2007-09-07 13:56:58 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
During the march across France to the English channel in 1940, he was commander of the 7th Panzer Division and they kept showing up in unexpected places, baffling and surprising the French and the B.E.F., that's who gave them the name. The same thing the British found out later when Rommel was commanding the Africa Korps in North Africa.
2007-09-07 14:14:32 · answer #1 · answered by Louie O 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Rommel liked to lead from the front. The "high command" often did not know where he was at. His own subordinates had problems keeping up and knowing where he was. His general order was to take France fast. France fell very fast, faster than the German staff or Allies thought it would. Being that contact with Rommel and his division was spotty, they were often not sure where it was, just knew it was going forward - it became his " Ghost Division".
2007-09-07 14:13:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of the speed of his breakthroughs, as commander of the 7th Panzer Division during the Battle of France, his division got the nickname "ghost' division. Neither the French or the German High Command could keep to his whereabouts at all times. His division was the first to breakthrough at Sedan during the initial stages of the battle, at the Ardennes Forest. During the race to Paris and southern France, he again achieved several breakthroughs.
2007-09-07 15:06:32 · answer #3 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because they managed to rush through enemy lines in France incredibly fast,crushing everything in their path with minimum losses and maximum damage to the enemy.It also happened many times that enemies didn't even had a chance to fire a single shot before they would get captured or killed by the "Ghosts".Rommel sure knew how to fight a war...
2007-09-07 23:33:16 · answer #4 · answered by Opera Phantom 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