel faces in Vouziers the remains of the 1st DCR, which counts nothing any more but seventeen tanks. The Gamelin general wrote in his book Servir : Could “What thus the first armoured division, given up with its only resources, and it had not better been to preserve it intact? ”
The following night, on May 16th, Rommel faces the prolongations of the Ligne Maginot, in the west of Clairfayts. Rommel employs this day a technique little used at the time, while ordering with its tank crew members to draw while rolling to disorientate the enemy. Rommel gains a complete success and, as of midnight, enters Avesnes. It seizes Landrecies thereafter after having pushed back a counter-attack of French tanks. The May 17th, an intense fight takes place between Rommel and the French troops, with an aim of installing a head of bridge to the Pommereuil, on the Sambre. This position is taken, lost, taken again… Rommel thus makes establish a second head of bridge with Berlaimont. Thus, Rommel makes 7th Panzer the first division have passed Sambre and to be able to continue its projection. 7th thus a long opening of about fifty kilometers realized. This May 17th is also the day when Rommel gives the order to make kill colonel Savare, ordering 254e regiment of infantry, to have refused to give the order of cease-fire to its unit. The Senegalese prisoners were them also for the majority massacred but the direct order of Rommel is not certain.
May 19th, 7th takes Cambrai by making 650 prisoners. The May 20th, Rommel is already in the south of Arras, after having crossed the channel of North, with Marcoing. The major part of its troops being still far behind, Rommel leaves to their meeting with only two tanks and a car of command but, near Screw-in-Artois, on the road of Arras, it must face the enemy who destroys the two tanks which escort it. Rommel spends several hours thus encircled by the French but it is delivered by the arrival of the remainder of division. The May 21st, a counter-attack is launched by 4th and 7 {{E}} British regiments armor-plated and the 3 {{E}} French mechanized light division, on the heights of Arras defended by 7th Panzer as well as motorized division S Totenkopf. Rommel wrote in connection with this counter-attack: “Violent one engagements with hundreds of tanks and the infantry which followed them. Against the allied heavy tanks, our anti-tank guns of 37 millimetres are not effective, even at a rather short distance. The defensive barrier consisted them was broken, our parts were destroyed, serving them massacred. ”
To stop this against attack, Rommel is forced to use its guns of DCA of 88 millimetres like anti-tank guns vis-a-vis the armoured tanks Matilda and Somua S35 combined, then to call a flotilla of planes of attack Stuka. The allies end up being folded up on Arras. The 25 {{E}} Panzer-regiment, which reached the hills of Acq (southern of the Scarpe), receives the order to make half-turn and thus to surprise the allies on their backs. Rommel escapes from little from death, once again, and has an officer killed at his side while they study a chart together. The losses are heavy on the two sides, the Germans of the 7th panzer, for this only May 21st, lost 89 killed, 116 wounded and 173 missings as well as a score of tanks and much of material (trucks, machine-guns, guns). Division S Totenkopf has, as for it, three hundred men out of combat. The British them lost between forty three and sixty two tanks on the seventy-four ones engaged and the engaged French a score on the seventy, but the Germans are stopped for the day. The May 22nd, 7th Panzer crosses Scarpe and reaches the Saint-Éloi mount where will deliver violent one engagements. The May 26th, Rommel is decorated with the cross of Knight by lieutenant Hanke acting in the name of Hitler.
The May 28th, Rommel takes part with its tanks in the surrounding of Lille. The 29, Rommel and part of its division are sent to the west of Arras to rest. Rommel will benefit from this first day to trott itself in the car in the streets of Lille, but he realizes very quickly that many soldiers are still there. Those, as surprised as him, do not react rather quickly. Rommel already made half-turn, he once again escapes dead or all at least with the capture. June 1st, 7th Panzer, always in rest, finished entering its losses. On a manpower of thirteen thousand men on May 10th, 7th of Rommel lost thousand six hundreds of them (killed, wounded or captive). It on the other hand counts with its credit the destruction of a hundred enemy tanks and the capture of fifteen thousand prisoners. Rommel thus estimates that the losses are important but tolerable.
Rommel writes this with his Lucie wife: “My men lost a good portion of their equipment on the way and under the attacks of the enemy tanks, and they should repair that as soon as possible. Division must be able to quickly take again the combat against the French. ”
The June 2nd, Rommel receives the visit of Führer, this one begins the conversation with Rommel in these terms: “My dear Rommel, we were very anxious for you during the attack. ” The two men will discuss military questions lengthily, discussions which impassion them as much one that the other. Rommel is persuaded that the French Army lost its best elements and that it could not resist a new German offensive. Hitler, as for him, is persuaded that a French counter-offensive is still possible. Finally, Hitler is let convince by Rommel and orders to continue the offensive.
