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115-562: The neighborhood features half acre and larger, tree-lined estates along winding roads. Residents are in close proximity to White Rock Lake , the Bath House Cultural Center , the Dallas Arboretum , and Casa Linda Shopping Center . The history of Casa Linda Estates dates back to its earlier names of Ola and Reinhardt prior to redevelopment as Casa Linda. Dallas annexed Reinhardt in 1948. The 640-acre area

230-718: A "magnetic, maybe hypnotic, strength" that had its origin in Hitler's belief that he "was called upon by God", and Hitler sometimes "spoke from the depth of his being [...] like a prophet ". Rommel was promoted to Generalmajor on 23 August 1939 and assigned as commander of the Führerbegleitbatallion , tasked with guarding Hitler and his field headquarters during the invasion of Poland , which began on 1 September. According to Remy, Rommel's private letters at this time show that he did not understand Hitler's true nature and intentions, as he quickly went from predicting

345-677: A British convoy carrying over 100,000 tons of supplies was due to arrive in September. He decided to launch an attack at the end of August with the 15th and 21st Panzer Division, 90th Light Division, and the Italian XX Motorized Corps in a drive through the southern flank of the El Alamein lines. Expecting an attack sooner rather than later, Montgomery fortified the Alam el Halfa ridge with the 44th Division, and positioned

460-581: A best-seller, which, according to Scheck, later "enormously influenced" many armies of the world. Adolf Hitler was one of many people who owned a copy. Hearing of Rommel's reputation as an outstanding military instructor, in February 1937 Hitler assigned him as the War Ministry liaison officer to the Hitler Youth in charge of military training. Here Rommel clashed with Baldur von Schirach ,

575-627: A boating accident in the 1930s. Reports of the ghostly encounters were published in Dallas-area newspapers in the 1960s. This legend is said to have been the inspiration for the bluegrass song Bringing Mary Home , written by John Duffey of The Country Gentlemen . Their version of the song made the Billboard Country Chart in 1965. The song has since been recorded by many others, including Frankie Miller , Mac Wiseman , Red Sovine , Ricky Skaggs , and Daniel O'Donnell . It

690-761: A clean fight as there was in World War II. He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied cross-channel invasion of Normandy in June 1944. After the Nazis gained power in Germany, Rommel gradually accepted the new regime. Historians have given different accounts of the specific period and his motivations. He was a supporter of Adolf Hitler , at least until near the end of the war, if not necessarily sympathetic to

805-588: A day of fierce fighting on 31 March, the Germans captured Mersa El Brega. Splitting his force into three groups, Rommel resumed the advance on 3 April. Benghazi fell that night as the British pulled out of the city. Gariboldi, who had ordered Rommel to stay in Mersa El Brega, was furious. Rommel was equally forceful in his response, telling Gariboldi, "One cannot permit unique opportunities to slip by for

920-487: A decisive legacy of the first World War. Brighton notes that while both believed in the Stab-in-the-back myth , Rommel was able to succeed using peaceful methods because he saw the problem as related to economic problems and empty stomachs, rather than to Judeo-Bolshevism – which right-wing soldiers such as Hitler blamed for the chaos in Germany. On 1 October 1920, Rommel was appointed to a company command with

1035-470: A defensive posture along the front line at Sirte , Rommel resorted to subterfuge and insubordination to take the war to the British. According to Remy, the General Staff tried to slow him down but Hitler encouraged him to advance—an expression of the conflict that had existed between Hitler and the army leadership since the invasion of Poland. He decided to launch a limited offensive on 24 March with

1150-601: A detachment of the 5th Panzer Division , had reached the Meuse , where they found the bridges had already been destroyed (Guderian and Georg-Hans Reinhardt reached the river on the same day). Rommel was active in the forward areas, directing the efforts to make a crossing, which were initially unsuccessful because of suppressive fire by the French on the other side of the river. Rommel brought up tanks and flak units to provide counter-fire and had nearby houses set on fire to create

1265-608: A direct assault. Following a failed counter-attack in Operation Brevity in May, Wavell launched Operation Battleaxe on 15 June; this attack was also defeated. The defeat resulted in Churchill replacing Wavell with General Claude Auchinleck as theatre commander. In August, Rommel was appointed commander of the newly created Panzer Army Africa , with Fritz Bayerlein as his chief of staff. The Afrika Korps, comprising

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1380-532: A first-class neighborhood for white families. These restrictions included provisions for the use of premises for private dwelling purposes by white persons only, not excluding bona fide servants of any race. The architectural styles of homes in Casa Linda Estates vary, with some featuring Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture , reflecting Howard D. Brown's love for the Spanish language. Streets in

