Field Marshal Erwin Romme
Field Marshal Erwin Rommelhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Lj5jApVOUco/TM2gVuGCh-I/AAAAAAAAAE0/iJoR7ccWbiI/s1600/rommel+book.jpg
Kali ini saya akan buat entry mengenai salah seorang tokoh peperangan moden yang terkenal iaitu Field Marshal Erwin Johanes Eugene Rommel atau juga dikenali sebagai Erwin Rommel. Rommel diiktiraf di antara Jeneral yang mempunyai kebijaksanaan di medan tempur yang tinggi dan juga dia amat berani semasa Perang Dunia Ke 2.
Rujukan yang digunakan buku mengenai beliau bertajuk A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Buku ini ditulis oleh David Fraser, bekas Jeneral British dan buku ini diterbitkan pada 1993 oleh syarikat penerbitan Harper Collins. Buku ini setebal 585 muka surat. Walaupun ia menerangkan mengenai sejarah hidup Rommel ia juga menerangkan serba sedikit mengenai Jerman dan sejarahnya.
Rommel dilahirkan pada 15 Nov 1891dan menyertai tentera pada Jan 1912 dalam124th Württemberg Infantry Regiment. Beliau pernah terlibat dalam Perang Dunia Pertama dan berkhidmat dalam 6th Württemberg Infantry Regiment, kemudiannya ditukarkan ke Württemberg Mountain Battalion. Beliau pernah menawan berjaya menawan tentera Itali yang berkekuatan 150 orang pegawai, 9000 anggota dan 81 meriam. Kerana kejayaan tersebut beliau dianugerahkan pingat tertinggi Jerman Pour le Merite . Beliau telah mengeluarkan buku mengenai pengalaman beliau dalam pertempuranPerang Dunia Pertama tersebut bertajuk Infantry Attack dan buku tersebut dijadikan sebagai rujukan oleh tentera Jerman dan Bersekutu semasa Perang Dunia Kedua. Beliau juga mengalami kecederaan semasa Perang Dunia Pertama kerana tindakan aggresif dan dianugerahkan Iron Cross, First dan Second Class. Keberanian beliau juga diiktiraf oleh anggotanya dengan ungkapan 'dimana garisan hadapan disitu akan ada Rommel'.
Selepas Perang Dunia Pertama beliau ditempatkan dalam pelbagai jawatan. Disebabkan oleh buku beliau, ia menarik perhatian Hitler dan telah dipilih untuk menjadi Komander Batalion Pelindungan Hitler. Semasa Perang Dunia Kedua meletus, beliau dilantik sebagai Komander Panzer (armor) dan memerintah Divisyen Panzer Ke 7. Beliau terlibat dalam operasi menawan Perancis dan juga Belgium. Keupayaan Divisyen tersebut mengempur musuh dengan kerahsiaan dan juga kejutan menyebabkan ia dikenali sebagai Batalion Hantu (Gespenster-Division). Selepas kejayaan menawan Belgium dan Perancis, beliau ditukarkan ke Afrika dan memerintah Deutsh Afrikakorps dan ia menaikkan nama Rommel. Kegerunan terhadap Rommel menyebabkan Churcil berang apabila panglima-panglima beliau gagal mengekang tentera Jerman akibat kecekapan Rommel. Rommel terlibat dalam dalam pertempuran dan antara pertempuran yang terkenal ialah Battle of Tobruk. Keupayaan beliau menyerang dan mengalahkan tentera bersekutu menimbulkan rasa gerun sehinggalah Jen Montgomery memimpin pasukan British. Kelebihan logistik, pintasan maklumat oleh British menggunakan ULTRA serta kekurangan logistik tentera Jerman menyebabkan Rommel terpaksa mengundurkan tentera tetapi ianya tetap menyukarkan pengejaran ke atas tentera Jerman kerana pengunduran dilakukan dengan teliti dan jerangkap samar dipasang sepanjang laluan pengunduran. Rommel dipanggil balik ke Jerman kerana masalah kesihatan beliau dan akhirnya Afrikakorps telah menyerah kalah semasa ketiadaanya.