The June 5th, 7th Panzer attacks in the sector of the Sum, between Longpré and Hangest, defended by the 5 {{E}} division of colonial infantry. The French had time to blow up the bridges on the Sum, excluded two bridges of railroad between Hangest and Cop-Madness. Rommel makes remove the rails by the genius and its armoured tanks can thus cross the Somme. The French, who defend the Château of Quesnoy, resist heroically the attacks of the 7th panzer. The village of Hangest falls only in end-of-day. Rommel lost some tanks and three hundred men in this only day. At the time of the attacks, Rommel is once again in first line and lack several times to be made kill by gusts of machine-guns. He wrote, in connection with the colonial ones, this laconic comment: “The French colonial troops were defended with a great bravery. But our tanks had the last mot.” the Heysing lieutenant-colonel tells taken it to him of the village as follows: “On the first two hundred meters, the movement ahead is carried out well but, then, a concentration of the shootings reaches the companies abruptly. As of the entry in the village, of the shootings of rifles and machine-guns crépitent since the closed shutters of the windows, of the hand grenades in the egg shape ventilators of the cellars spout out and burst in the legs of our soldiers. A combat of house in house engages. Our losses as officers and troops are large. ”
The German newspaper Signal (of January 1st 1941) recognizes to him also the value of the Senegalese riflemen: “A particular page of glory of the regiment Poméranie is the combat which ensured the passage of the Sum in June 1940 to him. There was the locality of Cop-Madness: it was a point particularly difficult to reduce. There, again, the troop encounters a sharp resistance, the enemy fights with eagerness. The Blacks used until the end each possibility of defense. There were very hard clashes. The enemy defended each house, of the windows and of the attic windows fire spit. The flame throwers last being put in action and one fought to the body with body. ” The French troops end up being encircled in the borough of Airaines, in flames, where the 72 {{E}} regiment of artillery, reduced to twelve parts, defends until its last gun either destroyed. He managed to destroy thirty-two German tanks. Rommel, in its memories, does not speak about the fate reserved by 7th Panzer with a certain number of Senegalese riflemen made captive. It is however known that the bodies of the black prisoners were never found and that several accounts of summary executions were reported.
The June 6th, a hundred and fifty tanks of Rommel must face a new French counter-attack carried out by the 7th regiment of cuirassiers ordered by the lieutenant-colonel of Langles de Cary. This regiment counts nothing any more but eighty-five armoured tanks including only twenty-five Somua S35. Rommel, to decrease the losses out of tanks which its division could undergo, prefers to propose its artillery and thus pushes back the attack of this regiment which loses in this only day soixante-treize tanks. The Pierson regimental sergeant major asserts all the same the destruction of fifteen German armoured tanks to the head of his four tanks Somua S35. This attack does not prevent 7th Panzer from reaching the plate of Hornoy before fallen the night. Rommel only worries very little about the pockets of resistance being able to remain here and there. Thus, the 7, it reaches Argueil and, the 8, 7th Panzer is in edge of the Seine. The opening of 7th Panzer insulated the 9 {{E}} army corps French of the general Ilher. This one projects to embark with Saint-Valery-in-Caux, but Rommel, guessing the intentions of the enemy, makes encircle Fécamp the June 10th and obliges by its artillery shootings the Navy to move away, two of its destroyers having been touched. The June 11th, Rommel is with Saint-Valery-in-Caux, it makes ram the city and the port, the allies oppose an obstinate resistance in waiting of the arrival of the Navy to embark them. At the fallen night, a thick fog prevents any loading. The June 12th, a duel with the gun between the French patrol craft the Cérons and the guns German ends in the destruction of the patrol craft after this one succeeded in destroying two guns of 105 German millimetres. At the beginning of evening, Rommel accepts the rendering of the Ilher general, who does not have any more ammunition, it congratulates it in these terms: “Your men fought with a great bravery. ”
7th Panzer had to mobilize all its means to reduce Franco-British defense but is rewarded by the catch for twelve allied generals of which Ilher and the major-general Victor Fortune ordering the 51e Highland division, between twelve and twenty-six thousand soldiers including at least eight thousand British, a hundred guns, fifty-eight light armoured tanks and three hundred sixty-eight machine-guns, as well as thousands of rifles and trucks.
The June 14th, 7th Panzer increases by two hundred and sixty kilometers in one day, on the basis of High-Normandy, it arrives in the Cotentin, where it attacks Cherbourg, the June 15th, which will capitulate after only three days of combat, the June 18th. Rommel captures thirty thousand soldiers, including one Maritime police chief, the admiral Jules the Religious bigot and especially the commander of the naval forces of North, namely the admiral Abrial.
Rommel writes this with his wife: “division conducted the attack on Cherbourg of only one draft, a distance from three hundred and fifty to three hundred and seventy kilometers, and quickly seized the powerful fortress in spite of a strong resistance. There was for us a few bad moments to pass because the enemy had initially a clear superiority in manpower. By pressing the things, we succeeded in carrying out the order of Hitler: to take Cherbourg as quickly as possible. ” . The causes of the capitulation of Cherbourg are however varied because, in addition to the engagements between the defenders of the city and 7th Panzer, another fact played. Indeed, on June 17th, the marshal Pétain announced that talks of Armistice and that had to be ceased the combat was launched. One can thus think that weighed in the balance when the commander of Cherbourg made the decision to go.
