leader and generals
Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck GCB GCIE CSI DSO OBE, known as “the Auk” and commander of the 8th Army at El Alamein, was born in 1884 to a military family in Aldershot, England. He was a career soldier, attending the Royal Military Academy and went on the join the Indian Army, which he did in 1904 as part of the 622nd Punjabis. He was by all accounts popular amongst the Indian soldiers due to his efforts to learn the language and culture. He was also instrumental in the modernization of the army and an advocate of replacing British officers with Indian ones as part of the Indianisation process.
When World War One broke out, Auchinleck served in the Middle East as a Captain and later a Brigade Major, but his career stalled afterwards, leading him to attend the Imperial Defence College in 1927 and the Staff College in Quetta as an instructor from 1930 to 1932. He also continued to rise steadily through the ranks of the Indian Army, and by 1936 was the Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
With the beginning of World War Two, “the Auk” was sent back to Europe to train the 4th Corps, which took him to Norway. Auchinleck was insistent for more supplies, artillery and air cover which led him to clash with Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty. After the fall of Norway - something that would seem to vindicate Auchinleck’s requests - he was sent back to England and promoted to the rank of General Officer. This was also the beginning of his working relationship with one Bernard Montgomery, a relationship that can best be described as antagonistic. In June of 1941, he took control of the 8th Army in the Middle East, replacing Field Marshal Archibald Wavell after the failure of Operation Battleaxe.
Initially Auchinleck was successful. He relieved Tobruk and pushed back the Axis lines, but in 1942 his ill-advised promotion of Neil Ritchie to command of the Army led to a crushing defeat at Gazala, which routed the British Army and allowed the Axis to capture Tobruk and advance into Egypt. Following this defeat, Auchinleck decided to step in and personally lead the 8th Army, setting up a defensive position at El Alamein.
Auchinleck hoped that the battle would bring a decisive victory against Rommel. Churchill was notorious for pressuring his generals for a victory, and none more so than Auchinleck. The Prime Minister would send numerous abrasive memos to his general berating him for not attacking, or if he did attack, for not having done so earlier. Auchinleck had very nearly been replaced once already and he needed El Alamein to be a decisive victory if he had any hope of keeping his position.
Although many modern historians credit Auchinleck with halting Rommel, contemporary sources paint a picture of a man who was out of touch and indecisive. Freyberg, talking about Mersa Matruh, claims that he was “completely out of the picture”. He also criticises him for being being fond of retreating rather than fighting Rommel head on. This sentiment was shared by Churchill, who although claimed he was “much impressed” by Auchinleck’s personality, believed him to over cautious: “inclined to play too much for safety and certainty”. Hugh Dalton, another politician, claims that “everyone was always looking over their shoulder towards prepared positions of retreat”. Although these accounts would seem to give a fairly damning portrait, many modern historians accept that while he may have had many faults as a commander, he was an excellent tactician who did ultimately defeat Rommel twice and undoubtedly saved the North African Campaign at El Alamein, though at the cost of his career.
Rommel
Erwin Rommel was born 15 November 1891 in Heidenheim to Erwin Rommel Senior, an ex soldier and teacher, and Helene von Luz. Rommel reports that his childhood “passed quite happily”. At age 18 he joined the military and studied at the Officer Cadet School in Danzig, which he graduated from in 1911 and quickly became a lieutenant.
During World War One, Rommel distinguished himself as an infantryman, winning the Iron Cross both 1st and 2nd Class in France, Romania and Italy as well as the Pour le Mérite, Germany’s highest military award. Rommel also proved himself a capable leader. After the war Rommel rose quickly to power in the Nazi regime, and was personally popular with Adolf Hitler. He served for some time as the Army liaison of the Hitler Youth and later the head of Hitler’s personal guard, the Führerbegleitbrigade. When the invasion of France began, however, Rommel requested a transfer to command the 7th Panzer Division, as he was excited by the opportunities for fast maneuvering and surprise attacks that the new armoured divisions offered. Rommel found immediate success as a tank commander and the 7th Panzer became known as the “Ghost Division” for their habit of keeping ahead of the Allied intelligence and their ability to strike and fade away. Rommel excelled at outflanking and outmaneuvering his opponents, something that made him an ideal tank commander.
