I think Irwin Rommel was a decent human being at heart. Just had the misfortune of being on the wrong side of the war. Can you imagine if he'd been British or American? Ike would've handed the whole of Operation Neptune over to him!
@@thedungeondelver he even had the grace, wit and humility to _realise_ he was on the wrong side and try to stop it, too - paying for that with his life (and saving his family) ❤
@Dimitrius Didimitrius British vets who served in crete said they had to constantly avoid the cretan men because the cretans were cowards in a fight and constantly trying to have sex with British Soldiers.
@Dimitrius Didimitrius "Who called them? Did anybody pick up a phone and called London?" Yes. That is exactly what happened. The British expeditionary force went to defend Greece at the request of the Greek government. So it takes some nerve for a Greek to come here and ask "what business did they have there". FWIW, in the battle of Crete, the British and Commonwealth troops lost 3500 men killed compared to 500 Greek army.
11:01 - To those that don't know the reference, in Oct 1944 Rommel was accused of plotting against Hitler and given the option of killing himself. The alternatives would have resulted in his death too, but also put his family and staff in danger. He chose suicide.
Exactly Steve and Rommel was not a Nazi as the video says. My WW 2 combat Vet dad had said that British General Montgomery was the best general the Germans had.
From what I've read, German high command found no evidence that Rommel was involved in that plot. One piece of evidence for this was that when the assassination attempted was made, neither Rommel or his staff did anything out of the ordinary. You'd think he'd have done something had he been involved and that he'd have been immediately found guilty if the slightest bit of evidence was found. Rommel got himself into trouble when he became increasingly outspoken and critical of Hitler during the battle for Normandy, when Hitler's idiotic decisions and interference made Rommel's job increasingly impossible. However, Rommel was seriously injured in Normandy which put him in a coma from which he wasn't expected to recover. This seemed to be an ideal solution for the Nazis, but then Rommel made an unexpected and rapid recovery and resumed his criticism of Hitler. Which was when he was given the option of suicide or a trial.
@@ChaplainBobWalkerBTh While Montgomery was apparently difficult to get on with and wound people up the wrong way. That didn't make him a bad General. Everyone seems to forget his successes, and blame him for things that weren't necessarily his fault.
@@JumpSeeker Please tell us about Operation Market Garden that was an unsuccessful World War II military operation fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 25 September 1944. It was the brainchild of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and strongly supported by Winston Churchill
As a nerdy kid, and a commercial fisherman, I've read almost every book published about world war two. Your channel is the only one on TH-cam that shares some stories that I haven't heard of. Keep up the great work!! 👍👍👍
I was in the U.S. Army almost 28yrs ago. We used to say, if a seasoned soldier has a problem with the mission, and you can get out of it, don't go. Some things can't be avoided. But if an experienced soldier has a problem with the mission, tap out and re-plan.
I think that in those days it was still very dictorial and time wasnt "wasted" on the details, today everyhting is meticulously planned (Or supposed to be at least.)
@@shaunmostert1585 I agree. Always annoys me when someone with experience, says I don't like this plan? Then superiors respond, it's the only plan we've got! God bless those who go. I'm done with that life. But, I do miss it. Have a good evening.
Rommel was a true professional soldier, totaly non-political. He is respected by all armys and his tank battle tactics are still taught at the US Army war college today.
@@bighands69 he wasn't a Nazis and didn't like the ideology but fought for Germany and his people he was also a ww1 veteran a officer from the stormtrooper detachments in that war every soldier had respect for other soldiers
@Shane Doe Exactly correct. Some of the belligerent of this war became quite influential in western culture. Another often overlooked fact was that most of the troops fighting at the wall in Normandy were international volunteers. They had no problem finding soldiers from India, England, and other Scandinavian countries to fight against the allys
Look up Quentin Roosevelt, 4th son of President Teddy Roosevelt. He was a WWI pilot shot down in France. When the Germans learned of his identity they conducted a funeral and even gathered some US POWs to attend.
You can see in World war 2 how little the nazi government trusted the Luftwaffe fighter units and crews because alot believed in the ww1 cread for chivalry
@@studavies1967 There is great story of shot up bomber trying to get back to England. German fighter pilot could have easily shot it down but let them go. The two pilots met many years after the war and became friends.
Respect and Bravery are the attributes of a good leader. You are only enemies until such time in combat. When downed enmity stops, respect begins. The person down should be given all the decency he deserves.
I’m impressed with Rummel’s character. Presiding over Keyes burial & sending the location to his family. Shows me a man who cares cares about his Men & the Men he’s been assigned to defeat. Not stayed very well but I hope the meaning comes thru.
@@ab6789 Yamamoto was the Japanese Rommel in a lot of ways. Both men understood and respected their enemies. They also displayed loyalty to those who served under them and a willingness to criticize those above them.
@@ab6789 he was a strategic genus and was largely the reason for all of japan's early success. His legacy is somewhat tarnished by the brutal nature and poor squad leadership of the IJA and IJN.
@@ab6789 Yamamoto was against the idea of having a war with US because he knew their industrial capabilities since he studied and worked there. Because of this, alot of pro-war Japanese officers and citizens hated him, so much that he received alot of death threats from them. In the end, he couldn’t convince the government and carried out his orders to lead the attack on Pearl Harbor
Rommel was old school, Prussian style. He never gave a sh*t about Hitler or the Nazis. They embarrassed him. I don't think he was Germany's best general (a damn good one though), but he was a proud officer and loyal to his country. He was not a brute. He was the enemy for sure but conducted himself in a manner that makes a person have respect for him. I do.
@@nicolasrouleau4303 Not by my take. He wasn't into their ideology and if you were a career soldier, you had to play the game, but a sycophant he was not. Plenty were. The Nazis upset the social order he grew up in. I know he must've shook Hitler's hand dozens of times but yet would not lift it to stop the assassination attempt of 6/44. He may be cursed like other men in his position for being part of the machine, but I don't think it's that simple. I'd rather not have anything positive to say about an enemy that family members fought against. I consider him a professional soldier, not a zealot. Still, there are no certainties and this is just my humble opinion on it.
He is still studied at West Point, and there were stories of armor crews having his photo in their machines in Desert Storm. Captured Iraqis would inquire as to why Americans would have a picture of the enemy, a NAZI, in their machine; the response being generally to the effect of it is his methods and training that ensured a quick demise to the Iraqi Army (duh, what we did there was textbook Blitzkrieg).
