Was Erwin Rommel the best German general of WWII
- Thread starter hasdrubal barca
- Start date
"Right theatre, Mr Bond."
"Wrong General."
Taking Egypt is not going to happen. Not unless such resources are committed that doing so stops being worthwhile.
Driving to the Caucasus is about as good an idea as deciding that your trucks will get on better if you take the rubber supplies from the Congo.
Fleeing to Italy is the thing you're going to have to do eventually. Until then, protecting Libya is part of the objective. The main objective however, is to be as annoying a son of a bitch as you can be to the Allies, while at the same time using as few troops as possible.
"Wrong General."
Taking Egypt is not going to happen. Not unless such resources are committed that doing so stops being worthwhile.
Driving to the Caucasus is about as good an idea as deciding that your trucks will get on better if you take the rubber supplies from the Congo.
Fleeing to Italy is the thing you're going to have to do eventually. Until then, protecting Libya is part of the objective. The main objective however, is to be as annoying a son of a bitch as you can be to the Allies, while at the same time using as few troops as possible.
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I would have to vote for Manstein for example his famous Backhand Blow at 3rd Kharkov and his defence of the Dnieper Line 1943-4.
My second choice would have to be Model for stabilisng the situation after the Destruction of Army Group Centre in as much as that was possible.
Rommel only cones in third place for me
My second choice would have to be Model for stabilisng the situation after the Destruction of Army Group Centre in as much as that was possible.
Rommel only cones in third place for me
Well digging in at Halfaya Pass is a good start, as it's one of the very few choke-points around. Completing the defences at Tobruk (especially the SE quarter) would help too.
What that he made contingency plans in 1941 if he made it to the Middle East? It doesn't mean he actually believed it was at all likely he would be able to make it to the Caucuses.
Saphroneth
Banned
If he HAD reached anything like that far, then adding another several hundred miles' forward charge wouldn't precisely be prudent. Nor would bypassing bases with Brits or Frenchies in.
Defecting.
When you have a wife and son back home in Germany? I wouldn't advise it.
Define 'best'? He certainly has one of the best reputation. Amazing what propaganda can do. Tactically, he is certainly aggressive and have good instincts. But then, many German generals have the same qualities. Manstein certainly did at 3rd Kharkov. I believe he is excellent as a division commander. But commanding a theatre of operations, as many has stated, his carefree attitude towards logistics is a drawback.
Here's a question, with the challenges faced by the Germans in supplying North Africa, would even a more logistically adept commander make any difference starting from 1943 beyond tying up extra Allied resources?
Here's a question, with the challenges faced by the Germans in supplying North Africa, would even a more logistically adept commander make any difference starting from 1943 beyond tying up extra Allied resources?
let's face it, Rommel was beaten by him:
Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
and in Italy and Ardennes, this General became a nightmare for germans generals
General George Smith Patton, Jr.
They were superior as Rommel...
Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
and in Italy and Ardennes, this General became a nightmare for germans generals
General George Smith Patton, Jr.
They were superior as Rommel...
This.
As a tactician he was in rarified air.
Manstien, IMHumbleO, was the best German general. Put Rommel in the east and Manstien in Afrika and I feel the lesson of logistics would be a hard quick lesson for a Rommel trying to roll a big rock down a hill to get up a bigger hill.
and in Italy and Ardennes, this General became a nightmare for germans generals
General George Smith Patton, Jr.
They were superior as Rommel...
Another overblown commander.....
Put Rommel in the east and logistics are not his concern because he has several levels above him.
Generaloberst
Banned
No. Militarily, he was pretty decent at tactical-level command but horrible at the strategic theater command. Now, how much of that was mismanagement of logistical lines in the African theater and how much of that was simply lack of caring on the end of the OKW is hard to say but Rommel was not the greatest German general of the War by far.
Men like Model, Manstein, and Guderian were far more capable generals than Rommel was.
Men like Model, Manstein, and Guderian were far more capable generals than Rommel was.
Give Rommel a Corps or small army and he's excellent, aggressive and doesn't have to worry about supplies. Anything more than that and he's out of his league.
For Germany, you want Guderian attacking, Manstien for counter attacking, and heinrici/Kesslering for defending. They're the best, Rommels somewhere on the level of Hoth.
P.S.- does anyone read Armchair General magazine? I like it, but it's Rommel/Patton on every other cover, which pisses me off when there's so many other great commanders.
For Germany, you want Guderian attacking, Manstien for counter attacking, and heinrici/Kesslering for defending. They're the best, Rommels somewhere on the level of Hoth.
P.S.- does anyone read Armchair General magazine? I like it, but it's Rommel/Patton on every other cover, which pisses me off when there's so many other great commanders.
How would Rommel have done if he was never given a Panzer unit in the first place? He was most qualified for a mountain or infantry div based on his WWI record. Were would he be deployed.
ps: I Erwin painted my Stug with an Afrika Korps color scheme, Vergiesst Schweiss aber kein blut, ehehhehe.
ps: I Erwin painted my Stug with an Afrika Korps color scheme, Vergiesst Schweiss aber kein blut, ehehhehe.
I agree. I think Rommel would do just fine as long as he isn't given to much. I would actually take it step lower and say he was a fine division commander. Anything beyond that just seems to much from him. Very aggressive and had a habit of showing up on the front line exactly when needed. However this also required excellent staff to back him up to make good decisions while he was away from HQ. I think once he got beyond division level he just didn't grasp logistics and the fact that the best place for him was the HQ. I would pick Manstein as one of the top level commanders that a firm grasp of what was needed to be done from the Division to the Army Group level.