What if: Rommel on the Eastern front

Helmut Von Moltke · Post by **Helmut Von Moltke** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:14 am

heh heh, what do you think would happen on the Eastern front, if Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was commanding the whole Eastern front, (Oberkommado der Herres I remember was running the Eastern front, Rommel now replaces the organisation

) at any given time that you members chose, what do you think might happen? Germany could win some months on the Eastern frony to raise more Divisions, build more equipment, win the war, etc? lets see if this thread is popular!

Cheers!

helmut

Christoph Awender · Post by **Christoph Awender** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:29 am

Hello

My proposal would be to transfer all the Heer to the Waffen-SS - making Rommel high commander of these forces and then he would win the war in late 1941. Or maybe early 1942 if some unpredictable problems (like enemy shooting back) occur.

\Christoph

Helmut Von Moltke · Post by **Helmut Von Moltke** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:36 am

Christoph Awender wrote:Hello

My proposal would be to transfer all the Heer to the Waffen-SS - making Rommel high commander of these forces and then he would win the war in late 1941. Or maybe early 1942 if some unpredictable problems (like enemy shooting back) occur.

\Christoph

hi Christoph, not sounding very like you, your "transfer Heer to Waffen SS" ,considering our debates on another thread over the Heer and the Waffen SS right now. But well......

helmut

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:45 am

Helmut Von Moltke wrote:hi Christoph, not sounding very like you,...

Oh, I don't know! I think it sounds very much like him!

I can almost see the sarcasm dripping from the screen...

Spinechicken · Post by **Spinechicken** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 4:08 pm

Disaster, probably. Given how much he eventually overstretched the Afrika Korps, I think probably the same thing would have happened in Russia. I can't remember who said it, but there is that quote about him being at his best only at a divisional level, not as a korps or armee commander (curse my brain, who did say that?)

So, command of the Leibstandarte or the Das Reich, or a similar Heer Panzer Division, perhaps?

-SC

Nibelung · Post by **Nibelung** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:03 am

I think Christoph pretty much summed it all up.

best,
Miha

Michael N. Ryan · Post by **Michael N. Ryan** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:22 am

I think Rommel on the eastern front would have been a disaster.

He was good with small units of Division size or slightly greater. He was good at making rapid leaps and flanking moves but the Eastern Front would be too big and too complex for him to handle.

Perhaps as a Panzer corps leader he would have made some successful moves.

However, ultimately, just as it had been for the comanders on the east front who actually were there, Rommel would have Hitler to deal with. And Hitler would bring disaster with his meddling.

In addition, that plus attrocities in the rear areas comitted by Himmler's crews would have accellerated Rommel's alienation with his boss.

Paulus II · Post by **Paulus II** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:21 pm

I think Christoph is right except in transferring the Heer to the SS. It would be a lot more effective if they were both equally split among the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine.
Just imagine: SdKfz 251's running errands aboard cruisers and Me 109's armed with Pz III turrets

coggle · Post by **coggle** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:32 pm

Disaster on the eastern front. Rommel Was excellent as a unit commander but a whole theater? He failed in Africa when he was given too much responsibility, why would Russia be any different?

Helmut Von Moltke · Post by **Helmut Von Moltke** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:28 am

coggle wrote:Disaster on the eastern front. Rommel Was excellent as a unit commander but a whole theater? He failed in Africa when he was given too much responsibility, why would Russia be any different?

hi, Rommel could not have carried out the African responsibility to his best ability, since he received far too few forces. If he had more men at El Alamein, and other important points at African campaign he definetly could have one, so......

helmut

Alex Coles · Post by **Alex Coles** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:59 am

Actually, the Germans should of never fought in Africa. It was one of Hitler's most minor priorities. Rommel's troops were sort of to delay the inevitable annexation of Italy, by the allied powers.