Rommel's tears to his beloved battalion

Rommel's tears during the farewell to his beloved battalion

In early March 1943, Rommel intended to fly into the Fuhrer's headquarters to convince him to save what else could be saved. In one of the reserve battalions, there were almost no armored vehicles and ammunition left, and Hans von Luke went to the nearby command post of Rommel. "Can I talk to Rommel and say goodbye to him?" he asked Gause. "Of course, he will be happy to see the commander of his beloved battalion" answered Gouse.

Rommel, as usual, was sitting in his Mammoth before the operational maps on the table. As Hans von Luke testified in his book, Rommel was visibly weakened, suffering from a tropical illness - it seemed that his health was completely undermined.

"Herr Field Marshal, I heard you are going to go to the headquarters of Hitler. Judging by how things turn out, it seems to me that you will not return. Can I as commander of a battalion who was once the first who came to the North Africa land and had the fortune to fight in all battles with you, on my own behalf and on the servicemen of my battalion, to say goodbye to you and express the hope that we will meet again sometime, and somewhere?! We will stay here as long as possible, always relying on the example that you showed us", Hans said.

Rommel got up. Tears shone in his eyes. What happened to this person, who was always tough, first of all to himself? Hans von Luke never told anyone about those tears. Only after the war, after he returned from captivity, he met his wife, Lucy, and told her about her husband's prophecies and that he saw tears in his eyes. Tears of Rommel - the tears of a great man - touched von Luke more than anything else in the war.

Rommel went to the locker on the wall and returned to Hans with a large photograph from which the former Rommel looked at him-healthy, happy and successful. He wrote a few words in the portrait "Here, Luke, take as a token of gratitude to you and your brave battalion. Keep it. I hope we'll see each other at home. God bless you!"

Rommel turned away, and von Luke, deeply moved, left him.