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Rommel semasa di Afrika
Selepas Afrika, beliau terlibat dalam mempertahankan kawasan Normandy dari serangan pihak Bersekutu. Beliau telah merancang pertahanan kawasan tersebut dengan menempatkan pertahanan dengan teliti, memasang pancang-pancang di kawasan lapang yang dikenali sebagai 'Rommel Asparagus' untuk menghalang pendaratan glider dan memperkukuhkan pertahanan kubu Antlantik. Semasa pendaratan berlaku, Rommel tiada di sana kerana bercuti dan beliau telah bergegas kembali apabila mendengar tentang pendaratan tersebut. Walaupun memberi tentangan hebat Jerman terpaksa berundur apabila menerima asakan yang berterusan dari pasukan bersekutu. Ramai pengkaji ketenteraan mengatakan kekalahan adalah berpunca kerana kengganan staf Hitler mengejutkan dari tidur beliau apabila berita pendaratan ingin disampaikan. Ia menyebabkan pasukan panzer tidak dapat diaturgerak dengan pantas bagi mematahkan pendaratan tersebut. Rommel mengalami kecederaan akibat kenderaan beliau diserang oleh pesawat pejuang pihak bersekutu semasa beliau ingin menuju ke barisan hadapan. Serangan tersebut telah mencederakan beliau dan dimasukan ke hospital akibat kecederaan.
Selepas kekalahan di Perancis, Rommel berada di Jerman merancang serangan balas untuk mematahkan seranga pasukan bersekutu. Pada ketika itu, plot untuk membunuh Hitler sedang dirancang melibatkan pegawai-pegawai kanan Werhmacht dan juga cubaan membawa Rommel ke dalam perancangan tersebut. Rommel bersetuju untuk memberi sokongan terhadap usaha menyingkirkan Hitler dengan membawanya ke Mahkamah Tentera demi menyelamatkan Jerman tetapi menentang sebarang usaha membunuh Hitler kerana beliau bimbang ia akan menyebabkan Jerman terjebak dalam perang saudara. Setelah rancangan membunuh Hitler pada 20 Jul gagal membunuh Hitler, Rommel telah disyaki sebagai perancang utama dan membawa kepada kematian beliau. Hitler merasakan bahawa Rommel amat popular dikalangan tentera Jerman dan ini akan mengancam beliau sekiranya rampasan kuasa berlaku. Hitler telah menghantar 2 pegawai gestapo ke rumah Rommel dan Rommel telah diberi 2 pilihan samada menghadapi perbicaraan Mahkamah rakyat sebagai pembelot dan pengkhianat atau membunuh diri dimana keluarga beliau tidak akan diganggu. Rommel bersetuju untuk mengambil nyawanya sendiri dan beliau telah diberi pil sianida dan berakhirlah riwayat Rommel. Rakyat jerman dimaklumkan mengenai kematian Rommel dengan menyatakan bahawa beliau di serang sakit jantung dan Hitler telah mengarahkan pengebumian penuh dengan adat istiadat ketenteraan untuk menutup kezaliman beliau. Perkara ini akhirnya didedahkan semasa perbicaraan di Nuremberg selepas kekalahan Jerman.
Rommel menjadi lagenda dalam tokoh-tokoh peperangan moden kerana beliau masih menghormati tawanan dengan memberikan layanan yang baik, aggresif dalam membuat keputusan dan tindakan, sentiasa bersama-sama dengan tenteranya di barisan hadapan dan masih berperikemanusiaan. Semasa beliau menyoal tentera British yang ditawan, Rommel memji mereka dengan mengatakan 'you fought like a group of wolf but you were led by a sheep'. Begitu serba sedikit mengenai Rommel seorang Jeneral yang ulung tetapi disia-siakan oleh pemimpin kerana kebimbangan yang disebabkan oleh kegagalan beliau sendiri. Konspirasi membunuh hitler pernah diadaptasi dalam filem VALKYRINE .. Rommel boleh dijadikan idola diatas kecekalan, keberanian, keyakinan dan seorang Jeneral Perang yang hebat... ttg serangan di normandy tu , aku rasa walaupun hitler dikejutkan dari tidur pun , dan panzer digerakkan pun takkan ada sebarang perubahan , malah tindakan itu sebenarnya berjaya meneylamatkan pasukan panzer tersebut dr dihapuskan begitu sahaja . sbb pada waktu itu pasukan pesawat pemburu kereta kebal dah berkeliaran mencari sasaran , dan sebarang pergerakan yg dikesan akan dihantar ke HQ utk tindakan , selalunya pesawat penegebom akan dihanatr , inlah yg terjadi pada salah satu pasukan panzer yg dikerah , pegawai tersebut telah menggerakkan unit panzernya tanpa kebenaran , dan akhirnya mengalamai kemalangan jiwa yg tinggi sbb diserang pesawat pengebom .
