Erwin Rommel Quotations

In a man-to-man fight, the winner is he who has one more round in his magazine.

Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning.

Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy in complete command of the air, fights like a savage against modern European troops, under the same handicaps and with the same chances of success.

The future battle on the ground will be preceded by battle in the air. This will determine which of the contestants has to suffer operational and tactical disadvantages and be forced throughout the battle into adoption compromise solutions.

But courage which goes against military expediency is stupidity, or, if it is insisted upon by a commander, irresponsibility.

Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, and brains saves both.

Good soldiers, bad officers; however don't forget that without them we would not have any Civilization.

The battle is going very heavily against us. We're being crushed by the enemy weight. We are facing very difficult days, perhaps the most difficult that a man can undergo

There are always times where the place of a commander isn't back with his Major State, but onward with his troops.

I would rather he had given me one more division

To every man of us, Tobruk was a symbol of British resistance and we were now going to finish with it for good.

I didn't die nor win.

The enemy must be annihilated before he reaches our main battlefield. We must stop him in the water, destroying all his equipment while it is still afloat!

Messages can't be intercepted if they aren't sent, can they?

It is often possible to decide the issue of a battle merely by making an unexpected shift of one's main weight.

He [Hitler] seemed very depressed and upset about the Stalingrad disaster. He said that one is always liable to look on the black side of things after a defeat, a tendency which can lead one into dangerous and false conclusions.

The commander must be at constant pains to keep his troops abreast of all the latest tactical experience and developments, and must insist on their practical application. He must see to it that his subordinates are trained in accordance with the latest requirements. The best form of welfare for the troops is first-class training, for this saves unnecessary casualties.

War makes extremely heavy demands on the soldier's strength and nerves. For this reason, make heavy demands on your men in peacetime exercises.

Manstein is a man of illusions. ... He believes Hitler will listen to facts.

Which would your men rather be, tired, or dead?

The organization of supplies, the command of men, anything in any way constructive requires more than intellect; it requires energy and drive and an unrelenting will to serve the cause, regardless of one's personal interests.

The art of concentrating strength at one point, forcing a breakthrough, rolling up and securing the flanks on either side, and then penetrating like lightning deep into his rear, before the enemy has time to react.

In Tunisia the Americans had to pay a stiff price for their experience, but it brought rich dividends. Even at that time, the American generals showed themselves to be very advanced in the tactical handling of their forces, although we had to wait until the Patton Army in France to see the most astonishing achievements in mobile warfare.

The commander must establish personal and comradely contact with his men, but without giving away one inch of authority.

The peril of the hour moved the British to tremendous exertions, just as always in a moment of extreme danger things can be done which had previously been thought impossible. Mortal danger is an effective antidote for fixed ideas.

Mortal danger is an effective antidote for fixed ideas.

One cannot permit unique opportunities to slip by for the sake of trifles.

In view of my services in Africa, I have the chance of dying by poison. Two generals have brought it with them. It is fatal in three seconds. If I take the poison, none of the usual steps will be taken against my family; that is, against you. They will also leave my staff alone.

The best form of welfare for the troops is first-rate training.

One must not judge everyone in the world by his qualities as a soldier: otherwise we should have no civilization.

When there's no clear option, it's better to do nothing.

I would rather be the hammer than the anvil

One of the most important factors, not only in military matters but in life as a whole, is ... the ability to direct one's whole energies towards the fulfillment of a particular task.

The battle is fought and decided by the quartermasters, long before the shooting begins.

No plan survives contact with the enemy

Always in a moment of extreme danger things can be done which had previously been thought impossible.

For me, soldiers are all equal. Those black people wore your same uniform, fought on your side, and so you will be in the same jail.

Training errors are recorded on paper. Tactical errors are etched in stone.

Winning the men's confidence requires much of a commander. He must exercise care and caution, look after his men, live under the same hardships, and-above all- apply self discipline. But once he has their confidence, his men will follow him through hell and high water.

There is one unalterable difference between a soldier and a civilian: the civilian never does more than he is paid to do.

Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, but brains saves both.

The German soldier has impressed the world, however the Italian Bersagliere soldier has impressed the German soldier.

A risk is a chance you take; if it fails you can recover. A gamble is a chance taken; if it fails, recovery is impossible.

In the absence of orders, go find something and kill it.

Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself, and let the troops see that you don'tin your endurance of fatigue and privation. always be tactful and well-mannered and teach your subordinates to do the same. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to hide.

Men are basically smart or dumb and lazy or ambitious. The dumb and ambitious ones are dangerous and I get rid of them. The dumb and lazy ones I give mundane duties. The smart ambitious ones I put on my staff. The smart and lazy ones I make my commanders.

If I had to take hell, I would use the Australians to take it and the New Zealanders to hold it.