Driving along the quiet valley road leading into Herrlingen on the outskirts of Ulm, I wondered if Rommel had ever come and gone by this same route as he rushed back to the Western Front in June of 1944. Could he possibly have been driven out into the countryside on this same road for his fatal final journey? I was touring Germany in 1985 and had made a point of visiting Rommel's grave on our way from Stuttgart to Munich. In a small treed graveyard with curbed walkways I finally approached a simple wooden grave marker surmounted by a carved iron cross. Here then lay the ashes of one of the most respected generals of World War Two, admired by both friend and foe alike. The simple message below the cross reads: GENERALFELDMARSCHALL ERWIN ROMMEL 1891-1944, and is embellished with carved representations of his medals. It should be noted that this croassa was altered sometime in the postwar period. Originally it carried a swastika at the center of the cross and the date 1939 in the bottom arm of the cross. Both of these items were removed, the center of the cross recessed, and the outer edge painted white.
Upon inquiring about his home we were informed that it was several blocks away, but was now being used as a nursery school. This revelation disturbed me so much that I chose not to do more than glance at the house from a distance and try to picture that fateful day when he donned his Afrika Korps uniform for the last time and walked out to the waiting staff car.
Born November 15th, 1891, in the small Wurttemberg town of Heidenheim near Ulm, the son of a local schoolmaster, Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel was destined to become one of the most respected military men of his time. He was one of five children, although his one brother Manfred died early in life. His father, who was also named Erwin Rommel, died suddenly in 1913, and his mother, Helena, lived on until 1940, long enough to see her second son become a Major-General.
There was no military tradition in the family, and they were simply a respectable Swabian family of average income, with no obvious influential friends in military circles. Since most of the high officers in the German military would flow from the Prussian officer class and aristocratic families, Rommel would later ebe considered a misfit by many of these career officers. At the age of 19 he joined the 124th Infantry Regiment at Weingarten, and in March, 1911 was posted to the War Academy in Danzig. It was in Danzig that he would meet his future wife Lucie Mollin, and with a pleasant mixture of courtship and studies he earned his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in early 1912, and returned to his regiment.
Rommel was noty a big man, but his physical stamina made up for any lack of size. He neither drank nor smoked, and the local nightlife was not part of his lifestyle. He approached everything very seriously and choser to absorb discussions rather than enter into them. In March, 1914 he was attached to the Field Artillery Regiment in Ulm, but on July 31st he was recalled to the 124th, and went off to war the following day,
His record in France during WWI was exemplary, and his eagerness to use surprise ans bold moves to overcome the enemy would groom him for ever greater achievements. Wounded several times he was soon promotedf to 1st Lieutenant and eventually found himself posted to Austria for intensive training in mountain warfare, and then off to the Rumanian front. During this period he had slipped off to Danzig in November 1916 to get married.
He was soon into the thick of things, probing the Italian and Rumanian position and leading skillful Attacks through the enemy lines. His reputation was known throughout the division and his men looked up to him, even though he was still a 25 year old who looked even younger because of his stature. For his achievements at Monte Mastajur he was awarded thye Pour le Merite, comparable to the Victoria Cross and usually only awarded to senior generals. On this occasion he had scaled 7,000 feet up the rear of the mountain leading only six companies and had captured 150 Italian officers, 9,000 enemy soldiers, and 81 guns. Promoted to Captain, he was now given a staff position and sent on leave, much to his disappointment. He was in this position when the war came to an end. All of these early experiences would indelibly leave their mark on Rommel's mind, and when war again beckoned he would eagerly seek out the enemy's weak points with the same "sixth sense" that he always seemed to possess. However, by 1920 he was posted in Stuttgart commanding a company of Infantry Regiment 13, and here he would remain for the next nine years. He and Lucie embarked on a pastime of canoeing, mountain treks, and skiing, and in December 1028 their only child Manfred was born. The young captain had also caught the attention of his battalion commander, and was soon posted as a junior instructor at the Dresden School of Infantry. He was finally promoted to Major in April 1932, and in October of 1933 became a battalion commander with 17th Infantry Regiment at Goslar in the Harz Mountain district.