1495-466: A major offensive operation for the end of May. He knew the British were planning offensive operations as well, and he hoped to pre-empt them. Early in the afternoon of 26 May 1942, Rommel attacked first and the Battle of Gazala commenced. Under the cover of darkness, the bulk of Rommel's motorised and armoured forces drove south to skirt the left flank of the British, coming up behind them and attacking to

1610-489: A maximum storage capacity of 39,400 acre-feet , the facility is owned and operated by the City of Dallas. After its function primarily as a water source was supplanted, White Rock Lake continued to serve as a recreational lake for both City of Dallas and suburban residents. From its earliest days, area residents wanting to get away from home constructed cabins on leased property along its shoreline. The Bonnie Barge, for example,

1725-459: A reaction to a speech by Hitler. During his visit to Switzerland in 1938, Rommel reported that Swiss soldiers who he met showed "remarkable understanding of our Jewish problem". American writer and Rommel biographer Daniel Allen Butler comments that he did share the view (popular in Germany and many European countries during that time) that as a people, the Jews were loyal to themselves rather than

1840-477: A sandstorm. The 90th Light Division veered off course and were pinned down by South African artillery fire. Rommel continued to attempt to advance for two more days, but repeated sorties by the Desert Air Force meant he could make no progress. On 3 July, he wrote in his diary that his strength had "faded away". Attacks by 21st Panzer on 13 and 14 July were repulsed, and an Australian attack on 16–17 July

1955-554: A similar number of guns, and 400 lorries, vital for supplies and movement. The British losses, except tank losses of 68, were much less, further adding to the numerical inferiority of Panzer Army Africa . The Desert Air Force inflicted the highest proportions of damage on Rommel's forces. He now realised the war in Africa could not be won. Physically exhausted and suffering from a liver infection and low blood pressure, Rommel flew home to Germany to recover his health. General Georg Stumme

2070-409: A smokescreen. He sent infantry across in rubber boats, appropriated the bridging tackle of the 5th Panzer Division, personally grabbed a light machine gun to fight off a French counterattack supported by tanks, and went into the water himself, encouraging the sappers and helping lash together the pontoons. By 16 May Rommel reached Avesnes , and contravening orders, he pressed on to Cateau. That night,

2185-841: A successful dentist and the other an opera singer. At age 18, Rommel joined the Württemberg Infantry Regiment No. 124 in Weingarten as a Fähnrich ( ensign ), in 1910, studying at the Officer Cadet School in Danzig . He graduated in November 1911 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in January 1912 and was assigned to the 124th Infantry in Weingarten . He was posted to Ulm in March 1914 to

2300-560: A swift peaceful settlement of tensions to approving Hitler's reaction ("bombs will be retaliated with bombs") to the Gleiwitz incident (a false flag operation staged by Hitler and used as a pretext for the invasion). Hitler took a personal interest in the campaign, often moving close to the front in the Führersonderzug (headquarters train). Rommel attended Hitler's daily war briefings and accompanied him everywhere, making use of

2415-484: A trial that would result in his disgrace and execution; he chose the former and took a cyanide pill . Rommel was given a state funeral, and it was announced that he had succumbed to his injuries from the strafing of his staff car in Normandy. Rommel became a larger-than-life figure in both Allied and Nazi propaganda , and in postwar popular culture. Numerous authors portray him as an apolitical, brilliant commander and

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2530-716: A victim of Nazi Germany, although other authors have contested this assessment and called it the " Rommel myth ". Rommel's reputation for conducting a clean war was used in the interest of the West German rearmament and reconciliation between the former enemies – the United Kingdom and the United States on one side and the new Federal Republic of Germany on the other. Several of Rommel's former subordinates, notably his chief of staff Hans Speidel , played key roles in German rearmament and integration into NATO in

2645-707: Is Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Dozens of varieties of trees, and more than 100 grass and plant species exist in the park. Known as a jewel in the crown of the Dallas Park System, it is visited by over 1 million visitors a year. Today, the park has an ecosystem that includes grasses, trees, flowers and wildlife that are indigenous to the North Texas area. Grasslands include black prairie grasses as well as more invasive species like Queen Anne's Lace. Wildflowers are planted in un-mowed areas and bloom in late spring. Photos can be taken especially off

2760-562: Is a reservoir located in northeast Dallas , Texas , United States . The lake was formed by damming White Rock Creek , which today widens into the lake before continuing south out of the spillway and emptying into the Trinity River . The lake covers 1,254 acres (5.07 km ) in the east Dallas community. Before it was a lake, White Rock Lake was a collection of farms owned by the Daniel and Cox families. The first record of

2875-615: Is a natural choke point, where the Qattara Depression creates a relatively short line to defend that could not be outflanked to the south because of the steep escarpment. During this time Germans prepared numerous propaganda postcards and leaflets for the Egyptian and Syrian populations urging them to "chase English out of the cities", warning them about "Jewish peril" and with one leaflet printed in 296,000 copies and aimed at Syria stating among others Because Marshal Rommel, at