The June 24th, 7th Panzer arrives at Bordeaux after having crossed the Pays of the Loire and the Poitou-Charentes, without meeting a great resistance there. The 29, the Rommel general, in the presence of the Hoth general, organizes a procession of 7th in the streets of Bordeaux. 7th Panzer will spend the winter in the Gironde and more precisely in the Camp of Souge. Rommel, as for him, returns the December 24th to Herrlingen, but returns on January 6th to Bordeaux, following an false alarm.
Here what he writes with his wife, this January 6th 1941: “We wait for tomorrow of the distinguished visitors who come to inspect our quarterings. We are far from being comfortably installed. The vine growers of the area passed their life, here thousand years, in same the poor wretches slum as today: house built out of sandstone hardcores, with flat roofs in curved tiles, exactly similar to those of the Romans. Many villages do not have running water, and the inhabitants still make use of old well. The houses are very summarily arranged to be protected from the cold: the windows close badly and the air whistles through the slits. On the other hand, the town of Bordeaux offers an architecture of noble and great beauty. ”
Assessment of the countryside for 7th Panzer:
Rommel during its stay in France, once the finished countryside, played in a propaganda film of Goebbels being entitled Victoire in the west , it there rejoue inter alia the passage of the Somme by 7th Panzer. For this film, it was called upon prisoners of the French colonial troops, of which some died during turning.
With the head of the Afrika Korps
The February 4th 1941, Rommel, in permission, is at his place, with Herrlingen, when it receives the visit of a Aide-de-camp of Hitler. This one announces to him that it is convened two days to meet later the marshal Walther von Brauchitsch and Führer.- Rommel tells: “On February 6th the marshal Von Brauchitsch informs me of my new mission. To cure the critical situation of our Italian allies in North Africa, two divisions, one motorized and one armor-plated, must leave for the Libya where they will lend to them hand-strong. One charges me with assuming the command of the two units, and I am invited to return to me to Libya within the shortest possible time, in order to recognize the various use potential of our forces. The arrival of the first quotas is envisaged in nearly one week, and that of the last of the 5th light division motorized for mid-April. At the end of May, the last elements of the 15th panzerdivision will be on-site. It is also expected that certain Italian units of Africa will be placed under my orders. In the afternoon, I went at Führer, which made a point of describing me the military situation in Africa. ”
Theoretically the Afrikakorps is composed of 5th Leichte division (the 5th light division) and of the 15th panzerdivision which were placed under the orders of the Italian general Gariboldi.
- Hitler thus explained the choice of Rommel for this operation:
In practice Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler wants to take again the direction of this vast theater of operation to the Italians, to make of it a great epopee whose Propagandastaffel could be useful.
Offensive of 1941
The February 12th 1941 about midday, Rommel lands with Tripoli where, after an exposed brief of the situation by the Heggenreiner lieutenant-colonel, it meets the general Italo Gariboldi. In spite of the reserve of the Italian general to any premature offensive on the British, Rommel obtains to be able to make various operations limited having for goal to test unfavourable resistances. The German-Italian troops at the beginning of these operations rise with 3.000 Italians and 9.300 Germans. March 24th, a battalion of the 5th motorized division attacks El-Agheila that the British give up without delivering engagements. April 1st, Rommel attacks Maesa-el-Brega, at the same time making 800 prisoners among British. April 2nd, it is the catch of Agedabia which forces the British to withdraw themselves on the position of El-Mechili. This position is quickly encircled by the German-Italian ones. El-Mechili is defended by the remains of the 2nd British mechanized division, the 3rd Indian motorized brigade, a battery of Royal Horse Artillery and a unit of the 3rd Australian regiment anti-tank devices. April 8th, a British attempt at exit shows a failure vis-a-vis the 8th regiment of Bersaglieri which forces the Allies to reprocess under the shootings of the guns of colonel Ugo Montemurro. The generals Gambier-Parry and Vaughan will be made prisoners by Montemurro like 1 700 various men and 500 vehicles.- It is at the time of this battle that the plane of Rommel failed to be cut down by Italians, Rommel tells the incident as follows:
Little time after the British evacuates Benghazi, and is folded up on Tobrouk, but their retirement is not whole rest. Indeed the Ponath lieutenant-colonel, at the head of a German motorized column, manages to capture the generals Neame, Combe and O' Connor, thus disorganizing the command of the British forces in North Africa. Despite everything, Rommel cannot continue its offensive, as long as Tobrouk did not fall. Indeed Tobrouk joins together a garrison of 36.000 men, of which about fifty tanks, four regiments of heavy artilleries and two regiments anti-tank. Mid-April 1941, Rommel encircles Tobrouk with Italian divisions Brescia, Ariete and Trento, as with the 15th German motorized division is approximately 40.000 men, the 15th panzerdivision not being able to arrive before the end of the month. During a little more than one month, frequent combat took place between besieged and the attackers, without one or the other being able to take the advantage. April 15th, Rommel received the reinforcement of the 90e Leichte Afrika Division coldly arrived from Germany. Benefitting from the immobilization of AfrikaKorps, the British will launch two offensives starting from Egypt, to force Rommel to raise the seat. They are the two operations Brevity and Battleaxe, they cost approximately 600 tanks to the British who underwent cuisants failures.
