On the 70th anniversary of his death get the facts on the famed “Desert Fox.”
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Rommel disobeyed some of Hitler’s direct orders.
in October 1942, the numerically superior British halted his advance near El Alamein, Egypt.
Running low on tanks, ammunition and fuel, Rommel prepared to retreat. But Hitler sent a letter telling him not to yield “even a yard of ground.” “As to your troops,” the führer added, “you can show them no other road than that to victory or death.”
Despite his reverence for Hitler, Rommel disobeyed for fear his force would be completely annihilated. He also disregarded an order directing German generals to execute Allied commandos caught behind enemy lines.