Opinions about Erwin Rommel

I sincerely regret that I did not find Field Marshal Rommel alive and can not shake his honest and courageous hand - Bernard Montgomery

We have a very daring and skillful opponent against us, and, may I say across the havoc of war, a great general – Winston Churchill

He was a splendid military gambler, dominating the problems of supply and scornful of opposition. His ardor and courage caused us great trouble, but he deserves honor, which I gave him, so later I got reproaches from society. It was in the House of Commons in January 1942, when I spoke about him, that we are opposed by a brave and skillful opponent – Winston Churchill

In addition, he deserves respect, because the German soldier is loyal to him, he hated Hitler and all his works, and took part in a conspiracy to save Germany by displacing a maniac and a tyrant. For this he sacrificed his life. Knighthood does not find place in the dark wars of modern democracy - Winston Churchill

Rommel was a military phenomenon that can occur only at rare intervals; men of such bravery and daring survive only with exceptional fortune - Field Marshall Archibald Wavell

Rommel had gained the world’s respect for his military genius. He was a legend… Rommel was reminiscent of the more romantic, chivalrous days of old, and was a genuinely humane military officer. Rommel was the best German general - Author Steven Pressfield

When I first saw him, he was a puny, almost youthful, but bold, inspired and eager for action. The combat spirit of the commander was transferred from the very beginning to the whole unit. Soldiers idolized him for his courage and military valor, and selflessly believed him - Theodor Werner "Fox trail"

Anybody who came under the spell of his personality turned into a real soldier. However tough the strain he seemed inexhaustible. He seemed to know just what the enemy were like and how they would probably react. His plans were often startling, instinctive, spontaneous and not infrequently obscure - Theodor Werner "Fox trail"

Rommel had a feel for the battlefield like no other man - Norman Schwarzkopf

In planning operations, Erwin Rommel was thoughtful and thorough. In making decisions on the battlefield, he became swift and impudent, without missing an opportunity to change the course of the battle with an unexpected and courageous blow. Most of all I was admired in him by courage and resourcefulness, as well as his unshakable determination in the most critical circumstances - Friedrich W. von Mellenthin "Panzer battles: 1939-1945"

To serve with Rommel was not easy: he did not spare the people around him, as well as himself. To work with Rommel, it was necessary to have an iron organism and steel nerves. At the same time, I must emphasize that although Rommel was sometimes not shy in expressions, "tearing" the commanders of the units, but in relation to those who belonged to his immediate surroundings, he behaved quite differently: only he was convinced of efficiency and conscientious attitude to the case of one of the officers, he never told him a rude word - Friedrich W. von Mellenthin "Panzer battles: 1939-1945"

Usually, the staff officer follows the route of the traffic, but Rommel had an extraordinary ability to feel the right direction and to orient himself on the terrain and himself pointed the way. While visiting the front, he saw everything, nothing escaped his attention. He noticed that the gun was badly disguised, that there were not enough mines or that the patrol had few cartridges. In all cases, he was personally convinced that his orders and instructions were being carried out - Friedrich W. von Mellenthin "Panzer battles: 1939-1945"

Rommel enjoyed great popularity among young soldiers and non-commissioned officers, during conversations with which he usually released a lot of jokes. Despite this, he could be very harsh with his commanders if he was dissatisfied with their actions. After such a thrashing, however, he readily listened to the arguments of the accompanying staff officer in defense of the unlucky victim, and if his reproaches were unreasonable, Rommel restored justice at the next visit - Friedrich W. von Mellenthin "Panzer battles: 1939-1945"

Rommel's energy could be surprised: as a rule, he spent all day checking the forces, despite the intense heat, which in the summer months sometimes reached +43 degrees (C) in the shade. His breakfast consisted of several sandwiches, which he ate in the car, and sipping tea from the bottle. The late dinner was no less Spartan. Rommel, as usual, dined alone or in the company of a few staff officers who were his closest assistants. During dinner he allowed himself to drink one glass of wine. He demanded that he and his staff be given the same ration as the troops - Friedrich W. von Mellenthin "Panzer battles: 1939-1945"

Even if his opponents do not hide their admiration and respect, then we Germans only have to bow our heads for the bright memory of the hero who gave his life for the bright future of his people! – Lutz Koch "Erwin Rommel"

He realized too late that courage and discipline are good things only when they serve a good purpose – Manfred Rommel

Desert Fox ... Almost two years ago, each of us burned with pain to turn his neck. Rommel is so powerful about the minds of our "Tommy" ... "The myth of Rommel" is even more dangerous for the mortals of our soldiers for the simple reason that it does not correspond to either the stereotypes of the common Fritz or the image of the brutal Nazi. His code of honor is framed by the traditions of the Prussian Army, which arose long before the take-off of the National Socialism. We can say that he is a warrior of the past era: an old knight, for whom personal glory and respect for the enemy are inseparable from the desire for victory – Kennedy Shoe

The commander should be distinguished by firmness, devotion to his troops, the ability to intuitively assess the situation and the enemy, the speed of reaction and temperament. All these qualities were combined in a rare way in the personality of Rommel – Fritz Bayerlein