Germany needed a military who wasn’t stained as a Nazi. Both Churchill and the Americans realized after WW2 Germany would have an army. The Cold War was coming. Rommel was acceptable and was martyred by Hitler.
@@quokka7555 .... the reestablishment of a regular German army was expected. It was inevitable. It was pre-planned. NATO needed a German army. For that matter Germany did have a pre-1955 army. It was titled as border troops. It patrolled along the inter-German border. These were armed troops organized in a military manner. Weapons, uniforms, ranks, etc...
In his farewell address in 1961 President Eisenhower said (roughly), that the army of today does NOT resemble in any way the one that fought WW2 or even the one that fought in Korea. The military industrial complex has turned it into a corporate money making machine.
@@blackbird5634 Major General Smedley Darlington Butler would have confirmed that such a thing would come to pass. he warned of such plots decades before
in Chechnya we have saying: its better to be at war with someone that has honour than be an ally of the one who has no honour. Now I understand the true meaning of it.
After watching this, which I found interesting, I scanned the comments and found the vast majority lauded Rommel for his humanity. There was, however, at least one skeptic who questioned the Rommel Myth, so I pulled out my copy of "Nemesis of Power: The German Army in Politics 1918-1945" by Sir John Wheeler-Bennett (a fascinating work, which I highly recommend) to see what he had to say about the field marshal; all quotes below are from the book. Rommel "warmly embraced the tenets of National Socialism in its early stages" (in fairness, so did much of the German military), and although Wheeler-Bennett doesn't paint Rommel as a fanatical Nazi, he does say that the general commanded Hitler's escort on the fuehrer's entry into Prague in March, 1939. Several pages of "Nemesis" are devoted to Rommel's connection to the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler, the details of which were made plain to Rommel, whom the plotters hoped to enlist because of his great popularity with the German people. In the end, however, he was a passive observer rather than an active participant in the plot. "There is no doubt that to the German people Rommel would have presented a much glamorous and appealing figure than [the three main leaders of the plot] though he had none of their moral fiber and was but a very newcomer to Resistance. . . . For, though he may have been the darling of the German people as a whole, Rommel was anathema to the majority of the Veterans of Resistance, who saw in him the very epitome of that military opportunism and irresponsible causistry which had nourished and supported National Socialism up to the very moment of its downfall. . . . That Rommel neither took it seriously nor thought seriously of it is clear . . . ." Later the author writes, "Such is the first part of the Rommel Saga of the Resistance, and it is full of problems for the historian." As for the desire of Rommel and the military plotters to bring the war to an end, the author writes, "Rommel . . . was mainly concerned in bringing hostilities to an end on the Western Front, so British, American and German troops could join hands against the Russians. . . . On the Western Front an armistice, not [italicized] unconditional surrender, was to precede peace negotiations." After the failure of the July 20 plot, Rommel paid with his life for merely having flirted with the conspirators, being forced to take cyanide to save his family and preserve the fiction that he was a loyal Nazi to the end - unlike hundreds, perhaps thousands, of German military and civilian Resistance members who were subjected to the most brutal forms of torture prior to their equally brutal executions. So, plainly the record is mixed, although his generous gestures as outlined in this video are worthy of commendation.
One may wonder, how the hell someone in that high a poisiton could have remained ignorant of the crinimal extend of this regime. The German Wikipedia recounts ian interesting event in that context, which may lead one to believe that Rommel was simply very naive, or maybe even politically stupid: Als Rommel 1943 bei einem Gespräch mit Hitler zu bedenken gab, dass es dem Ansehen Deutschlands im Ausland guttäte, wenn auch ein Jude zum Gauleiter ernannt würde, habe Hitler mit den Worten reagiert: „Mein lieber Rommel, Sie haben nichts von dem verstanden, was ich will.“[51] When, during a conversation with Hitler in 1943, Rommel suggested that it would be good for Germany's reputation abroad if a Jew were also appointed Gauleiter, Hitler had responded by saying, "My dear Rommel, you have understood nothing of what I want."[51]
I wouldn't say the Germans didn't deserve Rommel. He was the epitome of German military idealism. I WOULD say that the Nazi Government didn't deserve his service. It just took him a little too long to figure that out. Hence his eventual suicide.
@@robinloxley205 No he wasn't. He wasn't even a Nazi. He was a member of the Wehrmacht and adamantly refused to let his son join the SS because he knew the disgusting shit they were doing but there was nothing he could do as he was a military officer. Not an SS officer.
@@robinloxley205 bullshit he was no Nazis and didn't like the ideology he was a true soldier and a vet of ww1 as a stormtrooper and still had the ideals of respect that soldiers had for each other in that war
I'm glad he mentioned rommel was insulted by them thinking his hq was so far back because it shocked me when docs said his hq was 250 miles behind the lines
I remember this story from my milbrat childhood in W Germany from 67-71, when dad would have engineers from the base or other NATO armies over for drinks and I’d stay up to (very secretly) listen in, long after lights out. They were all impressed with Keyes and especially Rommel. Very good to have it so clearly presented here, thank you.
Thanks, Mensch. Geoffrey Keyes was my uncle. His father, my grandfather, Roger Keyes, was a lot like Rommel on the ocean waves - longer lived, largely unsung in the present day, and totally badass ... See comments above.
@@vachementchien My pleasure. Thanks for connecting brave Geoffrey to Sir Roger Keyes! (Laughed a good few minutes over your choice of screen name. I feel like I owe you a beer!)
Rommel has always reminded me of the German Air Force and how many of their pilots flew for their family or contrary but not for the Nazis, Rommel had a line that he didn’t cross he may have been on what most people consider “the bad guys side” but he never did anything in humanitarian which is something that I think is good
The nazis where training to treat others and enemies as sub human. Meanwhile Rommel over here knows damn well his enemy is worthy of his respect, only a fool underestimates their enemy.
Glad to see my uncle Geoffrey being honoured in the present day. You're getting a lot from Wikipedia, and this story has been told in many ways; what actually happened is difficult to pin down. There's also a book called "Rommel's Birthday Party" which speculates that, apart from being away in Rome on business, Rommel was actually celebrating the Big Five-Oh on the night of the raid! - that's his 50th birthday for those for whom the vernacular doesn't sit well. Anyway, the death of Geoffrey Keyes - youngest lieutenent colonel in the British Army at the time, and eldest son of one of WW2's great unsung military stategists - perhaps as a result of bad intelligence, natural conditions and maybe even friendly fire, is tragic in the extreme. May he continue to rest in peace ...
