"If I had to take hell, I would use the Australians to take it and the New Zealanders to hold it."
~ Afrika Korps commander Erwin Rommel (quoted in Desert Fox, p. 115)
"If I'd had one division of Maori, I would have taken the canal in a week. If I'd had three, I'd have taken Baghdad."
~ attrib. Erwin Rommel[Hat tip Steve Hale]
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8 comments:
Yes and if he looked at New Zealand men now he would say >" Why are those pathetic wimps hiding in the trenches? " There is not one of us out there with fury against rampant Police State and Socialism ? By Christ when I get back there expect acrion,
Interesting that he would use Australians to take it and New Zealanders to hold it.
Thinking of the Australians holding Tobruk and the New Zealanders' dogged advances in Operation Crusader, the break out at Minqar Qaim, Ruweisat Ridge, the El Mreir Depression, El Alamein, Halfaya Pass, Tebaga Gap, Enfidaville and Takrouna and the inability to hold out / hold the line in Crete, at Sidi Rezegh and Belhamed, Minqar Qaim, I would have thought he'd have NZers doing the assaulting.
I guess I don't know much of the Australians' attacking abilities - and it must speak volumes for them.
Garrison job in hell doesn't sound like a great deal for the Kiwis....
Maybe he was thinking more of WWI: how Monash and the Australians changed the way the war was fought at Hamel; and how Malone and the Wellingtons hung on at Chunuk Bair...
I bet there'd be things to enjoy about the R & R.
I am guessing the gist of what he meant is that both forces proved to be a royal pain for the DAK
Or, he might say, now I understand why your forebears fought so hard; to preserve this free and democratic society.
If you think NZ is a police state, governed by socialism then I suggest you spend some time in almost any other country on earth. As for what NZ can expect when you get back, I hope you are not threatening anything violent!?
There is no verifiable historical source that he actually said this. He did hold the Australian 9th division in high esteem and considered them the elite of the commonwealth forces, though he thought they were unruly and would be difficult to manage.
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