sedangkan panzer yg lambat digerakkan ini berjaya melambatkan kemaraan tentera bersekutu , pasukan ss panzer cthnya hanya kehilangan 2 buah kereta kebal dlm satu petempuran di normandy , manakala tentera bersekutu lebih 40 buah . dan dlm lain lain pertempuran dinormandy juga menunjukkan panzer german yg musnah selalunya disebabkan serangan udara dari segi teori berkemungkinan besar betul.. Tetapi sekiranya staf hitler berani kejutkan hitler then hitler bangun dan mengerahkan pskn panzer untuk deployment dengan pantas berkemungkinan juga akan berjaya... sejarah tetap sejarah... perkara ini pernah dilakukan di sicily , dan pasukan panzer yg terlampau rapat di kawasan pantai dihancurkan dgn serangan artileri dr kapal tentera bersekutu , bayangkan di normandy 4000 kapal perang berhimpun , belum termasuk hampir 10, 000 kapal dan pesawat pengebom yg hanya menunggu arahan sahaja utk lancarkan serangan .
serangan panzer boleh menghancurkan gelombang pertama hingga kedus , ttp bukan ketiga dan seterusnya , sbb pd masa itu , seluruh pantai normandy pastinya hancur dibedil dr laut , manakala sekitar 100 km lg pasti hancur dibom dr udara sebab priority utama pd waktu tersebut melumpuhkan unit panzer german . Rommel berpendapat semua garison Jerman di Perancis perlu diletak hampir dengan pantai sebab dia tahu inderdiction udara serta pengeboman dari laut akan mengekang usaha membawa reinforcements. Rundstedt pulak beranggapan sebaliknya. Jadi Hitler ambil jalan tengah...dua corps (ke dividyen) letak sebagai reserve dibawah kawalan terus dia. sistem rommel dah cantik dah , pertahanan pantai yg dia dirikan berjaya melambatkan malah mengakibatkan kemalangan jiwa yg agak tinggi pada tentera bersekutu , malangnya unit reserved yg terdiri drpd unit infabtri sendiri agak lambat utk bertindak disebabkan serangan udara tanpa henti selain serangan unit pasukan paung terjun us dan british . malah jangkaan serangan du kawasan berdekatan selat inggeris membuatkan unit reserved ini tak dpt bertindak sbb takut terkepung , kerana menyangka serangan yg lebih besar adalah berdekatan selat. Post Last Edit by hyazinth79 at 9-11-2010 18:17
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Rommel inspecting division in May, 1944 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1972-045-08%2C_Westfeldzug%2C_Rommel_bei_Besprechung_mit_Offizieren.jpg
rommel dalam operasi di perancis .
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Tunisia—Rommel talks with German troops who are using a captured American half-track Reply 5# hyazinth79
Jgn lupa lak tentera america kat beachhead tu, xkan nak kasi sapu bersih skali ngan tentera german... Lagipun kedudukan kedua2 tentera kat beachhead tu rapat sangat... Post Last Edit by Debmey at 10-11-2010 12:19
http://www.michaeltotten.com/images/God%20Bless%20Hitler.jpg Reply 11# Debmey
huhu..boleh mencetuskan provokasi gambar ni.. Hitler killed Jews, why not? Don't you folks hate Jews? We are discussing Rommel here..please do not become a troll Reply 14# alphawolf
Please do something Mr Moderator...:( Reply 10# yaminz
sebenarnya ada plan kecemasan , jika kawasan tersebut gagal ditawan sbb musuh begitu kuat bertahan , ataupun terdapat kehadiran panzer yg mengakibatkan infantri yg ada tidak dpt bertahan , mereka akan cuba undurkan tentera infantri dan marin yg ada , mcm mana dia hendak undurkan , yg tu tak pasti , dan kawasan tersebut mmg akan diserang sampai hancur . utk hapuskan unit panzer . sbb itulah yg terjadi di sicily bilamana tentera US hampir disapu oleh pasukan panzer . sebenarnya hanya di omaha sahaja yg dikawal unit yg berpengalaman dr eastern front selain unit yg disusun kembali selepas operasi di itali , sbb tu omaha adalah kawasan berdarah . bg kawasan lain kebanyakan dikawal oleh unit yg kurang pengalaman selain ada yg dr bekas tawanan perang russia . Divisional Areas
716th Infantry Division (Static) defended the Eastern end of the landing zones, including most of the British and Canadian beaches. This division, as well as the 709th, included Germans who were not considered fit for active duty on the Eastern Front, usually for medical reasons, and various other nationalities such as conscripted Poles and former Soviet prisoners-of-war who had agreed to fight for the Germans rather than endure the harsh conditions of German POW camps.
