behemoth79
Active member
im not sure if this one has been done before, so if it has im sorry. do you guys think Erwin Rommel would have been put to better use in the eastern front instead of in africa?
In Russia he would have gone relatively unnoticed.
MontyB said:I voted yes because his skill in large scale open terrain armoured warfare would have been a very welcome addition to the German offensive especially in the south.
I also think that had Rommel not been sent to Africa there probably would have been no DAK.
In Russia he would have gone relatively unnoticed.
He had already been noticed through his command of the 7th division in France.
Well, his proven skill was in small scale open terrain warfare
SHERMAN said:Well, his proven skill was in small scale open terrain warfare
I wouldent say El Almein was small scale.
Doppleganger said:SHERMAN said:Well, his proven skill was in small scale open terrain warfare
I wouldent say El Almein was small scale.
I would. Understand that small scale does not necessarily mean unimportant. When I talk about large scale I'm talking about size of forces involved. Compared to the massive encirclements at Kiev, Smolensk, the Battles of Moscow, Rostov, Kharkov, Stalingrad, Kursk, Bagration, Berlin ect, El Alamein is dwarved. In the context of this discussion I argued that Rommel had only been involved in small scale operations and when sizes of forces and scales of battles are weighed up this is true. El Alamein was small scale but nonetheless a very important morale boosting turning point for the British in particular.
MontyB said:Doppleganger said:SHERMAN said:Well, his proven skill was in small scale open terrain warfare
I wouldent say El Almein was small scale.
I would. Understand that small scale does not necessarily mean unimportant. When I talk about large scale I'm talking about size of forces involved. Compared to the massive encirclements at Kiev, Smolensk, the Battles of Moscow, Rostov, Kharkov, Stalingrad, Kursk, Bagration, Berlin ect, El Alamein is dwarved. In the context of this discussion I argued that Rommel had only been involved in small scale operations and when sizes of forces and scales of battles are weighed up this is true. El Alamein was small scale but nonetheless a very important morale boosting turning point for the British in particular.
The fact that he never got a chance at "large scale" armoured warfare should not be a factor here as he proved himself a more than capable capable commander in France which lead to him being chosen for operations in North Africa and I think those talents would have carried through into Russia especially around the Ukraine.
Mike Main said:From Rommel's point of view, Africa was fine. Lots of glory for a lifetime soldier.
From Germany's point of view, perhaps Russia would have been better. Hitler needed and wanted to take the USSR out as soon as possible. They were the biggest threat once the eastern front opened up. I would have put my best people on it.
Rommel, like Patton, was good at covering turf. Lord knows there was plenty of that in the east.
The only way for anybody to have ever beaten the USSR was to keep the heat on and keep them on their heels. That was one of Rommel's strengths.
Mike Main said:From Rommel's point of view, Africa was fine. Lots of glory for a lifetime soldier.
From Germany's point of view, perhaps Russia would have been better. Hitler needed and wanted to take the USSR out as soon as possible. They were the biggest threat once the eastern front opened up. I would have put my best people on it.
Rommel, like Patton, was good at covering turf. Lord knows there was plenty of that in the east.
The only way for anybody to have ever beaten the USSR was to keep the heat on and keep them on their heels. That was one of Rommel's strengths.
Damien435 said:I don't think it would have mattered who was leading the troops on the Eastern Front, Hitler would have over ruled them anyways causing Germany to at least miss the chance to take Moscow and probably cost Germany the war.
Farseer said:I voted yes, because I think that Rommel wouldn't have obeyed Hitler's most foolish orders. Maybe there would not have been Stalingrad as we remember it if Rommel would have been there instead of Paulus. Or maybe in northern flank Leningrad would have fallen if tactician like Rommel would have been there. Still it might have happen that Rommel would have been dismissed after he had denied Hitler's orders.
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