When Hitler came to power he demanded a personal oath of allegiance from the military, and henceforth the Fuhrer's decisions would rule the course of events. Rommel first came to Hitler's attention in 1934 during his visit to review the troops at Goslar. In 1935 he was posted as the War Ministry's special liason officer to Baldur von Schirach's Hitler Youth Organization. He soon realized that he had no use for the yound Von Schirach's methods and Rommel's heavy Swabian accent did not sit well with the Hitler Youth leader's expectations. They soon parted ways, but while in Potsdam Rommel had managed to complete his brilliant book on infantry tactics "INFANTRY ATTACKS", and get it published. This book obviously came to Hitler's attention and apparently he was impressed by it. (However, how it could later have helped Patton in Tunisia is hard to know.)
In 1938 when Hitler decided to visit his newly acquired Sudetenland he chose Rommel as the commandant for his Escort Battalion. This single appointment immediately propelled Rommel into the spotlight where he would remain for many years to come. In November of that same year he was posted as Commandant of the officer cadet school at Wiener-Neustadt, near Vienna. These would be some of their happiest years, and his family would live in comfortable surroundings. Again in March 1939 Hitler chose Rommel to command his mobile headquarters during the occupation of Prague. With the invasion plans for Poland well under way, Rommel learned that he was to be promoted to Major General, and was subsequently made responsible for Hitler's safety during his numerous visits to the front. During the invasion Rommel was well aware of the German Panzer units and the blending of artillery and air support, along with motorized infantry to achieve the desired Blitzkrieg results.
Following the cessation of hostilities in Poland, Rommel was again thrust back into the mundane duties of everyday routine. Counting on his close connections with the Fuhrer, and realizing that the invasion of France and the Low Countries was inevitable, he decided to ask for a fighting command. In February 1940 his request was granted and Rommel assumed command of 7th Panzer Division. At this point the Army High Command objected strenuously, stating that he had not enough experience with armored troops, but Hitler was adamant, and brushed aside their complaints.
The Western offensive opened on May 10th and 7th Panzer crossed the frontier into Belgium at first light, and had reached the Meuse by May 12th. After establishing a bridgehead across the Meuse, Rommel prepared to concentrate his 25th Panzer Regiment and break through on a narrow front, then drive west without regard for his flanks. By May 18th the 7th Panzer spearhead had reached Cambrai, but the rest of his forces were strung out precariously behind him. Strong French armored forces on both flanks threatened the operation, but never intervened. At Wailly, southwest of Arras, Rommel ran into the heavily armored Matildas of the British 1st Tank Brigade. The standard 37mm German anti-tank guns could not penetrate the thick skinned Matilda and Rommel was forced to hold them off with his 88mm anti-aircraft guns.
With the situation again in hand, Rommel's 7th Panzer rolled south of Arras, but on May 24th a halt was ordered by OKW to allow the infantry to move up to protect the exposed armored spearheads. On the 26th they were on the move again with Rommel commanding both 7th and 5th Panzer Divisions for the attack on Lille. On June 2nd Hitler requested Rommel's attendance at a conference in Charleville, where he was greeted enthusiastically by the Fuhrer.
Returning to the front Rommel's 7th Panzer struck for the sea, sweeping aside any resistance they encountered. On June 8th they reached the coast at Les Petites Dalles, destroying an enemy motorized column on the way. Turning north they then focused their attention on the British and French forces holed up in St. Valery, surrounding the town on June 11th. Late the following evening the defenders capitulated and Rommel had bagged a dozen generals and almost 13,000 prisoners. The French had referred to Rommel's fast moving 7th Panzer as the "Ghost Division", and the tern stuck.