It was still worth the risk. WW2 were desperate times and in 1941 it was still Britain fighting the Germans, Italians and Japanese. They at that point were willing to carry out small raids at great risk to troops. The battle of Britain was only one year before operation flipper so the British were in desperate times. The Germans at this point had already conquered Russia and had wiped out their airforce in 3 days.
Rommel was an honourable Soldier a brilliant tactician and one person I would have liked to have met. It was amazing what he did for an enemy soldier and that soldier's family.
Give this video a part 2 ... Rommel and Keyes seem to be very interesting people. One’s a kid from a military family bound by honor and the other’s an old school general who respects his enemies
Guys. Geoffrey Keyes was my uncle. I didn't get to meet him obviously, but I feel closer to him after seeing this vid. I've left a comment above for your interest. My family gave a lot in both world wars on both sea and land, and I'm especially impressed by what I've learned in the last year about his father/my grandfather - anti-slavery patrols off the West Coast of Africa, The Boxer Rebellion, The Dover Patrol, The Norway Debate, liaison with the King of Belgium in early 1940 - which almost certainly helped save the BEF at Dunkirk - first Chief of Combined Operations etc. etc. If the makers of Dark Docs ever run short of material, drop me a line ...
Once again the Scots punching above their weight, Churchill said the problem with the Scots was that there wasn't enough of them, true Warrior Nation. 😎 🇬🇧
Rommel did the same thing with another commando officer who was captured surveying the beaches before D Day. He was brought before Rommel was giving tea he was asked questions the officer refused to answer. Rommel admired his courage to protect him from the Gestapo he had him put in normal combatant clothes Sent to a pow camp. Another officer who was captured by Rommel in the desert campaign met him was treated courteously by him he wrote a book which became the famous film the Desert Fox with Rommel played by James Mason my favourite version. Rommel always abided by the rules of war just like he treated over hundred Italian prisoners at Caporetto in WW1 when he broke through their lines. Ironically he was an expert mountaineer foot soldier his expert abilities in armour came later. He wrote two books one on his life Rommel and the other Infantry Attacks which is studied in military colleges
My family lived in Tripoli for 3 years c/o the USAF outside Wheelus AFB. It's Libya, 3 colonels and a warehouse doesn't sound so bad, the only thing easy over there is dying.
I have read several accounts of this raid. Col. Laycock showed great Forsyth in his assessment that raid was not well considered and was against it. Your telling of the raid is signifigant for mentioning this.. and the reason the story is historically signifigant is because of the unimaginable bravery displayed by the Commandos, and that needs to be recognized and remembered by all.
In Rommel's memoirs, he mentions having witnessed a German vehicle heading towards their base while he was on a reconnaissance mission in his Storch. The peculiar thing about this was that the two men in the vehicle were allied soliders not Germans or Italians. Rommel continued about his business and said something along the lines of one can only wish them the best for their gallantry. It's been a while since I've read it so I'm paraphrasing here but if anyone wants the exact quote, I can look it up when I find the time.
(Dark Docs/5/Footage) are all awesome channels... They go in depth, & stay true to all their channels content and actual facts of each video are shown and told in, probably, the best way possible. LOVE the narration, just in the way he puts emphasis and even emotion "in his own way" into narrating each video. Alot of work & dedication is put into all their videos, you can tell!! Great work, keep it up, I am definitely a loyal viewer!!! Thank you, DARK group (from-W.V. 🇺🇸)
On top of the film clips, writing, editing and narration... LOVE the music!!!!!!!!!!! Guess that means I am old... to an old human, the end of this one, was sublime!! Many thanks
Very informative n interesting vid. Rommel was able to avoid assasination attempts but was "forced" to by high ups. Kudos for vid. Anticipating ur next one.
There's a story of American tankers in iraq after they captured one of the iraqi republic guards. While in the tank he looked over a saw a picture of Erwin Rommel in an American tank and asked. Why do you have pictures of your enemy in your tank? To which the Americans said: If you had spent more time learning what his tactics and what he taught it might've been us stuck in your tank instead.
The British were stingy with medals but notorious for giving them out in losing causes to distract from the mistakes made by officers who were never in danger themselves.
It’s rule number 1, Love your enemy. He keeps you strong and alert. He is your best asset. In this instance Rommel’s enemy did love him and imagine how valuable an asset he could’ve been. Best case scenario Rommel gets captured alive and well and gets a new boss.
This is when men were men and had respect for each other even though they were enemies. I remember hearing a story about a tank crew from when the US crossed into Iraq by going through the desert, they called it "the last great tank battle of modern times", the tank crew had translators on board and they had a picture of Rommel onboard and the translator asked why would the tank crew idolize they're own enemy? The tank crew answered "maybe you could learn a thing or two from that man."
It never fails to amaze me everytime I hear a new story concerning Erwin Rommel I find a new Reason to Admire the man Truely a Soldier's soldier and a fine example of what a leader is I think that whenever a prospective officer they should be made to study his military career along with all the other fine leaders of men I personally don't know of a single soldier that I have served with that didn't respect the man.
A Lieutenant Colonel at 24 years of age? Must have been a helluva guy. Even in desperate times, one usually doesn't rise that fast that quickly. Captain, sure, Major, okay. Lieutenant Colonel? Word to the wise. If that guy has no string connections, stat the hell away from him. Because he will beat you at everything you do.
Rommel sending notes to the families of our fallen was good propaganda. He was after all, the desert fox. He played every angle. And even today that angle is working among these commenters.
He didn’t. He (Rommel) was disappointed that the British thought his headquarters would be more than 150 miles behind the front lines. That operation was a textbook example of how not to conduct a special operation
My grandad was attached to the 7th Armoured division as a machine gunner. He said when he first went out there to tobruk the army was in such bad shape they had telegraph poles to reselmbe guns
I'm American but the British invented and mastered special forces. When Charlie Beckwith finally got to green light to build Delta force he basically when to Great Britain and studied under them. But now me thinks the US has the best.