- Rommel speaks about it as follows:
The summer 1941, causes heavy losses in each camp, the operations thus stop a little so that each one can be re-equipped and to prepare with new confrontations.
- Rommel, on August 30th, 1941, thus described its living conditions at this time:
November 17th, 1941, a British commando unloads on the coasts of the Cyrénaïque, with for goal to surprise and kill Rommel in his villa of Beda Littoria. This commando is ordered by the lieutenant-colonel Geoffrey Keyes. This commando was surprised by a sentinel which gave alarm, Keyes was killed and there were few survivors. These rare survivors makes captive learned that Rommel was not in its villa but in Rome in official visit.
The November 18th, after this failure, the engagements are started again by the British, who wish to deliver Tobrouk as fast as possible. The Cunningham general, lance this offensive with a strong army of 735 tanks, whereas the forces of the Axis do not lay out of more than 390 tanks. It is the Opération Crusader. The first combat takes place with Bir-el-Gobi which protects the southern face from AfrikaKorps. The 150 tanks of the 22e British armor-plated brigade attack the Division Ariete (strong of approximately 150 tanks also). Ariete division resisted all the day, in spite of the reputation of the Italian M13/40, those proved sufficiently effective to put in rout the British tanks Crusader. The result of this day is a loss of 75 tanks on the British side against 34 only on the Italian side. The left wing of Rommel is thus saved.
November 21st, in the neighborhoods of Sidi-Rezegh the tanks of the 21e panzerdivision, coldly unloaded, destroy 113 enemy tanks. November 28th, the British forces try an exit of Tobrouk and manage to join the forces of Cunningham, but Rommel manages D-to encircle Tobrouk in a similar situation with that preceding the exit. This same day, Bir-el-Gobi is again attacked by the British who send to the attack the 11th Indian mechanized brigade, but this one is opposite with the Italian regiment Giovanni Fascisti. The Italians will lose surroundings 216 men whereas the British have 1 076 men out of combat and 80 armoured tanks. Despite everything after these engagements, although the German-Italian ones are victorious, the situation is far from being has their advantage. Indeed the British have many reserves whereas the whole of the German-Italian troops available is committed. December 9th, Rommel organizes a meeting with its Italian counterpart Ettore Bastico, which succeeded Gariboldi, to make him admit the idea of a tactical retirement not to undergo the same fate as the Italian troops before the arrival of the Germans. Bastico, although hostile has this idea, ends up yielding there. December 16th, the seat is raised and the retirement is carried out in good order. The 25, the British enter Benghazi whereas the Germans withdraw themselves on Agedabia. The operation Crusader is finished, it cost approximately 800 tanks to the British whereas the Axis lost only 340 of them. Despite everything Rommel in these various operations a great quantity of materials lost whose anti-tank material, therefore it must imperatively await reinforcements before taking again the offensive.
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on December 31st, Rommel is addressed thus to its family:
You understand undoubtedly that I cannot leave from here in this moment. Today, last day of this year of war, my thoughts are more than ever for you two, who are for me all happiness on the ground.
My very valiant troops, allemandes and Italian, have just made superhuman efforts. During last three days, where we have counter-attack, the enemy lost 136 armoured tanks. It is a beautiful conclusion for the year 1941 and that gives hope for 1942. A young cock and a hen adapted nicely to this difficult existence and freely circulate around my car.
the 27, the 22e British armor-plated brigade, reconstituted with effective full sound, advanced quickly by Hel-Haseiat, while other elements had launched a frontal attack against our positions of Agedabia. It was the beginning of this famous and terrible three days battle between tanks, where the enemy was wrapped, thus constrained with having to fight with reversed face. It was encircled and, if about thirty its armor-plated could escape towards the East, our lack of fuel prevented from making our success more complete. The elements of the group of support of the brigade of the Guard, launched in the frontal attack, were also folded up towards the North-East following this defeat. Any immediate danger for our position of Agedabia is then isolated. My best wishes.”
Offensive of 1942
- detailed Article: Battle of Bir Hakeim
- In January 1942, Rommel explains its strategy with Hitler:
In an officer, one needs same qualities for a higher degree, and it must also have an exceptional inflexibility, like communier with his men, judge ground of the enemy instinctively, react and think with speed.