Following the capture of France, Rommel was promoted to Generalleutnant and given command of the Deutsches Afrika Korps, or Afrika Korps. With his new command and reputation as one of Germany’s finest generals, Rommel was sent to North Africa to aid Germany’s Italian allies, who were demoralised and weakened after months of defeat at the hands of the allies. Initially ordered to merely hold his position until further reinforcements arrived, Rommel instead decided that the terrain was ill suited to defence and launched a forray. Ironically, the superior British intelligence worked against them, as they initially did not take the attack seriously due their belief that Rommel was going to be on the defensive. The attack, initially not planned as a major offensive, quickly overwhelmed the inadequate British defences and forced them to abandon the city of Benghazi. This success spurred Rommel on and the Afrika Korps quickly advanced, pushing the Allies line further and further back. After fighting back and forth over the fortified port of Tobruk, and sending them running from Mersa Matruh. Rommel now advanced on El Alamein, hoping to use his momentum smash through and capture the heart of Egypt.
Rommel as a commander was exceptional for the respect he commanded not only amongst his own men but also his enemies. His treatment of prisoners, especially, was undeniably humane, and he demanded that all his soldiers offer them respect- one anecdote has him returning the watches that Italians had taken from British P.O.Ws. Amongst the Allied troops he was held in a state of near affection, which attests to his character. He was also rightfully considered one of the best commanders of the war, and the phrase “to do a Rommel” came to mean to pull of a cunning maneuver. Auchinleck was forced to release a memo telling his troops not to hold Rommel in such high regard, ending with the slightly dubious note “PS, I’m not jealous of Rommel”.
Freyberg
Bernard “Tiny” Freyberg 1st Baron Freyberg VC, GCMG, KCB, KBE, DSO & Three Bars, KStJ, was born in London on the 21st of March 1989, and would rise to become New Zealand’s most famous soldier for his actions as commander of the New Zealand Division during the Second World War.
Freyberg moved to New Zealand when he was only two years old and lived in Wellington, where he became a champion swimmer and trained to be a dentist. However, in March 1914 he left New Zealand, and may have fought in the Mexican civil war under Pancho Villa. Upon hearing of the war in Europe, he travelled to Britain to join the Navy, resorting to prizefighting to raise enough money. His actions during the war earned him numerous honours and accolades, including a Distinguished Service Award for his actions during the Dardanelles campaign, where he swam to the shore and lit flares to distract the Turkish forces from the real landings, and a Victoria Cross for his part in taking Beaucourt village as part of the Somme offensive. During the fight Freyberg rallied the British troops to victory, showing his typical disregard for personal wounds and danger (he was wounded a total of nine times during the war, and many would later remark it was hard to find an unscarred patch of skin).
Freyberg continued to rise through the ranks of the Army during the interwar period, until in 1937 he was forced to retire due to a heart condition. When World War Two broke out, however, he returned to active service as commander of the New Zealand Division, and fought with them through Greece, Africa and Italy, earning a reputation as an excellent soldier and commander, though some have criticised him for the loss of Crete.
As a commander Freyberg was popular among the troops due to his concern for their well being, which included setting up clubs for his men and clashing with his superiors, especially General Auchinleck, over the deployment of the Division in situations he felt endangered them. Freyberg was also willing to put his own life on the line. At Minqar Qaim, he personally went to the front lines during an artillery barrage to see how the men were, claiming that “it was one of the times when a commander must go forward or be out of touch”. Unfortunately, a shell struck his car as he drove back and a large splinter went into his neck. the wound was serious, but not fatal, but Freyberg’s main concern was that he was letting down his men. During the breakout itself, he fired his pistol out the window at the Germans as his ambulance sped past.
