Rommel, Erwin Johannes Eugen

b. 1891; d. 1944

The most popular German general of the Second World War, born at Heidenheim, near Ulm, Württemberg. He joined the army in 1910, and was commissioned in 1912. During the First World War Rommel served in France, Romania, and Italy, and was promoted captain in 1917. In November 1938 Rommel was commandant of the War Academy at Wiener Neustadt.

On the outbreak of the Second World War he was given command of the 7th Panzer Division, and on 12 June 1940 Rommel received the surrender of Maj-Gen Fortune, four French generals, and 12,000 Allied troops at St Valéry-en-Caux in Normandy. After the defeat of Graziani in Libya Rommel was appointed to command German troops there, which body at first consisted only of the 5th and 9th Light Divisions. For his advance in the summer of 1942 from Gazala to Alamein, Rommel was promoted field marshal and decorated. But he was not adequately supplied with ammunition and reserve tanks; at one time he had only 12 German tanks in running order. Between then and the arrival of Montgomery on 15 August he had to beat off six British counter-attacks before he could again seek a decision at Alam Halfa on 31 August. During the four days of this battle he was ill, and on 24 September was flown home to hospital. On 24 October, at the height of the Alamein battle, Stumme, his successor, died and Rommel was flown from hospital to conduct the lost battle and withdrawal to Tunisia. His request for more motorised troops had not been granted.

From now until the end of the campaign Rommel was a sick man. In November he again saw Hitler, who finally promised support. This, however, was not forthcoming. German reinforcements were indeed pouring into Tunisia, but Rommel did not get control of these until 22 February 1943, when he became commander-in-chief Army Group Africa. At Kasserine Pass in that month he inflicted a heavy defeat on the US 2nd Corps, but his counter-attack against the 8th Army failed at Medenine on 5 March. A week later Rommel flew to Germany, where (according to his family) he asked Hitler for permission to evacuate his troops, but this was refused, and he was accused of cowardice. He was in hospital for some weeks, and on 12 May again saw Hitler who said to him 'I should have listened to you earlier, Africa is lost now'. After the Allied victories in North Africa Rommel was given command of troops in northern Italy. Despite his misgivings as to the North Sea and Atlantic defences in January 1944, he accepted command of German troops in Holland and of the 15th and 7th Armies in north and north-west France. On 17 July Rommel was severely injured when his car was shot up by the RAF. He was suspected of complicity in the plot against Hitler (July 1944) and forced to commit suicide.

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