On the level of the material, one feared during long enough the British Char Matilda, because its thick shielding made it extremely difficult to destroy. But it is slow and has a gun of an insufficient gauge. Our Panzer III (with the new gun of 50 mm) and IV remain higher than all the enemy models by the range and the gauge of the parts and, up to a certain point, by mobility. The Italian tanks M13/40 appeared able to face the British light tanks, like the Crusader, but were quickly exceeded against the heavier armoured tanks. A weapon with long range is decisive in the war of the desert. In this field, our 88 mm, well used out of anti-tank devices, contributed on the whole with our successes.
the infantry of line did not play of decisive role, except at the time of the war of seat in front of the solid place-strong of Tobrouk. The British soldiers, whose especially Australian ones, fought very well in the desert but, at the time of the attack, qualities of the soldiers of Reich do not reach completely. The New Zealanders, as well as the South-Africans, appeared frightening warriors. The Italian soldiers fought with a courage and an extraordinary spirit of sacrifice. That is all the more worthy to be noticed that their heavy armament is often poor and insufficient. The supply is a deciding factor in the victory. ”
The January 21st 1942, Rommel starts the offensive and destroys the 1 {{British Re}} armor-plated division. The January 29th, Benghazi falls between the hands from the axis then the German-Italian ones reach the British line which starts from Gazala (in the west of Tobrouk) to extend in the south around Bir-Hakeim. A pause follows during which the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and the Italian high-command develop a plan of invasion of Egypt. In May 1942, the offensive is started again, the goal of the offensive is the catch of the Suez Canal. Having manpower less important than those of the enemy in particular in term of armor-plated, 575 tanks side centers against 994 for the allies, Rommel chooses to carry out an operation of envelopment by the south, after a demonstration of Italian on El-Gazala.
The British general Ritchie is persuaded that the Germans would attack Tobrouk directly and engages its army along the coast, in spite of his little protected southern side. Only, two divisions and three brigades whose 1 {{free Re}} French brigade of the general Kœnig can be opposed to the revolving movement German-Italian mobile units. Brigade FFL is charged for its part to defend the position of Bir Hakeim. It lays out to ensure its mission of average anti-tank devices but heavy artillery little like few armoured tanks. May 26th, 1942, around 2 p.m., the Italians attack Gazala while Panzer de Rommel advance in the south of Bir-Hakeim. Rommel has surprised the Ritchie general and threat while going back to north to cut the retirement to the 8th army towards Egypt. But the failure of the Stefanis general and his Ariete division, strongly supported by the Luftwaffe, obliges Rommel to mark a pause in its movement and to carry out a seat in rule of Bir Hakeim. Moreover, the British seized again themselves and counter-attack in the south to avoid surrounding. The courageous resistance of the encircled French, which lasts nearly fifteen days and the large-scale use to new and powerful tanks m3 Grant, prevent divisions armor-plated of the axis to close the bow net around the 8th army. Finally, this one can redeploy, with the supplement of fresh divisions on a line passing by El-Alamein, whose defenses solid and are supported on the south on the depression of Qattara. Rommel has just lost the occasion of a fast victory.
The shortly after the catch of Tobrouk, on June 22nd, Rommel is at the Egyptian border. He learns by the radio that he has just been promoted marshal.
Article detailed on the action of Rommel with El-Alamein : Battle of El-Alamein
Claude Auchinleck which replaced Ritchie, to the head of the 8th army, will carry out to it a defensive battle, which one generally calls, the first battle of El Alamein . This fight of wear which lasts all July, exhausts especially the Afrika Korps which has few means of reinforcement and whose lines of supply are wide. The advance of the Germans and the Italians having been stopped, one can consider that it is about a victory for the allies. July 17th, discouraged Rommel writes with his wife: That is badly. The enemy benefits from his superiority to destroy the Italian formations one by one, and the German units are too weak to only resist. There is what to cry! (source: Historia magazine 170, February 25th, 1971, p 2050)
August 28th, Rommel tries an opening to hustle the British forces before they are reinforced. The operation fails primarily for lack of fuel. September 3rd, its forces return to their home base after having lost 42 tanks on the ground. It organizes its face then defensively and returns sick and discouraged in Germany on September 22nd to look after itself. It is replaced by the Stümme general coming from the face of Russia.
During this time, Bernard Montgomery, coldly arrived, organizes the preparations of the second battle of El Alamein by reconstituting its forces.
Rommel returns to Africa as of on October 25th, the Stümme general having been killed at the beginning of the second battle of El Alamein.
Montgomery carries out a decisive offensive, pushing back Afrika Korps and the Italian forces until in Libya. This defeat of Rommel is regarded as one of the turnings of the war by much of historians, as well as the Bataille of Stalingrad, because the axis never took again the offensive thereafter on the African face. Winston Churchill summarized this battle in the following terms: “It is not the end, nor even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps the end of the beginning”.
