Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

 

Once in North Africa, Gause asked Rommel "Her General, how did you meet Hitler?"

    

Rommel leaned back in his seat and thought. Then he gave himself up to memories of what had happened to him very rarely "I was at the Fuhrer's headquarters when he first noticed me. By that time, I had been serving here for quite some time-a sort of inconspicuous Oberst Lieutenant in a secondary position. Yes, I was a small pawn - something like the commandant of the camp, which housed the headquarters here in Africa. This meant that I was in charge of transport, security measures and other boring organizational matters.

    

And on the Day of the Party, a very busy day, I received an order from Hitler that he wants to leave the next morning, accompanied by six cars, no more. I had to make sure that no machine joined under any conditions. When the morning came and Hitler was about to leave, I saw that the area in front of the headquarters was loaded with cars, in which ministers, generals, and other "high-flying birds" sat. But I was ready for this ...

    

When the car with Hitler passed, I let another five cars to pass behind, then got up on the road and blocked the way to the sixth. It stopped, and I informed the passenger Hitler’s order. I do not remember who it was, it seems some minister. How did he ruin his answer! He yelled that some lousy Oberst Lieutenant was preventing him, a high-ranking person from Hitler's entourage, from fulfilling his duties. The inflated donkey!

    

Before conceding to him, I calmly explained: "I cannot forbid you to follow, but I warn you that at the three nearest intersections you will be stopped by two tanks". Then he just shook with rage: "Unheard of arrogance! I promise you that I will report this incident to Hitler himself, Her Oberst-Lieutenant!"

    

On all three streets that crossed this road, I put two tanks - one on the left, the other on the right of the intersection, telling them to skip the first six cars from the motorcade of Hitler, and block the way for the rest. Hitler found out about this - undoubtedly, he was informed by furious officials, who again and again tried to slip through these intersections, but each time they ran into tanks. But Hitler called me that very evening and, instead of reprimanding, expressed his gratitude to me. He did not expect that his order would be executed and that he would manage to leave without interference. After this meeting, I was often invited to an evening conversation at the table of Hitler, where he talked to me about my book "Infantry Attacks", which I wrote after World War I and which he read with great attention. After that, he apparently decided that I was a sensible guy."

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