how can Monty defeat Rommel if he isn't even in the country??

Question

it is a known fact that rommel was ordered back to berlin long before monty defeated the africa corps.

You can only defeat someone who is in command of the army you are fighting, since rommel wasnt in africa it was probably someone else commanding it thus it wasnt rommel that monty did defeat

Answer 1

In the opening phase it would have made a difference if Rommel was there or not since he could very good improvise. Later on it did not make any matter because there were not enough reserves on the German side.

Answer 2

That's a known fact *now*. It wasn't back then.
Intel was poor those days. Which was a good thing.
Otherwise the invasion force in the normandy would
have been shred to pieces. So if I have to chose between
good intel and Monty defeating Rommel. I really like Monty
defeating Rommel.

Answer 3

Hitler ordered Rommel back to the fatherland precisely because the germans were losing and he wanted to pretend that Rommel wasn't responsible.
The german force was Rommel's army, trained by Rommel and fighting for Rommel. When you beat someones army, you beat them.

Answer 4

Rommel was recalled for medical reasons, but returned to El Alamein to direct the battle. He was furious with his commanders for not counter attacking the brits while they werer still in the mine fields. It was his Africa Corps, although he was absent at the time of Monty's attack, i'd say it was still Rommel's to win or lose....