The retirement
Hitler had given the order to Rommel to resist until the end, in spite of that Rommel decides to give up the battle and unnecessarily not to sacrifice the troops and the material which remains to him. Thus, there remain to him nothing any more but 32 tanks the November 4th when the engagements cease.
He writes to be justified:
- “the battle turns badly. We are quite simply crushed by the weight of the enemy. I made an attempt to save at least part of the army, and I wonder even if it will succeed. I seek night and day a means of drawing from there our troops. We go towards the difficult days, most difficult, perhaps, that a man can cross. Deaths are happy, for them all is finished. The order of Führer requires the impossible one because a bomb can kill even the soldier more solved. It is obvious that Hitler did not include/understand anything with our situation in Egypt. ”
The retirement, more or less easy for the Germans who have of a great number of vehicles and thus a great mobility, is more delicate for Italian divisions. Trento division was encircled the November 5th in the area of Fouka. Its general, Francesco Scotti, resigned himself to deposit the weapons not having more ammunition. More in the south, they are the remainders of division Pavia, Brescia and Folgore which capitulate this same day. The generals Ferraro Orsi (10th body) and Priederi (Brescia) were made kill with the combat. For Folgore, rendering is done with more the great honors, the Frattini general meets the major general Hugues (44e division of infantry). The two men greet then Hugues speaks “Various reports/ratios forced me to believe that you had died. I note with relief that it of it is nothing. ”
Then he adds “During all my career of soldier, I met never better soldiers that those of Folgore. ” Frattini has the tears with the eyes, Folgore counts nothing any more but 32 officers and 262 soldiers.
Rommel, persuaded that the opening in Egypt is not possible any more, is convinced that it is necessary to be withdrawn in Tunisia to continue the combat. This conviction is reinforced by the success of the Opération Torch which made it possible to the Américano-British to unload with the Morocco and in Algérie. On their side Américano-British although winners, underwent heavy losses (approximately a thousand of destroyed tanks) what makes it possible Rommel to continue the retirement in good order. Tobrouk is evacuated the November 12th 1942.
The November 15th, Rommel is impressed by the prowesses of the Corps of the genius:
- “We call upon the ultimate resources of our imagination in order to present to the British the most original booby-traps, to incite the avant-gardes with circumspection. Our commander of the Genious, the general Buelowius, one of the best sappers of the army, achieves true wonders in this field. It becomes obvious that the enemy tries to overflow us by all the means. I am alas persuaded that Libya is lost. ”
The November 19th it adds:
- “It is quite obvious that one will proceed in the two camps to a strong concentration of forces to Marsa-el-Brega. The allies are in the need for organizing their supply. ”
Whereas Rommel is forced to continue its retirement, while slowing down the allies successfully in spite of a numerical inferiority of a soldier of the axis for three allied, the reinforcements promised by Hitler in the heavy tank Tigre I arrive finally.
The November 29th, Rommel arrives at Berlin to convince Führer to give up the African theater by repatriating the remaining troops in Libya. It gives a report on the real situation to him on the ground, causing an access of rage on behalf of Hitler. Hitler does not yield and after having covered it with reproaches, returns Rommel to Africa to continue the combat.
Mid-December, of the Italian forces are attacked in the east of El Agheila. They resist nearly ten hours vis-a-vis forces of much higher of number and especially in material. This resistance makes it possible Rommel to take down in time and its admiration is worth to them:
- “the resistance of the Italians was splendid, and it deserves the greatest praises. A counter-attack of the armor-plated regiment of Centauro finally succeeded in driving back the English, who left on the ground 22 tanks and 2 armoured cars. ”
In Tunisia, the resistance of the Axis vis-a-vis the 1st army British is very effective. The attacks are frequently pushed back, leaving a great number of British prisoners between the hands of the Germans. In addition torrential rains prevent the allies from advancing for Tunis.
Rommel during this period of at the end of 1942 also seeks to contact the various Moslem brotherhoods to ensure them of the respect of their religious belief by the German-Italian soldiers. It indeed considers a rising of the Moslems against the Franco-British colonialists.
Rommel recruits thus, and that can be regarded as a failure of this policy, a African phalange of 300 Maghrebians.
The January 20th 1943 Rommel receives a telegram of Italy to which it reacts as follows:
- “the marshal Ugo Cavallero forwarded to me a long telegram written on order of Mussolini, in which it is known as that my decision to make evacuate the line of Tarhouna and to install the army in the sector of Azizia, to await the principal attack there, is contrary with its instructions. The arrival of such a message makes me leap rage. An overflowed or inserted position has value only if one has enough mobile forces to push back the enemy enveloping forces best strategic plannings does not have more any direction if it does not correspond any more to our tactical possibilities. ”
January 22nd, Rommel is resigned to evacuate all Tripolitaine to go to take refuge on the line strengthened of Mareth, in the south of Tunisia.
