North Afica. A gentlemens war?

I have read and heard that in the beginning and even towards the end that both sides would radio the other about prisoners they had captured. i was wondering if this was true or not? I can't remember where I read. and if it was true was it theatre wide or just between certain units?

 

There have been many instances where opposing sides practiced chivalrous acts. For example, during the battle of Monte Cassino, British medics loaned the German medics a couple stretchers. Later on the Germans returned the stretchers. So it was not just in North Africa.

Cannot remember where I read it but I did read about the Germans notifying the British about capturing members of a lost supply convoy.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if they did, especially if you look at other similar circumstances:

Rommel’s fame in the desert rests on his success as a leader and also his uncompromising belief that all prisoners of war should be well looked after and not abused. One story told at the time was that Italian troops took from British POWs’ their watches and other valuables. When Rommel found out, he ordered that they be returned to their owners immediately. To many British ‘Desert Rats’, Rommel epitomised a gentleman’s approach to a deadly issue – war.

Erwin Rommel

 

I actually found something on this:


Stephen Ambrose (in his book 'Pegasus Bridge) recounts an interesting tale from the desert war.

In North Africa, Hans von Luck was fighting in the only war he ever enjoyed. He commanded the armed reconaissance battalion on Rommel’s extreme right (southern) flank. He thus enjoyed a certain independence, as did his British opposite number. The two commanding officers agreed to fight a civilised war. Every day at five p.m. the war shut down, the British to brew up their tea, the Germans their coffee. At about quarter past five, von Luck and the British commander would communicate over the radio. “Well,” von Luck might say, “we captured so-and-so today and he’s fine and he sends his love to his mother, tell her not to worry.” Once von Luck learned that the British had received a month’s supply of cigarettes. He offered to trade a captured officer – who happened to be the heir to the Players cigarette fortune – for one million cigarettes. The British countered with an offer of 600,000. Done, said von Luck. But the Players heir was outraged. He said the ransom was insufficient. He insisted he was worth the million and refused to be exchanged.

One evening, an excited corporal reported that he had just stolen a British truck jammed with tinned meat and other delicacies. Von Luck looked at his watch – it was past six p.m. – and told the corporal he would have to take it back, as he had captured it after five p.m. The corporal protested that this was war and anyway the troops were already gathering in the goods from the truck. Von Luck called Rommel, his mentor in military academy. He said he was suspicious of British moves further south and thought he ought to go out on a two-day reconaissance. Could another battalion take his place for that time? Rommel agreed. The new battalion arrived in the morning. That night at five thirty p.m., just as von Luck had anticipated, the British stole two supply trucks.

warII_anecdotes​

 

This is excellent stuff! :lol:

I can only imagine the reaction of Red Army soldiers at such a war! ​

 

The gentlemans war was so easy to uphold since there was not civillians in the line of fire.

Von Luck tells his story of cat and mouse in the desert as if it was a game.

There are some notable drawbacks and they all contain Aussies Scots and the SS. The SS was of the Allgemeine not the Waffen SS (not that I excuse them) they strung up Cameronians from the 152Bde, 51st HD with pianowire.

However the war in the desert was still a war. Chivalry or not, a lot of people died or were maimed as a result. That people were sweet about it dosen't help.

 

I remember where I read it now. It was in Panzer Commander by Hons Von Luck. I didn't mean to belittle that fact that it was indeed war. I was just refering to the acts of kindness and respect shown between people who were trying to kill each other.

 

I really don't think North Africa was out of the ordinary. Rommel may have been, but that's only in comparison with other Axis generals, I believe. Anyway, one man can't change his army (in such a way).

 

SOAR21 is that statement based on an intimate knowledge of Axis generals, or the lack there of? Rommel has become quite the poster boy.

 

i beleive so "studentofwar" my story ist like PzJgr! a POW (american or british) at a camp need a banage or something,a yuong german soilder walked past ande offerd a banage to the POW.
I thinking thate there were gentlemen every during ww2,on both sides!

 

I thought this an excellent read:
Amazon.com: War Without Hate: The Desert Campaign of 1940-43: John Bierman, Colin Smith: Books
Alamein: War without Hate: John Bierman: Amazon.co.uk: Colin Smith: Books
Almost a 'social' history of the Desert war, with much anecdotal stuff on the more human side of the conflict.

~A

 

that frist link and book mentioned ,suonds like avery goode read,my interest are emeny soldiers communtating to eache other during non-peacse time.

 

yea i agree, it was really interesting...

 

On the time I spent researching North Africa I found very few atrocities. But I did find many instances of "Gentlemans" war.

I recall reading a stastic, about numerous merchant marine ships had their crews come back largely intact as the Germans would surface (subs) and tell them to get in their lifeboats before they would torpedo them.


It reminds me of an American reporter's account of the Repulse going down. The British officers managing AA frequently commented about how the Japanese pilots were very professional and very brave.

 

Totenkopf,I recalle reading thee same thing,I aggree.
And also,thee brits are often acted like gentleman! In thee Naziare Raids, a British commandoe had a direct shot at three German Soilders and had thee chance to kill all three,instead he decided to let them surender (Thate what thee British Commandoe wase thinking at thee time)
It turns out thee Germans were not surrendering att all,but instead planning bombs!Whiche did not turn out out goode for thee Brits att all.
Gentlemen i say!

 

From all that I have read, this part of the war was very civilized.

 

Well, I guess its really neither. Rommel was one of many generals to be fighting the war for Germany, not for Hitler. There weren't many generals to fight for Hitler anyway.

I've read Panzer Commander myself, its a great book. However, the "gentleman's war" is the result of the smaller units, not on a larger scale. As I've postulated in numerous other threads, the basis of human nature is good. As such, every theater will have its shares of niceties and horrors.

In the same book, even the Eastern Front was the site of many sources of anecdotes of the humanity of war. Generals can't change that, although Rommel certainly did emphasize the well treatment of civilians when he commanded smaller units, such as the 7th Panzer in France.

 

Yep soar21,true,Rommell wase fighting for germany and dislike howe thee nazis were treating thee jews!
Rommel ,yuo coulde say that he wase a German geantleman during ww2

 

i might go get those books, was looking for something new to read.