Fantastic video as always...but Rommel was no "Nazi"...he was an honorable man and an amazing soldier & General that was respected and admired by both! sides...and he hated!! Hitler and all that the Nazi's stood for. He may have fought for the the wrong side...but he fought with honor and always looked after & respected his men, his enemy and his prisoners. Strategically brilliant and was the gentleman of generals, he earned the respect of all he faced and led! (He smashed us Kiwis in and around tobruk😥...repeatedly drew blood & inflicted great losses on us...yet we never hated him, nor feared him...but we sure as hell respected him) ...Lest we forget
Rommel may have served during Hitler’s tenure, but I don’t think he was ever truly on-board with the Nazis. He was a true soldier through and through, and his legacy still commands respect, even from his adversaries.
This incident was included in the movie, "The Desert Fox" starring James Mason. I've noticed comments from people about honoring the enemy combatants. In the movie 'ZULU', the natives made a great example to the Brits.
The thing about this attempt to kill Rommel is that later on it was realised that it was better for the Allied war effort if he was alive and in command because his tactics were becoming well known to the Allies. Had some other German General been in charge in the early days of the Normandy Invasion then his responses may have differed markedly from Rommel’s.
British Intelligence AFTER the failed Mission : " Hmmm..So we tried to kill Rommel and he was nowhere near at the time ?? Well THAT was a real bad idea ! "
"War without hate" - whether Erwin Rommel really did coin this phrase or not, we'll never know for sure. Either way, it's a testament to his chivalrous reputation & image. Such a shame that he was forced to take his own life by biting into a cyanide pill. If there's ever a need for an actor to play the character of Rommel in a movie, i suggest Ed Harris - no one reminds me of Rommel more than him. And Harris has played the military-type roles his whole career so it's nothing new thing for him.
To beat the algorithms and sensoring you have to speed the voice up a lil bit and it beats the sensor algorithms looking for regular voice speed in videos..💯💪😎
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
Rommel showed more respect and compassion towards the British fallen and their families than _he_ was shown by *his own* Comrades
He treated any of his prisoners in uniform with the deepest respect.
I think Irwin Rommel was a decent human being at heart. Just had the misfortune of being on the wrong side of the war. Can you imagine if he'd been British or American? Ike would've handed the whole of Operation Neptune over to him!
@@thedungeondelver he even had the grace, wit and humility to _realise_ he was on the wrong side and try to stop it, too - paying for that with his life (and saving his family) ❤
@@unbearifiedbear1885 Yes. He was truly a chivalrous man.
I think this channel needs to do a video on the “Rommel Myth” it’s hard at work in this comment section.
My grandfather was on HMS Torbay, the sub that dropped these guys off, said they were brave men each and all.
@Dimitrius Didimitrius British vets who served in crete said they had to constantly avoid the cretan men because the cretans were cowards in a fight and constantly trying to have sex with British Soldiers.
@Dimitrius Didimitrius "Who called them? Did anybody pick up a phone and called London?"
Yes. That is exactly what happened. The British expeditionary force went to defend Greece at the request of the Greek government. So it takes some nerve for a Greek to come here and ask "what business did they have there".
FWIW, in the battle of Crete, the British and Commonwealth troops lost 3500 men killed compared to 500 Greek army.
Only a true military man would admire the opposing forces that were sent to kill him. Damn, he was hardcore.
A true military man all the way.
11:01 - To those that don't know the reference, in Oct 1944 Rommel was accused of plotting against Hitler and given the option of killing himself. The alternatives would have resulted in his death too, but also put his family and staff in danger.
He chose suicide.
Well said.
Exactly Steve and Rommel was not a Nazi as the video says. My WW 2 combat Vet dad had said that British General Montgomery was the best general the Germans had.
From what I've read, German high command found no evidence that Rommel was involved in that plot. One piece of evidence for this was that when the assassination attempted was made, neither Rommel or his staff did anything out of the ordinary. You'd think he'd have done something had he been involved and that he'd have been immediately found guilty if the slightest bit of evidence was found.
Rommel got himself into trouble when he became increasingly outspoken and critical of Hitler during the battle for Normandy, when Hitler's idiotic decisions and interference made Rommel's job increasingly impossible. However, Rommel was seriously injured in Normandy which put him in a coma from which he wasn't expected to recover. This seemed to be an ideal solution for the Nazis, but then Rommel made an unexpected and rapid recovery and resumed his criticism of Hitler. Which was when he was given the option of suicide or a trial.
@@ChaplainBobWalkerBTh While Montgomery was apparently difficult to get on with and wound people up the wrong way. That didn't make him a bad General. Everyone seems to forget his successes, and blame him for things that weren't necessarily his fault.
@@JumpSeeker Please tell us about Operation Market Garden that was an unsuccessful World War II military operation fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 25 September 1944. It was the brainchild of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and strongly supported by Winston Churchill
As a nerdy kid, and a commercial fisherman, I've read almost every book published about world war two. Your channel is the only one on TH-cam that shares some stories that I haven't heard of. Keep up the great work!! 👍👍👍
Have you tried Mark Felton?
@@kenjisakaie6028 I was just about to ask the same thing lol. Mark Felton is a treasure!
@@kenjisakaie6028 yep. His videos always weird me out I feel like I'm watching the History channel cuz he did so much voiceover work on there 😂
No offence, but you’ve hardly “read almost every book published” if you’re hearing this for the first time.
If you like naval warfare try drachinifels channel
An incredible strategist, most people don't realize that most of our Tank training in the US today is based on his training procedures.
Same as mountain warfare!
At this point, everything the world has is based off of German knowledge from ww2. Kinda makes you think
@@HunterKiotori incredible how merely a few decades ago, Germany took on the world... And it was actually pretty close.
@@johnlaine6259 hmm so my dad larned his mountain warfare training, from what Rommel showed his guys?
@@cowgoesmoo3850 In ww1 Rommel was a lt in the italian Alps and wrote the book on mountain warfare .
Got to give Romel repect for honouring our lads and sending details to the fallen's families.
they be trying to kill each other, but that is no reason not to remain civilized and honor your foes. Not much like that these days it would seem.
Rommel had an old school soldier's honour, but a new school soldiers tactical mind.
@Helping Heroes Hatzidakis if he had'nt done himself nz would of killed his wife and son so he did what he had to to save them.
@Helping Heroes Hatzidakis massive testicular fortitude, including disobeying some of His Supreme Commanders orders
No respect for nazi scum who committed countless war crimes.