352nd Infantry Division defended the area between approximately Bayeux and Carentan, including Omaha beach. Unlike the other divisions this one was well-trained and contained many combat veterans. The division had been formed in November 1943 with the help of cadres from the disbanded 321st Division, which had been destroyed in the Soviet Union that same year. The 352nd had many troops who had seen action on the eastern front and on the 6th, had been carrying out anti-invasion exercises.
91st Air Landing Division (Luftlande – air transported) (Generalmajor Wilhelm Falley), comprising the 1057th Infantry Regiment and 1058th Infantry Regiment. This was a regular infantry division, trained, and equipped to be transported by air (i.e. transportable artillery, few heavy support weapons) located in the interior of the Cotentin Peninsula, including the drop zones of the American parachute landings. The attached 6th Parachute Regiment (Oberstleutnant Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte) had been rebuilt as a part of the 2nd Parachute Division stationed in Brittany.
709th Infantry Division (Static) (Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben), comprising the 729th Infantry Regiment, 739th Infantry Regiment (both with four battalions, but the 729th 4th and the 739th 1st and 4th being Ost, these two regiments had no regimental support companies either), and 919th Infantry Regiment. This coastal defense division protected the eastern, and northern (including Cherbourg) coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, including the Utah beach landing zone. Like the 716th, this division comprised a number of "Ost" units who were provided with German leadership to manage them.
Adjacent Divisional Areas
Other divisions occupied the areas around the landing zones, including:
243rd Infantry Division (Static) (Generalleutnant Heinz Hellmich), comprising the 920th Infantry Regiment (two battalions), 921st Infantry Regiment, and 922nd Infantry Regiment. This coastal defense division protected the western coast of the Cotentin Peninsula.
711th Infantry Division (Static), comprising the 731th Infantry Regiment, and 744th Infantry Regiment. This division defended the western part of the Pays de Caux.
30th Mobile Brigade (Oberstleutnant Freiherr von und zu Aufsess), comprising three bicycle battalions. Omaha Beach
American troops in an LCVP landing craft approach Omaha Beach June 6, 1944.
Senior officers aboard the USS Augusta during the Normandy Invasion. General Omar Bradley is the second man from the left.
Survivors of a sunken troop transport wade ashore on Omaha Beach.Elements of the 1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division faced the veteran German 352nd Infantry Division, one of the best trained on the beaches. Allied intelligence failed to realize that the relatively low-quality 716th Infantry Division (static) had been replaced by the 352nd the previous March. Omaha was also the most heavily fortified beach, with high bluffs defended by funneled mortars, machine guns, and artillery, and the pre-landing aerial and naval bombardment of the bunkers proved to be ineffective. Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of landings to drift eastwards, missing their assigned sectors, and the initial assault waves of tanks, infantry and engineers took heavy casualties. The official record stated that "within 10 minutes of the ramps being lowered, company had become inert, leaderless and almost incapable of action. Every officer and sergeant had been killed or wounded […] It had become a struggle for survival and rescue." Only a few gaps were blown in the beach obstacles, resulting in problems for subsequent landings. The heavily defended draws, the only vehicular routes off the beach, could not be taken and two hours after the first assault the beach was closed for all but infantry landings. Commanders considered abandoning the beachhead, but small units of infantry, often forming ad hoc groups, supported by naval artillery and the surviving tanks, eventually infiltrated the coastal defenses by scaling the bluffs between strongpoints. Further infantry landings were able to exploit the initial penetrations and by the end of the day two isolated footholds had been established. American casualties at Omaha on D-Day numbered around 3,000 out of 34,000 men, most in the first few hours, whilst the defending forces suffered 1,200 killed, wounded or missing. The tenuous beachhead was expanded over the following days, and the original D-Day objectives were accomplished by D+3. Parallel to the launch of Operation Cobra, the US breakout from the Normandy landing zone
in the west of the Cotentin peninsula at Avranches, the British were demanded by the
Americans to draw German reserves and pressure away from the US sector. Therefore
General Montgomery instructed General Dempsey to seize high ground, dominated by Mont
Pincon, south of Caumont and Villers-Bocage and the surrounding area. The operation got the
codename Bluecoat.
