Why did Hitler care to send his best general to Africa while reluctant to send sufficient panzer divisions?

Question

Was it merely a show of support for Mussolini or he wasn't able to do so due to Barbarrosa build up. He could have use Rommel at easter front instead?

Answer 1

Hitler was always worried about another front from England, that's why he built up all the front line "pill boxes" along the shore lines but, he didn't know where it would come from. He figured up North along the North sea.

He didn't like Mussolini and wanted to leave him to his own, Bunito felt the same about the Germans and Hitler, they had a mutual hate for each other.
He supported Bunito in Spain and then left him to his own. The Italians were in north Africa but didn't have the heart to fight. My dad said he never had to fire a shot at the Italians, when they knew they were up against American forces, they surrendered, very few fought back.

Rommel was caught up in the threat to kill the Furrer in the "Bunker" his generals blew up, he supposedly killed over a thousand of his top leaders over this act. Many top leaders died for something that had nothing to do with, including Rommel, his greatest war leader. He was allowed to take poison.

The Eastern front fell apart that year. A very good friend of mine was a German rifleman in a front line German unit. He told me of the horrors of the winters and fighting the Russians.
He was captured and feared torture and a firing squad. He spent ten years in a Russian prison for war criminals. He wasn't repatriated until 1957. The U.S. interceded for him and some others, some were Americans, we know little of what happen and some of it was kept quiet.

Answer 2

The fact that Rommel was send was much more complicated.

First of all at that moment Rommel was still the favourite general to Hitler (since he had been a time commander of the guard of Hitler, he knew him well). Rommel had got a panzer division (against the advise of the German HQ) and had proofed that with a small troop he could do a lot.

For Hitler, again the Italian had disrupted his plans to invade Russia (first with the invasion of Greece, now with the desert war) so he send a good general who would keep the English busy.
BUT strangely enough, the most important reason was ... to mock with his Italian allies because he had enough of their bad fighting capacities.
Rommel was a WW1 officer who received the "Pour le Merite" (highest WW1 medal) just because of his courageous conduct against the Italians which resulted in the greatest defeat of the Italians in WW1. Rommel wrote a book about it "Infanterie greift an" that Hitler liked to read.
Hitler and logic didn't go together always (most of the time not).

Answer 3

This is just more speculation, like the other answers, but I believe it was because Hitler believed that the invasion and occupation of Africa would be relatively easy. He was hoping for another Blitzkrieg like the one unleashed on France.

So, in Hitler's mind, who better to send to get the job done than Rommel, the man who led and was responsible for the success of the last Blitzkreig.

Hitler may have been insane, but he wasn't that stupid. More often than not he had a reason for his actions (militarily that is).

As for not sending more Panzer divisions; like I said above, I think he had enough confidence in Rommel and what he already had.

However, If you want to point out one huge mistake on Hitler's part---misuse of the Luftwaffe (German Airforce).

About midway through the Africa campaign, Britain was still getting their butts handed to them by the German ground forces, but in the sky, the Royal Airforce ruled.

This may be the reason why Rommel never got the tanks he so sorely needed to finish his job in Africa, which I'm sure he could have done if supplied correctly.

Rommel was constantly short on fuel, food, and ammunition. In fact, at one point in his campaign, he switched his command vehicle to a captured British armored personnel carrier for numerous reasons.

This was all because the Italians (who were supposed to keep Rommal supplied) couldn't get anything to him without it being sunk or shot out of the air by the Royal Airforce.

Hitler may have seen this and not wanted to risk losing an entire Panzer division, or even part of one, needlessly. (Hitler thought very economical like that)

History holds the true answer, but I believe this is way things happened the way they did.

In my opinion, Hitler could have attained victory in Africa had he just deployed the Luftwaffe effectively in countering the Royal Airforce.

Good thing he didn't.

Answer 4

There was a rift between Hitler and Rommel. Hitler had been made aware that Rommel has lost faith in him. Hitler's actions and provoked extreme alarm among Germany's truely intelligent military leaders. Rommel was not a member of the Nazi party, which roused great suspicion of him. Nazi high command had conducted a smear campaign against Rommel for years, resulting in Hitler's sending Rommel to Africa. The Panzer divisions were need in strength to fight a growing two front war. Rommel's pleas to only expose Germany to a single front were attacked by Hitler's inner circle of advisors. They helped to insure that Rommel would die in battle by under arming him. They justified thier actions using propanda, branding Rommel as a warrior god who could accomplish great victories with minimal supplies. Yes, it was a load of crap.

If you look carefully, the Germany military heirarchy had a large number of leaders who became disenchanted by Hitler's madness, which became clearer overtime. The SS and the Nazi party did whatever they deemed necessary to remove any and all opposition to thier final solution.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

It is a great debate who was truly 'the best' General and in fact Rommel truly 'bloomed' in the desert and won his reputation there - - - as another answerer said Hitler did a lot of stupid things - - - and what always gets me thumbs down and sometimes reporter, HITLER WAS AN IDIOT.

That out of my system - - - even without Hitler meddling in matters, the German Chief of Staff wasn't overtly fond of Rommel but valued him enough not to let him get swallowed up in the meat grinder that was Russia. If you look closely at the German Generals who were sent on ;strange' assignments one notes that the best of the German Generals were sent to Italy and France, it can argued that the General in Norway would have been better placed facing the Russians but he was smart enough to kjnow how not to go.

During the initial phase of the fight against Russia there were plenty of competent Generals to lead the way. Rommel might have gotten in the way. Way off in Africa he earned needed victories for German Morakle.

As for the lack of tanks & equipment - - - HITLER was an Idiiot, German Industry did wonders despite the blunders of their bosses but it was never enough .....

Peace-------------

(not to support Mussolini but to Show Him Up // refer to Laurel & Hardy Comedies where in Ollie SHOWS Laurel how it is Done. - - - Hitler delighted in sending taunting letters to Mussolini reporting how well GERMAN troops were doing)

Answer 7

Taking control of Africa wasnt just a show...it was the best way to kill Britain...if Hitler succeeded, WW2 could be totally different.

1.Britain relied on resource and labor from its colonies...especially India, Egypt, and Middle East. Without colonies...If Hitler took over Middle East completely, then India cannot ship any products to Britain!

2.Middle East has oil...and we all know how powerful weapon that is

Answer 8

If you are short on troops and equipment, who do you want to organize and deploy them but the very best general you can find?

Anyone lesser might not have even gotten out of the starting blocks.



g-day!