With the major fighting over, Rommel's unit took several days for rest and reorganization. However, on June 17th the "Ghost Division" was off again with orders to capture the deep water seaport of Cherbourg. Advancing a record 200 miles the first day, Rommel attacked Cherbourg fortress on June 18th with heavy Stuka support, and by the time it surrendered 7th Panzer had captured another 30,000 prisoners.
With an armistice signed on June 21st, 1940 Rommel returned to Wiener-Neustadt for rest and relaxation with his wife and son. During the final month of 1940 Rommel and his 7th Panzer did exhaustive training preparing for the invasion of England. Operation Sealion required trials of loading and unloading the converted river barges which would ferry the division to the British coast. This invasion was then postponed, and finally cancelled in favor of Luftwaffe air attacks.
This ten was the man Hitler would choose to lead his German troops in North Africa, and Rommel would continue to employ his fast movement tactics throughout the Desert War. When the end was in sight in Tunisia, Rommel flew to Hitler's headquarters in the Ukraine to plead for a timely withdrawal of his forces from Africa, but to no avail. He was then ordered to take his long delayed sick leave, and his faithful Afrika Korps was left to face it fate on Cap Bon.
It was not until July 23rd, 1943 that he received orders from Hitler to go to Salonika to assess the situation in Greece. At the same time he was told to prepare to take command of an Army Group north of the Alps, which would ensure the security of German troops in Italy. During this period, he and Kesselring were at odds over how best to defend Italy, and by November 5th he and his staff had been comissioned to examine the defenses of the Atlantic Wall. On December 31st he was named Commander of Army Group B, and proceeded to instill an air of confidence into the troops defending the coastal areas by installing numerous beach obstacles and an additional four million mines.
Rommel's plan had always been to stop the invasion on the beaches, before the Allies could establish a foothold on the continent. Hitler was convinced the the Pas de Calais in the north would be the obvious invasion site, and the available armor had been positioned to suit his whims. When the weather turned stormy in early June, Rommel felt confident that the invasion would not take place for several weeks. On June 5th he left his headquarters at La Roche-Guyon by car for a quick visit with his family in Herrlingen. The following morning he learned of the invasion and by noon on D-Day was speeding back to France.
We all know of the indecision that followed which allowed the Allies to gain a firm beachhead in Normandy, and by June 11 it was clear to Rommel that Normandy was lost and a withdrawal to the Orne was their only hope. Hitler would not hear of this and Rommel had no choice but to do his best to shore up the sagging German defenses, hoping Hitler would release some of the armor still waiting for the nonexistant landing at Calais.
On July 17th during a return trip to La Roche-Guyon from the front, Rommel's staff car was spotted by two enemy attack planes near Livarot. His driver was severely wounded and the Horch swerved into the ditch out of control, throwing the Field Marshal onto the roadway. Rommel sustained severe head injuries and was eventually moved to a Luftwaffe hospital at Bernay, where he gradually recovered. On August 8th he was allowed to return to his home in Herrlingen, and the following day the German press announced simply that he had been wounded in action.
By this point in time Rommel was being accused of being implicated in the July 20th attempt on Hitler's life. During September he learned of the numerous arrests being made to round up the conspirators, and began to suspect that he too was under suspicion. When requested by phone to come to Berlin on October 7th he declined the offer, suspecting that his life was in danger. A week later another call from Berlin simply stated that two officers from Berlin would be arriving at his home on October 14th.
At precisely noon on the 14th the two generals arrived and presented Rommel with a protocol which gave him the choice of facing these charges in court, or taking poison to save himself and his family from disgrace. He chose the latter, and the German people were then informed that Rommel had finally succumbed to his severe head injuries, and that a state funeral had been ordered.
The wooden cross marking Rommel's grave in 1985.
Originally it displayed a swastika in the center of the cross,
and the date 1939 in the bottom of the lower arm.
Both of these features were removed after the war.