Imagine being so badass that you are outraged, not by the assassination attempt, but by the attempt happening “too far” behind the line.
Real leaders are always at the front. That is why men follow
@@paulherzog9605
Alexandra The Great was famous for leading the front line of attacks.
it was also commonly said that when rommel was strafed by aircraft as he was in his command car he would smile and laugh
I was in the U.S. Army almost 28yrs ago. We used to say, if a seasoned soldier has a problem with the mission, and you can get out of it, don't go. Some things can't be avoided. But if an experienced soldier has a problem with the mission, tap out and re-plan.
Yeah, its pretty hard to listen to this and not see 90% of the planning here as pure fantasy from day 1.
I think that in those days it was still very dictorial and time wasnt "wasted" on the details, today everyhting is meticulously planned (Or supposed to be at least.)
@@shaunmostert1585 I agree. Always annoys me when someone with experience, says I don't like this plan? Then superiors respond, it's the only plan we've got! God bless those who go. I'm done with that life. But, I do miss it. Have a good evening.
WW2 were desperate times and they also meant that great risk had to be endured. Rommel was the backbone of the German African operation.
Hang on, so court martial for insubordination it is? Haha
As a former United States Marine, much respect to those men who put the mission above all else. Strength and Honor.
See above for comments. Geoffrey Keyes was my uncle.
And 24 years old. Incredible.
Rommel was a true professional soldier, totaly non-political. He is respected by all armys and his tank battle tactics are still taught at the US Army war college today.
Not sure if he was completely non political but he was an honourable general.
@@bighands69 he wasn't a Nazis and didn't like the ideology but fought for Germany and his people he was also a ww1 veteran a officer from the stormtrooper detachments in that war every soldier had respect for other soldiers
He was never accused of any war crimes. Truly the
" Desert Fox'.
Intrested may please read *Infantry Attacks* by FM Erwin Rommel.
Making Lt. Colonel at 24 is impressive.
Not really, during wartime promotions increased and successful missions equal political promotion
@@garethjames1300 and that's not impressive?
His dad was admiral of the fleet and victor of Jutland sir Roger Keyes, I'd guess that played a part
@@genogenson Staying Alive was always more 'impressive' 'Ha ha ha ha staying alive staying alive' lol
@@genogenson nope not during wartime sorry
Never hear about how the enemy was honored by the Germans and buried with respect. I imagine there is a lot we don't know.
When the red barron was shot down in ww1 the British gave him a full military funeral such was the respect they had
@Shane Doe Exactly correct. Some of the belligerent of this war became quite influential in western culture. Another often overlooked fact was that most of the troops fighting at the wall in Normandy were international volunteers. They had no problem finding soldiers from India, England, and other Scandinavian countries to fight against the allys
Look up Quentin Roosevelt, 4th son of President Teddy Roosevelt. He was a WWI pilot shot down in France. When the Germans learned of his identity they conducted a funeral and even gathered some US POWs to attend.
You can see in World war 2 how little the nazi government trusted the Luftwaffe fighter units and crews because alot believed in the ww1 cread for chivalry
@@studavies1967 There is great story of shot up bomber trying to get back to England. German fighter pilot could have easily shot it down but let them go. The two pilots met many years after the war and became friends.
It’s amazing what these brave men were capable of.
@Dimitrius Didimitrius ohhhh burrrrnnn! 🙄
@Dimitrius Didimitrius not what I meant. I know.
Respect and Bravery are the attributes of a good leader. You are only enemies until such time in combat. When downed enmity stops, respect begins. The person down should be given all the decency he deserves.
I’m impressed with Rummel’s character. Presiding over Keyes burial & sending the location to his family. Shows me a man who cares cares about his Men & the Men he’s been assigned to defeat. Not stayed very well but I hope the meaning comes thru.
What book is this from? I need it lol
I liked how you spelled the Field Marshall's name, "Rummel". I believe it is spelled "Rommel" and not the good Archbiship's name.
still had the ww1 soldiers neutral respect for any soldier
Rommel and Yamamoto both earned reputations as being honorable and worthy adversaries.
Could you tell me about yamamoto? What made him honorable?
Could you tell me about yamamoto? What made him honorable?
@@ab6789 Yamamoto was the Japanese Rommel in a lot of ways. Both men understood and respected their enemies. They also displayed loyalty to those who served under them and a willingness to criticize those above them.
@@ab6789 he was a strategic genus and was largely the reason for all of japan's early success. His legacy is somewhat tarnished by the brutal nature and poor squad leadership of the IJA and IJN.
@@ab6789 Yamamoto was against the idea of having a war with US because he knew their industrial capabilities since he studied and worked there. Because of this, alot of pro-war Japanese officers and citizens hated him, so much that he received alot of death threats from them. In the end, he couldn’t convince the government and carried out his orders to lead the attack on Pearl Harbor
Rommel was old school, Prussian style. He never gave a sh*t about Hitler or the Nazis. They embarrassed him. I don't think he was Germany's best general (a damn good one though), but he was a proud officer and loyal to his country. He was not a brute. He was the enemy for sure but conducted himself in a manner that makes a person have respect for him. I do.
ish if I recall he was a fervent supporter of Hitler and the Nazis.
@@nicolasrouleau4303 Not by my take. He wasn't into their ideology and if you were a career soldier, you had to play the game, but a sycophant he was not. Plenty were. The Nazis upset the social order he grew up in.
I know he must've shook Hitler's hand dozens of times but yet would not lift it to stop the assassination attempt of 6/44. He may be cursed like other men in his position for being part of the machine, but I don't think it's that simple. I'd rather not have anything positive to say about an enemy that family members fought against. I consider him a professional soldier, not a zealot.
Still, there are no certainties and this is just my humble opinion on it.
He is still studied at West Point, and there were stories of armor crews having his photo in their machines in Desert Storm. Captured Iraqis would inquire as to why Americans would have a picture of the enemy, a NAZI, in their machine; the response being generally to the effect of it is his methods and training that ensured a quick demise to the Iraqi Army (duh, what we did there was textbook Blitzkrieg).
Germany needed a military who wasn’t stained as a Nazi. Both Churchill and the Americans realized after WW2 Germany would have an army. The Cold War was coming. Rommel was acceptable and was martyred by Hitler.