General Paulus flew to Africa to prevent this soldier from completely losing his mind – Franz Halder

It will not be possible to keep Generaloberst. He just sits in a car and drives away, and a truck with a radio station will not catch up with him. Or this truck will be blow up ... And anyway, how can he command here in Africa, sitting in the rear? This is a war in which everything is decided at the frontline – Gause

Yes, somehow Rommel told me how he plans to capture Tobruk. My youngest Marshal… Cunning fox! Such things only he can handle! – Adolf Hitler

He was demanding of soldiers just as he did to himself. Selflessly worked and fought, lived simply, devoted himself entirely to his wife and son - American military historian Martin Blumenson

Rommel behaved like a single genius, who is guided only by inspiration and intuition. During the battles, he showed aggressiveness, characteristic of a man who was always ready to take risks. Rommel won the battle by skillful maneuvering. Rommel had to command forces that were inferior to both the strength of the troops and the firepower, and his tactics of maneuvering were justified – American historian Stephen Ambrose

From the moment he first came under fire, a predator awoke in him: cold-blooded, insidious, ruthless, not knowing fatigue, smart and extremely fearless – Author Desmond Young "Rommel"

He was the embodiment of the spirit of war – unknown fellow servant

While the British were changing commanders in Africa one by one, Rommel studied and he comprehended simple, reasonable things, as important on the battlefield as technical skills on the assembly line. Now his repair units are put forward directly into the battle zone, often starting to "conjure" over the damaged tanks, when the battle is still going on. As soon as it gets dark, German tractors with powerful cranes appear on the front line. They deliver broken equipment, both German and English, to field workshops located in large tents, protected by blackout. And everything that can be seized from the British, from trucks to the last canister with gasoline, Rommel immediately uses. Even captured British tanks the next morning go into battle with painted fresh crosses on towers – magazine "Time" in 1942

In the person of Rommel, the Western Theater of Military Operations has lost the strongest personality – general Heinz Guderian

Rommel was not only an open, direct character, he was not only a brave soldier, he was, among other things, a military leader of great talent. He was an energetic man with subtle feelings. He always found a way out of the most difficult situation, loved his soldiers very much and rightly enjoyed great authority – general Heinz Guderian

The most remarkable feature of Rommel was his ability to concentrate his troops in the right direction with lightning speed. Due to the speed with which he did this, the enemy had the impression that he had the same superiority in all other directions – Portuguese historian F. Miksche

Here Rommel comes forward, as a man with no rivals who could surpass him. For all the German and Italian troops who fought under his command, his name had magical power. Every former German soldier, when he hears of the desert, immediately remembers Rommel as a master of this type war. What was the secret of his magnetism? The answer is simple, namely: in his personality and actions. As this man was actually a big person and was exactly suited to his task, even without the experience of waging war in the desert. It was his strong will that made the army capable of achievements, the scale of which was recognized even by enemies - Siegfried Westphal’s memoirs

Nobody except Rommel could be so demanding of his soldiers. They followed him, because they saw him every day in the midst of battles, among soldiers, because he was born a leader - Siegfried Westphal

Behind his rough exterior was a tender heart that did not know vile thoughts - Siegfried Westphal

Despite his passionate striving for victory, he never forgot that the most important thing to win with the least number of victims. He often said: "Germany will need people after the war" - Siegfried Westphal

Rommel was not only the soul, but also the driving force of the North African war. He was gradually consumed by the fire burning inside him. Modest and restrained, he would never have suffered a heart disease that overtook him in 1942, because of the constant overload that he subjected himself to - Siegfried Westphal

There is no doubt that of all the top German officers of this war it was Rommel who had the closest ties with the soldiers - Siegfried Westphal

In his thoughts and deeds, he remained an officer of the front line, even after he became the highest commander. The front, the battle, the desire to be with their soldiers during the battle - all this forced him to leave the headquarters and rush to the front line. Because of this, many misunderstandings arose, constancy was violated, which could not but have a controversial impact on his leadership, but the influence that he daily rendered on the fighting forces with his presence, outweighed much - Siegfried Westphal

His highly developed spirit of contradiction and, at times, stubbornness often led to the fact that both, his commanders and his subordinates, found it difficult to get along with him. And finally, he was not a diplomat. He frankly expressed all that he thought, and at the height of the moment he often offended our allies when he had claims to them - Siegfried Westphal

The overwhelming majority of his actions indicate his extraordinary tactical gift and in general that his abilities as a military exceeded the average level. Everyone who worked with him was constantly amazed at the speed with which he understood the most difficult situations and penetrated the essence of the matter. And consequently, he can be considered the most outstanding soldier of the Second World War - Siegfried Westphal

When you have prisoners, you can not always provide them with hot food, but you do everything for them that is possible. The Germans treated us just like that. Therefore, we have always treated them with great respect. I believe that in those very sad times for history, when so many people were carrying shame on Germany, the Afrika Korps and Erwin Rommel gave Germany glory – 8th British Army veteran Semuel Brandshow