A letter of the January 28th addressed to his wife shows sick and critical Rommel vis-a-vis the chiefs of the Axis:
- “On the physical level, I am not very well: violent one headaches and nerves with end, without speaking about the disorders of circulation. That does not leave me any rest then. Professor Horster gave me some sleeping pills to recover. To tell the truth, with such a situation on the Russian face, all that one can wish is to remain in Africa. The marshal Ettore Bastico must turn over soon to Italy; Divergences appeared between us. But they were the consequence of the directives of Mussolini. Batisco is an excellent officer. ”
Mid-February, Rommel although patient decides to take again the initiative. Thus, it launches a counter-attack in direction of Kasserine and Tebessa to Tunisia. This counter-attack is a success. The 5th regiment of Bersaglieri made with him only more than 3000 American prisoners, or, another example, the 21e Panzerdivision destroys a hundred enemy tanks. The 2nd American body is completely inserted and almost does not seek to resist.
Rommel, following this success, wants to drive out the Americans of their positions in Tunisia and Algeria. For that it develops a daring plan. In numerical inferiority and having on a side the forces American and other the British forces, it will try to attack them separately. It thus envisages to insert the American forces initially then to be turned over on the British while launching the offensive in direction of Tebessa and Bône, which would oblige the British to be withdrawn completely from Tunisia to avoid crushing. This counter-offensive was not balanced by a victory supplements (the Bataille of Kasserine costs 10 000 men with allied), by the fault of the general Von Arnim, who, anxious for his positions took again half of the 10th panzerdivision as well as the battalion of tanks Tigre I which would have allowed a front penetration in the enemy lines.
British resistance during these operations is much keener than the resistance of the American soldiers, little tested. Even if for example the division of walk of Morocco (division belonging to Free France) loses more than 2600 soldiers and that the British troops move back, it is not the rout which the Americans know. This makes it possible to the Germans to keep the troops in good order to set out again with the offensive.
The February 23rd 1943, Rommel receives finally the integral command of the group of Afrika army. He entrusted his reaction in a letter addressed to his wife:
- “I accommodate this news with a mixed feeling. On a side, I am not at all annoyed to think that I would have a greater influence on the fate of my soldiers. The general von Arnim will have only to follow my directives. , The prospect to play the scapegoat of a possible defeat in Africa I hardly like other. I am however charmed of our bright victory with Kasserine and I hope to be able quickly to carry such severe blows to the allies. But all depends, like each time of the supply. My health was maintained up to now. But the heart, the nervous system and rheumatisms always cause me a crowd of troubles. ”
February 26th, it evaluates its situation in another letter addressed to his wife:
- “the conditions do not seem joined together at all for a fast victory over the Tunisian face. Our means found at sight of eye. Our reserves are insufficient. As always, the supply arrives only in too minor amounts. The Italian Navy does all that it can to provide us the hardware requirement, but the absence of radar and aircraft carrier is felt hard. I grow hollow day and night the brain to try to find a good solution but I always butt against the same problems. In spite of very heavy losses caused with the allied units, the power struggle is not modified. The material superiority of the allies is always crushing: twenty against for the armoured tanks!”.
At the beginning of March, a new offensive is launched against the 8th British army, in the sector of Medenine to determine the Mareth outline by circumventing the forces of Montgomery. 10th Panzerdivision having for mission of taking again Medenine for then moving towards the gulf of Gabès fails because of a crushing numerical inferiority (160 German tanks against 600 British) which is not mitigated by the effect of surprise, allies having succeeded in deciphering messages of the axis. This offensive shows the loss of 52 tanks for Afrika Korps.
The situation is completely unbalanced in favor of the allies. The power struggle of 1 per 7 with regard to the vehicles is armoured, of 1 compared with 20 for the tanks and of 1 compared with 3 for artillery. In spite of this numerical inferiority the German-Italian ones still gain some successes and succeed in still resisting and holding the ground in their possession.
The allied general Alexander, impressed makes this report:
- “In Tunisia, the enemy counter-attacks continuously and succeeded in stopping our advance at the price of very heavy losses. We notice that the Italians fight particularly well, even better than the Germans who are on line with them. In spite of severe losses inflicted by our artillery stoppings, the enemy persists in his counter-attacks, and it becomes obvious that an advance in this inextricable solid mass, that of the Tunisian mountains, will be expensive. ”
The return to Berlin
The March 8th 1943, Rommel bade its farewell with his/her old Bayerlein companion in Benizelten Tunisian village located in the mountainous chain of Matmata. March 9th, 1943 it definitively left the African ground while taking off of Sfax in Tunisia to turn over to Germany, while passing by Rome.Whereas he thinks of turning over to Africa after being himself a little rested, its discussions with Italian the Supremo Commando make him understand that it is not in the intentions of Führer.