Bluecoat was planned as a two corps operation with the VIII Corps consisting of 11th
Armoured, 6th Guards Armoured and 15th Scottish Infantry divisions on the right flank. Their
objectives were the villages St. Martin-des-Besaces, Foret l’Eveque, Le Beny Bocage and
Vire. XXX Corps on the left flank consisted of 7th armoured division, and 43rd Wessex and
50th Northumbrian infantry divisions. Their objectives were Villers-Bocage, Aunay-sur-Odon
and ultimately the 365 metres high Mont Pincon.
The attack was prepared by a heavy bombardment of the German lines by the Allied air
forces, but with little effect on the German defenders, who were often fragmented due to their
highly overstretched lines. The bombs just hit apple orchards.
The operation finally became successful, when elements of 11th Armoured Division located a
gap between the German 3rd Parachute and the 326th Infantry division in the enemy lines,
crossed a bridge over the Souleuvre and began threatening Vire, a town most important to the
German defensive positions. The Germans had left the Souleuvre bridge undefended due to a
mix-up between 3rd Para Division and 326th Infantry Division, who both thought it was the
other’s responsibility to defend the bridge.
The advance was to continue thanks to the initiative of Lieutenant Dickie Powle of 2nd
Household Cavalry. North of Canville, Powle’s armoured car - supported by another scout car
- slipped across the St-Lo to Beny–Bocage road and drove two miles through the Foret
l’Eveque to an undefended little bridge across the River Souleuvre. Powle camouflaged his
vehicles and radioed back to Divisional Headquarters at 10:30 that the bridge was intact and
undefended. General Roberts, Commander in Chief of the 11th Armoured, realised the
opportunity and launched 4th Kings Shropshire Light Infantry and 2nd Northants Yeomanry
towards the bridge, which they reached and secured at 14:00. Momentum had been found due
to the German disorganization. From then on VIII Corps pushed on to play an important role
in breaking out from the Allied beachheads in Normandy.
On July 30th the 15th Scottish Division, supported by the 6th Guards Tank Brigade, broke
through south of Caumont l´Evente, where the front was weakly held by elements of the
German 326th Infantry Division, and made a ten kilometre drive to secure Point 309
controlling the N175 road from Caen to Avranches. A detachment of Churchills was ordered
to cover the left flank from the slope of Point 226.
The Churchills deployed on the slopes of Le Homme with S Squadron on the left and the
others to the right, centre, and rear respectively. As the officers assembled to receive new
orders, S Squadron was the first victim of the German ambush.
All remained quiet for a while, but suddenly one tank after another started to explode in
flames. Two Jagdpanthers pulled out of the wood onto the crest covered by a third
1944: Battle of the Bulge
Backgrounds – Copyright Intex Publishing 2005 2
Jagdpanther from where they had destroyed some more Churchills within seconds. First the
left hand troop, then the centre troop were quickly destroyed, followed by the battalion's
deputy commander, whose Churchill had its turret blown off.
The German crews had actually broken their cover without realising that they were facing
three tank squadrons and the sight of the two other Churchill squadrons soon prompted them
to move back, receiving some hits from the British armour before disappearing beyond the
crest. The British shells just bounced off the Jagdpanthers doing no obvious damage.
The Jagdpanthers had accounted for eleven Churchills, leaving S Squadron with only four
left, but the German victory was in fact a pyrrhic one: The British later found two of the
attacking Jagdpanthers abandoned by their crews with track damage. For all the carnage that
they had inflicted, the Germans could not retake the hill as they too lacked infantry for doing
so.
Operation Bluecoat was a hard slog and casualties had been heavy. Nevertheless, support had
been given to the US breakout Operation Cobra and to the efforts that were continuing
liberating Caen. The Germans were once again stretched to breaking point and any thoughts
they had of mounting a decisive counter-attack to Cobra or elsewhere were dashed.
But Caumont showed the Allies the strength of Germany’s new military equipment – and
there was more to come.
The schwere Panzerjägerabteilung 654 suffered heavy losses during the Normandy battle.
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