Erwin Rommel

ERWIN ROMMEL

Erwin Rommel Jr. was born on November 15, 1891 in Swabian. His father Erwin Rommel Sr., was a schoolmaster in Heidenheim in Wurttemberg , and Rommel's mother was Helene von Luz was a daughter of the local Regierungs-President.

As a child, he was even tempered and was unremarkable academically and athletically. After high school, Rommel Jr. was thinking of applying to the Zeppelin works at

Friederichshafen, but his father, an ex-artillery officer, advised him to go to the army instead. In July, 1910, Rommel became a cadet with the 124th Wurttemberg Infantry Regiment in the 26th Infantry Division of the German Imperial Infantry. He served as cadet in the Army until March 1911. Then he attended the prestigious military academy Konigliche Kriegsschule in Danzig and he left the academy in November of 1911. During Rommel's stay he also met the love of his life, Lucy Mollin, whom he would write to everyday during both World Wars, he raised to Lieutenant: Corporal in October and Sergeant at the end of the year.

Rommel first showed his courage and intellect during World War 1 when a group of 15 to 20 French soldiers were spotted by him and his reconnaissance of three other men. Rommel opened fire and dropped 10 members of the group with regular rifles. His second encounter was 800 yards northeast of Bleid, at freshly dug French trenches. He charged and repulsed all French with only few parts of his regiment, Then Rommel with two other men drove off a whole French column. After this, Rommel passed out from lack of sleep. When he awakened, a confused firefight had begun. He immediately rallied his men and repulsed the French attack. The battle of Longwy resulted in a loss of 15% of Rommel's men and 25% of his officers. After the battle, medical doctors informed Rommel that he was suffering from food poisoning, but Rommel would not leave the field. In his first action as Battalion Adjutant, Rommel and a group of 13 men repulsed a charge of 2 French companies and dropped 30 French, capturing 12. Then on September 9, his outfit was ordered to begin digging trenches. On September 10, they were ordered to charge. Rommel lost 4 officers and 40 men dead, and 160 men wounded, and 8 missing.

On September 22, Rommel was again ordered to attack, but this time he consulted his commander with better plans. The result was 50 Frenchmen, 7 machine guns, 10

Ammunition limbers, and a full kitchen captured, with only 4 killed and 11 wounded. Then Rommel reorganized another confused company, and started to return to his own unit. On the way, 5 French soldiers appeared ahead of him. Rommel opened fire and dropped two of them, only to run out of ammunition. Rommel quickly fixed his bayonet and charged only to be wounded with a fist sized exit wound

and to be rewarded with an Iron Cross and Second Class for bravery. Also before World War 1 ended Rommel received a Pour le Merite. Rommel's son, Manfred was born in December 1928, on Christmas Eve.

In September 1934, Rommel first met Hitler. Rommel was devoted to Hitler because of Hitler's acceptance of the army over the SA. Rommel thought Hitler was a good man, and he was swept up in the patriotic pride that now ran rampant throughout Germany. Hitler was just as impressed with Rommel, and Rommel's character soon gained him the position of Major-General of Hitler's Special Guard, a very

prestigious honor. Soon Rommel and Hitler became close friends. Hitler consulted with Rommel on where he would like to go from there. Rommel told him he would like to lead an armored division.

In early February, 1940, Rommel was appointed to command the 7th Panzer Division, now stationed at Godesberg in the west and soon deployed in the nearby valley of the Ahr. He took leave of Hitler and was given an inscribed copy of Mein Kampf as a present.

On May 10, 1940, the beginning elements of Rommel's 7th Panzer Division began their advance. When Rommel came to the Maginot Line, he came up with an idea. Instead of blowing up or dealing with every fortification in his way, he ordered his tanks to race at full speed past the fortifications while firing at anything that looked hostile. The French were surprised, most of them simply surrendered to the rear guards that came up.

On February 6, 1941, Rommel was summoned to Berlin. There he was alerted of the Italians hopeless situation by the army's Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal von Brauchitsch. They had lost an entire army of ten divisions in North Africa, were checked completely in Greece, on the run in Eritrea, Somaliland, Abyssinia, Libya, and all of North Africa. Hitler had personally selected Rommel to take two divisions-one Panzer (15th Panzer Division), which did not arrive until May, and one light, the 5th Light (totally mechanized but no tanks) division- to help the Italians hold North Africa.

On March 24, 1941, Rommel ordered the 3rd Recon Battalion to attack El Agheila. The attack went unmolested, and the airfield and water supply of El Agheila soon fell in Rommel's hands. On March 31st, the 5th Light Division advanced on Mersa El Brega. The immediate response was stubborn, but after a north flanking movement by Rommel and his machine gun battalion, the defile fell and a good many vehicles were captured with it. Air recon showed that the British were retreating. On the April 14th, Rommel sent the Italian General Streich on an

attack against Tobruk, and General