@@quokka7555 .... the reestablishment of a regular German army was expected. It was inevitable. It was pre-planned. NATO needed a German army. For that matter Germany did have a pre-1955 army. It was titled as border troops. It patrolled along the inter-German border. These were armed troops organized in a military manner. Weapons, uniforms, ranks, etc...
I swear, you could make so many epic films. From unknown stories from WW2.
Yea they sure do :) they need do a film to do with Operation Chariot
@robert mcfarland bro every video these guys make has a Wikipedia article 🤣🤣
If Hollywood made a film based on Jack Churchill, they’d call it “Rambo the prequel” about an American officer.
One hell of a generation 💪
In his farewell address in 1961 President Eisenhower said (roughly), that the army of today does NOT resemble in any way the one that fought WW2 or even the one that fought in Korea. The military industrial complex has turned it into a corporate money making machine.
@@blackbird5634 Major General Smedley Darlington Butler would have confirmed that such a thing would come to pass. he warned of such plots decades before
@@blackbird5634 exact0
In the e,d its our land
in Chechnya we have saying: its better to be at war with someone that has honour than be an ally of the one who has no honour. Now I understand the true meaning of it.
After watching this, which I found interesting, I scanned the comments and found the vast majority lauded Rommel for his humanity. There was, however, at least one skeptic who questioned the Rommel Myth, so I pulled out my copy of "Nemesis of Power: The German Army in Politics 1918-1945" by Sir John Wheeler-Bennett (a fascinating work, which I highly recommend) to see what he had to say about the field marshal; all quotes below are from the book. Rommel "warmly embraced the tenets of National Socialism in its early stages" (in fairness, so did much of the German military), and although Wheeler-Bennett doesn't paint Rommel as a fanatical Nazi, he does say that the general commanded Hitler's escort on the fuehrer's entry into Prague in March, 1939.
Several pages of "Nemesis" are devoted to Rommel's connection to the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler, the details of which were made plain to Rommel, whom the plotters hoped to enlist because of his great popularity with the German people. In the end, however, he was a passive observer rather than an active participant in the plot. "There is no doubt that to the German people Rommel would have presented a much glamorous and appealing figure than [the three main leaders of the plot] though he had none of their moral fiber and was but a very newcomer to Resistance. . . . For, though he may have been the darling of the German people as a whole, Rommel was anathema to the majority of the Veterans of Resistance, who saw in him the very epitome of that military opportunism and irresponsible causistry which had nourished and supported National Socialism up to the very moment of its downfall. . . . That Rommel neither took it seriously nor thought seriously of it is clear . . . ." Later the author writes, "Such is the first part of the Rommel Saga of the Resistance, and it is full of problems for the historian."
As for the desire of Rommel and the military plotters to bring the war to an end, the author writes, "Rommel . . . was mainly concerned in bringing hostilities to an end on the Western Front, so British, American and German troops could join hands against the Russians. . . . On the Western Front an armistice, not [italicized] unconditional surrender, was to precede peace negotiations." After the failure of the July 20 plot, Rommel paid with his life for merely having flirted with the conspirators, being forced to take cyanide to save his family and preserve the fiction that he was a loyal Nazi to the end - unlike hundreds, perhaps thousands, of German military and civilian Resistance members who were subjected to the most brutal forms of torture prior to their equally brutal executions.
So, plainly the record is mixed, although his generous gestures as outlined in this video are worthy of commendation.
One may wonder, how the hell someone in that high a poisiton could have remained ignorant of the crinimal extend of this regime. The German Wikipedia recounts ian interesting event in that context, which may lead one to believe that Rommel was simply very naive, or maybe even politically stupid:
Als Rommel 1943 bei einem Gespräch mit Hitler zu bedenken gab, dass es dem Ansehen Deutschlands im Ausland guttäte, wenn auch ein Jude zum Gauleiter ernannt würde, habe Hitler mit den Worten reagiert: „Mein lieber Rommel, Sie haben nichts von dem verstanden, was ich will.“[51]
When, during a conversation with Hitler in 1943, Rommel suggested that it would be good for Germany's reputation abroad if a Jew were also appointed Gauleiter, Hitler had responded by saying, "My dear Rommel, you have understood nothing of what I want."[51]
Naah vast majority say something else about him, a honorable soldier.
I have always admired Rommel, i have been reading all i could find about this man, a great warrior and gentleman, nothing more, nothing less
Rommel ordered Key's the Lt Col to be burried with the four Germans with Military honors. Germany didn't deserve Rommel. The guy was a class act.
I wouldn't say the Germans didn't deserve Rommel. He was the epitome of German military idealism. I WOULD say that the Nazi Government didn't deserve his service. It just took him a little too long to figure that out. Hence his eventual suicide.
He was a dedicated Nazi adherent of Hitler
@@robinloxley205 no.
@@robinloxley205 No he wasn't. He wasn't even a Nazi. He was a member of the Wehrmacht and adamantly refused to let his son join the SS because he knew the disgusting shit they were doing but there was nothing he could do as he was a military officer. Not an SS officer.
@@robinloxley205 bullshit he was no Nazis and didn't like the ideology he was a true soldier and a vet of ww1 as a stormtrooper and still had the ideals of respect that soldiers had for each other in that war
I'm glad he mentioned rommel was insulted by them thinking his hq was so far back because it shocked me when docs said his hq was 250 miles behind the lines
I remember this story from my milbrat childhood in W Germany from 67-71, when dad would have engineers from the base or other NATO armies over for drinks and I’d stay up to (very secretly) listen in, long after lights out. They were all impressed with Keyes and especially Rommel. Very good to have it so clearly presented here, thank you.
Thanks, Mensch. Geoffrey Keyes was my uncle. His father, my grandfather, Roger Keyes, was a lot like Rommel on the ocean waves - longer lived, largely unsung in the present day, and totally badass ... See comments above.
@@vachementchien My pleasure. Thanks for connecting brave Geoffrey to Sir Roger Keyes! (Laughed a good few minutes over your choice of screen name. I feel like I owe you a beer!)
phew! this was a good one from start to finish. perfect pacing, summary, and all around vibe. I want more like this! much love always
Rommel has always reminded me of the German Air Force and how many of their pilots flew for their family or contrary but not for the Nazis, Rommel had a line that he didn’t cross he may have been on what most people consider “the bad guys side” but he never did anything in humanitarian which is something that I think is good
The nazis where training to treat others and enemies as sub human. Meanwhile Rommel over here knows damn well his enemy is worthy of his respect, only a fool underestimates their enemy.