Claude Auchinleck GCB GCIE CSI DSO OBE, known as “the Auk” and commander of the 8th Army at El Alamein, was born in 1884 to a military family in Aldershot, England. He was a career soldier, attending the Royal Military Academy and went on the join the Indian Army, which he did in 1904 as part of the 622nd Punjabis. He was by all accounts popular amongst the Indian soldiers due to his efforts to learn the language and culture. He was also instrumental in the modernization of the army and an advocate of replacing British officers with Indian ones as part of the Indianisation process.
When World War One broke out, Auchinleck served in the Middle East as a Captain and later a Brigade Major, but his career stalled afterwards, leading him to attend the Imperial Defence College in 1927 and the Staff College in Quetta as an instructor from 1930 to 1932. He also continued to rise steadily through the ranks of the Indian Army, and by 1936 was the Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
With the beginning of World War Two, “the Auk” was sent back to Europe to train the 4th Corps, which took him to Norway. Auchinleck was insistent for more supplies, artillery and air cover which led him to clash with Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty. After the fall of Norway - something that would seem to vindicate Auchinleck’s requests - he was sent back to England and promoted to the rank of General Officer. This was also the beginning of his working relationship with one Bernard Montgomery, a relationship that can best be described as antagonistic. In June of 1941, he took control of the 8th Army in the Middle East, replacing Field Marshal Archibald Wavell after the failure of Operation Battleaxe.
Initially Auchinleck was successful. He relieved Tobruk and pushed back the Axis lines, but in 1942 his ill-advised promotion of Neil Ritchie to command of the Army led to a crushing defeat at Gazala, which routed the British Army and allowed the Axis to capture Tobruk and advance into Egypt. Following this defeat, Auchinleck decided to step in and personally lead the 8th Army, setting up a defensive position at El Alamein.
Auchinleck hoped that the battle would bring a decisive victory against Rommel. Churchill was notorious for pressuring his generals for a victory, and none more so than Auchinleck. The Prime Minister would send numerous abrasive memos to his general berating him for not attacking, or if he did attack, for not having done so earlier. Auchinleck had very nearly been replaced once already and he needed El Alamein to be a decisive victory if he had any hope of keeping his position.
Although many modern historians credit Auchinleck with halting Rommel, contemporary sources paint a picture of a man who was out of touch and indecisive. Freyberg, talking about Mersa Matruh, claims that he was “completely out of the picture”. He also criticises him for being being fond of retreating rather than fighting Rommel head on. This sentiment was shared by Churchill, who although claimed he was “much impressed” by Auchinleck’s personality, believed him to over cautious: “inclined to play too much for safety and certainty”. Hugh Dalton, another politician, claims that “everyone was always looking over their shoulder towards prepared positions of retreat”. Although these accounts would seem to give a fairly damning portrait, many modern historians accept that while he may have had many faults as a commander, he was an excellent tactician who did ultimately defeat Rommel twice and undoubtedly saved the North African Campaign at El Alamein, though at the cost of his career.
Rommel
Erwin Rommel was born 15 November 1891 in Heidenheim to Erwin Rommel Senior, an ex soldier and teacher, and Helene von Luz. Rommel reports that his childhood “passed quite happily”. At age 18 he joined the military and studied at the Officer Cadet School in Danzig, which he graduated from in 1911 and quickly became a lieutenant.
During World War One, Rommel distinguished himself as an infantryman, winning the Iron Cross both 1st and 2nd Class in France, Romania and Italy as well as the Pour le Mérite, Germany’s highest military award. Rommel also proved himself a capable leader. After the war Rommel rose quickly to power in the Nazi regime, and was personally popular with Adolf Hitler. He served for some time as the Army liaison of the Hitler Youth and later the head of Hitler’s personal guard, the Führerbegleitbrigade. When the invasion of France began, however, Rommel requested a transfer to command the 7th Panzer Division, as he was excited by the opportunities for fast maneuvering and surprise attacks that the new armoured divisions offered. Rommel found immediate success as a tank commander and the 7th Panzer became known as the “Ghost Division” for their habit of keeping ahead of the Allied intelligence and their ability to strike and fade away. Rommel excelled at outflanking and outmaneuvering his opponents, something that made him an ideal tank commander.