- “I went to the supreme command Italian armed forces, where I have then a discussion with the Ambrosio general. I understood soon that the Italians expected to see me by no means turning over to Africa and that they were convinced that Führer was going quickly to send to me in convalescence. It was far from being my intention. I still hoped to make accept my plans and preserve some time the headquarters of all the group of armies. Then I went to Duce, in D'Ambrosio company and of Westphal. Maintenance lasted nearly half an hour. I say to Mussolini quickly and clearly all that I thought of the situation, then I exposed the conclusions to be drawn to him. But he also seemed, just like Hitler, to lack any direction of reality in the adversity. One of its principal concern was the fear of the considerable shock that the loss of Tunisia would produce then in Italy. He refused to see the things opposite. ”
The 10, Rommel arrives to Germany and goes directly to the HQ of Rastenburg into Prussia-Eastern. There it discusses lengthily with Adolf Hitler to which it wishes to make accept the withdrawal of the German troops of Africa.
- “Hitler was shown completely closed with all my arguments, which it eliminated the ones after the others persuaded whereas I had let myself invade by the doubt and pessimism. I declared that it was essential to re-equip divisions of Africa in Italy and to place them in defense on the coasts of Europe of the South. ”
After having spent some time in family, Erwin Rommel is hospitalized in the hospital of Semmering in April. During its stay at the hospital he learns the bad news coming from Tunisia, where the combat are increasingly unequal. This news reinforces in the spirit of Rommel the rejection of the elites Nazis in which he does not believe any more, and in particular of Hermann Goering:
- “As for this large bacon, the tragic situation of our armies did not seem at all to disturb it. It made the wheel then and was rengorgeait under the coarse flatteries of all the imbeciles who compose his court, speaking only about jewels and tables. Such an attitude would have perhaps amused me at another time, but then it did not cease exasperating me. Goering was had of an absolutely disproportionate ambition. Its vanity and its pride did not know any limit. ”
Normandy
It was named responsible for the Atlantic Wall to try to prohibit the unloading of Allied in France.
After the inspection of the wall, in April 1944, he declared:
- “If you think that they will arrive per good weather, by borrowing the shortest route and that they will warn you in advance you are mistaken… The Allies will unload by a terrible time by choosing the longest route… The unloading will take place here, in Normandy. ”
After this unloading (the June 6th 1944), Rommel is seriously wounded at the time of the corrosion of its car on a road by a allied plane the July 17th.
The operation Valkyrie
Having indirectly taken part on July 20th, 1944 in the Operation Valkyrie aiming to the assassination of Hitler, an unconditional surrender with the allies, at a European confederation making impossible the arms races and the wars of aggression; plot carried out by German conservatives of the Wehrmacht, directed by the colonel Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg; it accepted the order to commit suicide, in exchange of the safeguarding of its honor and the respect of its family. Such an exit also preserved the leaders Nazis of a possible by-effect which the imprisonment would have caused, even execution of a general become popular with the wire of its victories near the population. Rommel was forced by two soldiers (the generals Burgdorf and Maisel) to choose between the Suicide or a charge of itself and its family in front of the Tribunal Militaire and chose the Suicide by Poison in a Voiture with three steps of its door. A Médecin will write a forgery Death certificate indicating a Heart attack. The October 14th 1944, it was buried with the Honneur S Militaire S.
Posterity
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His/her son, Manfred Rommel, known as of him: “All the secondary virtues like courage, the discipline, fidelity, the endurance only have a positive effect as a long time as they serve a positive cause. If a positive cause becomes negative, the secondary virtues become problematic. During the reign of Hitler, the German soldiers had to make the bitter experiment of it. ”
- Of the German barracks currently bears its name.
See too
- List of the holders of the cross of knight of the cross of iron with sheets of oak, swords and brilliant
Catalog of films
- 1943 : Five secrecies of the desert ( Five Low registers to Cairo ), of Billy Wilder
- 1951: the Fox of the desert ( The Serves Fox: The Story off Rommel ), of Henry Hathaway
- 1953: Rats of the desert ( The Serves Rats ), of Robert Wise
- 1959: the Spy of Cairo ( Rommel ruft Kairo ), of Wolfgang Schleif
- 1960: Foxhole in Cairo , of John Llewellyn Moxey
- 1962: Hitler , of Stuart Heisler
- 1962: the longest Day ( The Longest Day ), of Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton and Bernhard Wicki
- 1967: the Night of the generals ( The Night off the Generals ), of Anatole Litvak
- 1969: the Battle of El Alamein ( Battaglia di El Alamein ), of Giorgio Ferroni
- 1969: No pity for the heroes ( Hora cero: Operación Rommel ), of León Klimovsky
- 1970: Patton , of Franklin J. Schaffner
- 1971: the Fifth commando ( Raid one Rommel ), of Henry Hathaway
- 1990: The Stud to Kill Hitler , of Lawrence Schiller
- 2006: Rommel and the Stud Against Hitler , of Nicholas Natteau
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