Glad to see my uncle Geoffrey being honoured in the present day. You're getting a lot from Wikipedia, and this story has been told in many ways; what actually happened is difficult to pin down. There's also a book called "Rommel's Birthday Party" which speculates that, apart from being away in Rome on business, Rommel was actually celebrating the Big Five-Oh on the night of the raid! - that's his 50th birthday for those for whom the vernacular doesn't sit well. Anyway, the death of Geoffrey Keyes - youngest lieutenent colonel in the British Army at the time, and eldest son of one of WW2's great unsung military stategists - perhaps as a result of bad intelligence, natural conditions and maybe even friendly fire, is tragic in the extreme.
May he continue to rest in peace ...
This is why when a special forces colonel says it is a suicide attack, you should at least hear them out before going through with it anyway.
It was still worth the risk. WW2 were desperate times and in 1941 it was still Britain fighting the Germans, Italians and Japanese.
They at that point were willing to carry out small raids at great risk to troops. The battle of Britain was only one year before operation flipper so the British were in desperate times.
The Germans at this point had already conquered Russia and had wiped out their airforce in 3 days.
Rommel was an honourable Soldier a brilliant tactician and one person I would have liked to have met. It was amazing what he did for an enemy soldier and that soldier's family.
Give this video a part 2 ... Rommel and Keyes seem to be very interesting people. One’s a kid from a military family bound by honor and the other’s an old school general who respects his enemies
Guys. Geoffrey Keyes was my uncle. I didn't get to meet him obviously, but I feel closer to him after seeing this vid. I've left a comment above for your interest. My family gave a lot in both world wars on both sea and land, and I'm especially impressed by what I've learned in the last year about his father/my grandfather - anti-slavery patrols off the West Coast of Africa, The Boxer Rebellion, The Dover Patrol, The Norway Debate, liaison with the King of Belgium in early 1940 - which almost certainly helped save the BEF at Dunkirk - first Chief of Combined Operations etc. etc. If the makers of Dark Docs ever run short of material, drop me a line ...
Once again the Scots punching above their weight, Churchill said the problem with the Scots was that there wasn't enough of them, true Warrior Nation. 😎 🇬🇧
One of the soldiers who took part in the raid worked at Portobello Post office Edinburgh as a Postie after the war , i worked in the same place .
Wassup to my fellow "oh look Dark Docs uploaded something new" Crew
Greetingz
good times
Dark docs and chill
Love all his channels. Sup
Facts wassup my Doc mate✌🏿😎
If World War 2 was a video game
Erwin Rommel: GG
Allies: GG
*Hitler,Soviet and SS has been muted for Trash Talking to each other*
US: I totally carried this, noobs.
Thanks for continuing to put out great content, these are my go to study break watches.
Rommel did the same thing with another commando officer who was captured surveying the beaches before D Day. He was brought before Rommel was giving tea he was asked questions the officer refused to answer. Rommel admired his courage to protect him from the Gestapo he had him put in normal combatant clothes Sent to a pow camp. Another officer who was captured by Rommel in the desert campaign met him was treated courteously by him he wrote a book which became the famous film the Desert Fox with Rommel played by James Mason my favourite version. Rommel always abided by the rules of war just like he treated over hundred Italian prisoners at Caporetto in WW1 when he broke through their lines. Ironically he was an expert mountaineer foot soldier his expert abilities in armour came later. He wrote two books one on his life Rommel and the other Infantry Attacks which is studied in military colleges
My family lived in Tripoli for 3 years c/o the USAF outside Wheelus AFB. It's Libya, 3 colonels and a warehouse doesn't sound so bad, the only thing easy over there is dying.
The only easy day was yesterday.
Sometimes crazy can be a good thing.it keeps the enemy confused
My fiance can confirm that comment.
@@UrMomGoes2College run while you still can. she's a narcissist.
@@wisconsinfarmer4742 I think it was a joke, my dude
@@eggy6745 yah. understood
Sometimes the crazy shit works because nobody is expecting it.
I have read several accounts of this raid. Col. Laycock showed great Forsyth in his assessment that raid was not well considered and was against it. Your telling of the raid is signifigant for mentioning this.. and the reason the story is historically signifigant is because of the unimaginable bravery displayed by the Commandos, and that needs to be recognized and remembered by all.
In Rommel's memoirs, he mentions having witnessed a German vehicle heading towards their base while he was on a reconnaissance mission in his Storch. The peculiar thing about this was that the two men in the vehicle were allied soliders not Germans or Italians. Rommel continued about his business and said something along the lines of one can only wish them the best for their gallantry. It's been a while since I've read it so I'm paraphrasing here but if anyone wants the exact quote, I can look it up when I find the time.
@shannahkristin9223: please look it up and post here...
(Dark Docs/5/Footage) are all awesome channels... They go in depth, & stay true to all their channels content and actual facts of each video are shown and told in, probably, the best way possible. LOVE the narration, just in the way he puts emphasis and even emotion "in his own way" into narrating each video. Alot of work & dedication is put into all their videos, you can tell!! Great work, keep it up, I am definitely a loyal viewer!!! Thank you, DARK group (from-W.V. 🇺🇸)
On top of the film clips, writing, editing and narration... LOVE the music!!!!!!!!!!! Guess that means I am old... to an old human, the end of this one, was sublime!! Many thanks
Thank you for this information 😎
One newfoundlander was in that crew of British commandos. A book was written about the newfoundlanders experience
Very informative n interesting vid. Rommel was able to avoid assasination attempts but was
"forced" to by high ups. Kudos for vid. Anticipating ur next one.
Could we get more German operations? They're too overlooked. Thanks
I'm enthralled with how unassuming that commander looks
There's a story of American tankers in iraq after they captured one of the iraqi republic guards.
While in the tank he looked over a saw a picture of Erwin Rommel in an American tank and asked.
Why do you have pictures of your enemy in your tank?
To which the Americans said: If you had spent more time learning what his tactics and what he taught it might've been us stuck in your tank instead.
Rommel's the man. The Britt's liked performing raids, had a couple of success, most ended up as a swimming contest to get home.