Rommel always led the troops ahead. He was ahead of all. For us, young soldiers, he seemed an ideal commander, descended from the pages of military textbooks – Meinhard Glaintz, soldier of 7th Panzer Division

At first, everyone was talking about him as a simple sergeant-major and a crazy division commander. Without hesitation, he went ahead. But no matter what, he was lucky. Soon everyone learned what the name Rommel meant – 7th Panzer Division soldier Heinz Plumacher’s memories

We loved him. We thought, while he was our commander, we could never lose. Our fighting spirit fell heavily when he left. He also did not allow the SS to go to Africa! Rommel hated Himmler and the SS. He refused to have any of this organization under his command. Hitler developed a project according to which from time to time "SS observers" were supposed to come to Africa. However, not a single part of the SS there did not appear – soldier of the 21th Panzer Division

Obviously, Rommel's reputation and personal qualities inspired the troops. Part of this is due to his personal courage, and partly to his ability to improvise and act as required by the situation. His attacks, planned and carried out with the participation of numerous combat groups, were so unusual that they often simply stunned the enemy. He was a delightful warlord. I heard that Fieldmarshal Montgomery had a portrait of Rommel hanging over the table – memories of Horst von Opperfeld from 10th Panzer Division

I had the great honor of fighting under the command of General Rommel in the sultry sands of North Africa. At home, at the front and in the British POW camps, the surviving veterans of the Afrika Korps remember their commander "The knight without fear and reproach". Under his command we have become something more than just a military unit, we became brothers in arms. When he praised or chastised us, we looked into his bottomless eyes and saw in it a reflection of the peaks conquered by him. We ourselves were ready to roll any mountains when he raised us to attack – unknown soldier

Rommel was a born practitioner with a rich imagination. Inventor. His resourcefulness was the resourcefulness of the fox – Ulrich de Maziere, the cadet of the infantry school in Dresden

Veterans of the Württemberg Mountain Battalion still remember a young officer with burning eyes, Ober-Lieutenant Rommel. The soldiers worshiped him, knowing that he would never send them into battle for the sake of the battle, but only in case of urgent necessity. When Germany learned of his untimely death, there was not a single German family, not a German man or a German woman who did not feel orphaned. You feel this feeling when you lose an infinitely close to you and a loved one. Flesh from the flesh of the German people, he was infinitely close to any of us. Sleep peacefully, dear comrade, your eternal memory - unknown soldier of the Württemberg Regiment

He ate with us, and all the time he was on the edge of the front line – Rommel’s driver Rudolf Schneider

When photographers came to us for further propaganda, to capture our great achievements, they invariably hung flags with swastikas on our cars. But as soon as the photographers left, the whole swastika was immediately removed. He (Rommel) did not perceive the Nazi symbol, and wherever it is possible it was always removed - Rommel’s driver Rudolf Schneider

One of the main reasons for the success of the German General Rommel was that he was always in the public eye, gave orders, explained, corrected, and watched how things were going – S. Parkinson

Rommel was nervous, he wanted to do everything at once, so he lost interest. Rommel was my boss in Normandy. I can not say that Rommel was not a good General. If successful, he was happy, and in case of failure he fell into depression - Josef Dietrich

France will never forget the name of Field Marshal Rommel, who did not recognize any codes other than the knightly code of honor. All the French will always respect your father's memory – France general de Tassigny to Manfred Rommel

He was personally present on the battlefield. Not only for a more accurate assessment of the situation, but also that a personal example to inspire the soldier. We liked to say that even British bullets are afraid of "Iron Erwin" – Hans von Luck "Panzer commander"

The Reich and the Wehrmacht lost one of their best commanders. A courageous fighter, a man of selfless courage and personal courage, left his life ... The Fatherland highly appreciated his great contribution to the cause of the German people's liberation struggle against the British invaders in North Africa. For two years of heroic battles of the Afrika Korps with superior enemy forces, he showed himself as a talented and caring commander. Rommel was the first representative of our glorious army, who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. As commander-in-chief of the Army Group, he up until the last minute before a serious injury strengthened the Reich's defenses on the Western Front. His name was forever included in the history of the heroic struggle of the German people for the freedom and independence of their Fatherland - the Wehrmacht bowed his head before the bright memory of the great soldier and patriot. In commemoration of mourning, I order to lower the state banners and regimental standards! - von Rundstedt on the funeral ceremony

He was the leader of the Blitzkrieg troops, but only at the one army level. Above this level, he was unable to. Rommel had too much responsibility. He was a good army corps commander, but he was too morose. At one time he was an enthusiast, at another he fell into depression - Albert Kesselring wrote it in a letter to Leon Goldenson in 1946

Rommel was nervous, he wanted to do everything at once, so he quickly lost interest in this. Rommel was my boss in Normandy. I cannot say that Rommel was not a good general. In case of success he rejoiced, and in case of failure he fell into depression - Joseph Dietrich, in a letter to Leon Goldenson, on February 28, 1946