Following the capture of France, Rommel was promoted to Generalleutnant and given command of the Deutsches Afrika Korps, or Afrika Korps. With his new command and reputation as one of Germany’s finest generals, Rommel was sent to North Africa to aid Germany’s Italian allies, who were demoralised and weakened after months of defeat at the hands of the allies. Initially ordered to merely hold his position until further reinforcements arrived, Rommel instead decided that the terrain was ill suited to defence and launched a forray. Ironically, the superior British intelligence worked against them, as they initially did not take the attack seriously due their belief that Rommel was going to be on the defensive. The attack, initially not planned as a major offensive, quickly overwhelmed the inadequate British defences and forced them to abandon the city of Benghazi. This success spurred Rommel on and the Afrika Korps quickly advanced, pushing the Allies line further and further back. After fighting back and forth over the fortified port of Tobruk, and sending them running from Mersa Matruh. Rommel now advanced on El Alamein, hoping to use his momentum smash through and capture the heart of Egypt.
Rommel as a commander was exceptional for the respect he commanded not only amongst his own men but also his enemies. His treatment of prisoners, especially, was undeniably humane, and he demanded that all his soldiers offer them respect- one anecdote has him returning the watches that Italians had taken from British P.O.Ws. Amongst the Allied troops he was held in a state of near affection, which attests to his character. He was also rightfully considered one of the best commanders of the war, and the phrase “to do a Rommel” came to mean to pull of a cunning maneuver. Auchinleck was forced to release a memo telling his troops not to hold Rommel in such high regard, ending with the slightly dubious note “PS, I’m not jealous of Rommel”.
Freyberg
Bernard “Tiny” Freyberg 1st Baron Freyberg VC, GCMG, KCB, KBE, DSO & Three Bars, KStJ, was born in London on the 21st of March 1989, and would rise to become New Zealand’s most famous soldier for his actions as commander of the New Zealand Division during the Second World War.
Freyberg moved to New Zealand when he was only two years old and lived in Wellington, where he became a champion swimmer and trained to be a dentist. However, in March 1914 he left New Zealand, and may have fought in the Mexican civil war under Pancho Villa. Upon hearing of the war in Europe, he travelled to Britain to join the Navy, resorting to prizefighting to raise enough money. His actions during the war earned him numerous honours and accolades, including a Distinguished Service Award for his actions during the Dardanelles campaign, where he swam to the shore and lit flares to distract the Turkish forces from the real landings, and a Victoria Cross for his part in taking Beaucourt village as part of the Somme offensive. During the fight Freyberg rallied the British troops to victory, showing his typical disregard for personal wounds and danger (he was wounded a total of nine times during the war, and many would later remark it was hard to find an unscarred patch of skin).
Freyberg continued to rise through the ranks of the Army during the interwar period, until in 1937 he was forced to retire due to a heart condition. When World War Two broke out, however, he returned to active service as commander of the New Zealand Division, and fought with them through Greece, Africa and Italy, earning a reputation as an excellent soldier and commander, though some have criticised him for the loss of Crete.
As a commander Freyberg was popular among the troops due to his concern for their well being, which included setting up clubs for his men and clashing with his superiors, especially General Auchinleck, over the deployment of the Division in situations he felt endangered them. Freyberg was also willing to put his own life on the line. At Minqar Qaim, he personally went to the front lines during an artillery barrage to see how the men were, claiming that “it was one of the times when a commander must go forward or be out of touch”. Unfortunately, a shell struck his car as he drove back and a large splinter went into his neck. the wound was serious, but not fatal, but Freyberg’s main concern was that he was letting down his men. During the breakout itself, he fired his pistol out the window at the Germans as his ambulance sped past.