These stories are excellent
All badass warriors and brave men every one of them
TFW the guy you’re sent to kill gets offended when you think he’s more than a few miles behind the front
Indeed, he was very sensible like that.
The British were stingy with medals but notorious for giving them out in losing causes to distract from the mistakes made by officers who were never in danger themselves.
Who else pictured special forces soldiers running around with flippers on tripping over their own feet and making seal noises?
Can't just be me?
Just you
,@@thateffinguy2422 I guess only you like your comment :) as well? seemed very odd as soon as you posted you get a like.
Rommel wasn't a nazi. I respect his military genius.
It’s rule number 1, Love your enemy.
He keeps you strong and alert. He is your best asset.
In this instance Rommel’s enemy did love him and imagine how valuable an asset he could’ve been.
Best case scenario Rommel gets captured alive and well and gets a new boss.
This is when men were men and had respect for each other even though they were enemies. I remember hearing a story about a tank crew from when the US crossed into Iraq by going through the desert, they called it "the last great tank battle of modern times", the tank crew had translators on board and they had a picture of Rommel onboard and the translator asked why would the tank crew idolize they're own enemy? The tank crew answered "maybe you could learn a thing or two from that man."
It never fails to amaze me everytime I hear a new story concerning Erwin Rommel I find a new Reason to Admire the man Truely a Soldier's soldier and a fine example of what a leader is I think that whenever a prospective officer they should be made to study his military career along with all the other fine leaders of men I personally don't know of a single soldier that I have served with that didn't respect the man.
A Lieutenant Colonel at 24 years of age?
Must have been a helluva guy. Even in desperate times, one usually doesn't rise that fast that quickly.
Captain, sure, Major, okay. Lieutenant Colonel?
Word to the wise. If that guy has no string connections, stat the hell away from him. Because he will beat you at everything you do.
RB,very well said comrade.
I was also confuse
Very interesting, informative and worthwhile video.
Who would have guessed that the only person able to kill him was his own Füher...
Rommel sending notes to the families of our fallen was good propaganda. He was after all, the desert fox. He played every angle. And even today that angle is working among these commenters.
Rommel was a true gentleman during a time when many had sold their military soul. It is a terrible shame that he met his end by betrayal.
He didn’t. He (Rommel) was disappointed that the British thought his headquarters would be more than 150 miles behind the front lines. That operation was a textbook example of how not to conduct a special operation
My grandad was attached to the 7th Armoured division as a machine gunner. He said when he first went out there to tobruk the army was in such bad shape they had telegraph poles to reselmbe guns
Thanks,
very interesting just like all your videos
I'm American but the British invented and mastered special forces. When Charlie Beckwith finally got to green light to build Delta force he basically when to Great Britain and studied under them. But now me thinks the US has the best.
Rommel was something else.
Movies on this raid: “The Desert Fox “and “ Raid on Rommel”.
Was wondering if anybody else saw these movies
I had two uncles in the Desert Rats and they said they would rather have fought for Rommel than 'Monty'.
This video could definetly be cut down a lot. You could just say Rommel was here guy tried to kill him Rommel was impressed
Erwin Rommel...What a Man!!!
Love All This Great Factual History / Thank You Sir.
Did you see that photo with Hitler....
The Great General Rommel maintained social distancing!
And patton read his book :
Infantry Attacks
Fantastic video as always...but
Rommel was no "Nazi"...he was an honorable man and an amazing soldier & General that was respected and admired by both! sides...and he hated!! Hitler and all that the Nazi's stood for.
He may have fought for the the wrong side...but he fought with honor and always looked after & respected his men, his enemy and his prisoners.
Strategically brilliant and was the gentleman of generals, he earned the respect of all he faced and led!
(He smashed us Kiwis in and around tobruk😥...repeatedly drew blood & inflicted great losses on us...yet we never hated him, nor feared him...but we sure as hell respected him)
...Lest we forget
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn...
The scots, the local Gurkhas. The Irish, Welsh... All the celts really.
Still a war criminal No matter how much compassion he had
Rommel may have served during Hitler’s tenure, but I don’t think he was ever truly on-board with the Nazis. He was a true soldier through and through, and his legacy still commands respect, even from his adversaries.
Great Docos Here.
This incident was included in the movie, "The Desert Fox" starring James Mason. I've noticed comments from people about honoring the enemy combatants. In the movie 'ZULU', the natives made a great example to the Brits.
Great post, D.D.!
This daring attack was I think featured in a 1960s film about Rommel, maybe the one with James Mason as Rommel 🤔
Ronald and Captain Mel Ester had respect ✊
lt takes a ton of work to put together a video like....Movies clips help a lot....Great video thanks....!
All that Organizing just to find out that Rommel wasn’t even in North Africa
I recommend watching Mark Felton's video on Rommel's demise. I didn't even know or thought to search up how he died.
It's amazing how you find out these things. Great stuff, thank you.
Wikipedia
@@quokka7555 Wikipedia is terrible LMFAO
Rommel and pation were the best general's in ww 11
"Who Dares Wins"
Cool vid, but I was expecting dolphins at some point
Enjoyed this one a lot.
The thing about this attempt to kill Rommel is that later on it was realised that it was better for the Allied war effort if he was alive and in command because his tactics were becoming well known to the Allies. Had some other German General been in charge in the early days of the Normandy Invasion then his responses may have differed markedly from Rommel’s.
I admire them all even rommel
British Intelligence AFTER the failed Mission :
" Hmmm..So we tried to kill Rommel and he was nowhere near at the time ?? Well THAT was a real bad idea ! "
We would call it a cluster f***.
"War without hate"
- whether Erwin Rommel really did coin this phrase or not, we'll never know for sure. Either way, it's a testament to his chivalrous reputation & image. Such a shame that he was forced to take his own life by biting into a cyanide pill.
If there's ever a need for an actor to play the character of Rommel in a movie, i suggest Ed Harris - no one reminds me of Rommel more than him. And Harris has played the military-type roles his whole career so it's nothing new thing for him.
I dont think the raids were a complete failure, I bet Rommel had afew jump scares and sleepless nights thinking the British Commando's are after him.
This dude talks faster than the people at the end of the commercials for viagra
I've noticed these videos are a lot better if you slow down the playback speed. The narration is way too fast.
To beat the algorithms and sensoring you have to speed the voice up a lil bit and it beats the sensor algorithms looking for regular voice speed in videos..💯💪😎