2990-590: Is estimated at 100. According to Butler and Showalter, Rouen fell to the 5th Panzer Division, while Rommel advanced from the Seine towards the Channel. On 10 June, Rommel reached the coast near Dieppe , sending Hoth the message " Bin an der Küste " ("Am on the coast"). On 17 June, 7th Panzer was ordered to advance on Cherbourg , where additional British evacuations were under way. The division advanced 240 km (150 mi) in 24 hours, and after two days of shelling,

3105-479: Is left of the Daniel and Cox farms is the old "Daniel-Cox family cemetery." The Daniel family fell upon hard times and when the cemetery was renovated, the Cox family contributed funds to renovate the cemetery so the current sign reads "Cox Cemetery". White Rock Dam was completed in 1911 as an earthen dam with a height of 47 feet, a length of 2550 feet at its crest, for storm water control and municipal water supply. With

3220-773: Is now regarded by many as a bluegrass standard. The legend was also the inspiration for Lakewood Brewing Company's second Legendary Series release, La Dame du Lac, a French farmhouse-style bière de garde. The lake was shown on a map in the beginning of the TV show Cheaters . Erwin Rommel This is an accepted version of this page Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel ( pronounced [ˈɛʁviːn ˈʁɔməl] ; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox ( German : Wüstenfuchs , pronounced [ˈvyːstn̩ˌfʊks] ),

3335-440: Is permitted. The Bath House once served as a boathouse for several crew teams, including SMU. White Rock Boathouse (established in 1930) was originally used for motor boats, but was later adapted to house sculling boats. The Boathouse later went on to lease the old Filter Building and holding tanks from the former purification facility and converted them into what may be the largest boathouse worldwide. The Corinthian Sailing Club

3450-472: Is reported to be haunted by the ghost of a twenty-year-old-looking girl, described as wearing a water-soaked 1930s evening dress, who usually appears at night along the roadside of East Lawther Drive. Witnesses claim the phantom asks to be taken to her home on Gaston Avenue in Dallas before disappearing in the car during the ride leaving a waterlogged car seat. Legend claims the woman to be a drowning victim from

3565-717: The Alpenkorps in September 1915, as a company commander. In November 1916 in Danzig, Rommel and Lucia married. In August 1917, his unit was involved in the battle for Mount Cosna , a heavily fortified objective on the border between Hungary and Romania, which they took after two weeks of difficult uphill fighting. The Mountain Battalion was next assigned to the Isonzo front , in a mountainous area in Italy. The offensive, known as

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3680-538: The 7th Panzer Division during the 1940 invasion of France . His leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African campaign established his reputation as one of the ablest tank commanders of the war, and earned him the nickname der Wüstenfuchs , "the Desert Fox". Among his British adversaries he had a reputation for chivalry, and his phrase "war without hate" has been uncritically used to describe

3795-465: The Battle of Caporetto , began on 24 October 1917. Rommel's battalion, consisting of three rifle companies and a machine gun unit, was part of an attempt to take enemy positions on three mountains: Kolovrat , Matajur , and Stol . In two and a half days, from 25 to 27 October, Rommel and his 150 men captured 81 guns and 9,000 men (including 150 officers), at a loss of six dead and 30 wounded. Rommel achieved this remarkable success by taking advantage of

3910-667: The Kingdom of Württemberg , Southern Germany , then part of the German Empire . He was the third of five children to Erwin Rommel Senior (1860–1913) and his wife Helene von Luz. Her father, Karl von Luz , headed the local government council. As a young man, Rommel's father had been an artillery lieutenant. Rommel had one older sister who was an art teacher and his favourite sibling, one older brother named Manfred who died in infancy, and two younger brothers, of whom one became

4025-478: The River Seine to secure the bridges near Rouen . Advancing 100 kilometres (60 mi) in two days, the division reached Rouen to find it defended by three French tanks which managed to destroy a number of German tanks before being taken out. The German force, enraged by this resistance, forbade fire brigades access to the burning district of the old Norman capital, and as a result, most of the historic quarter

4140-593: The Western Desert Campaign earned Rommel the nickname the "Desert Fox" from journalists on both sides of the war. Allied troops in Africa were commanded by General Archibald Wavell , Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Command . Rommel and his troops were technically subordinate to Italian commander-in-chief General Italo Gariboldi . Disagreeing with the orders of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW, German armed forces high command) to assume

4255-606: The 13th Infantry Regiment in Stuttgart, a post he held for the next nine years. He was then assigned to an instruction position at the Dresden Infantry School from 1929 to 1933; during this time, in April 1932, he was promoted to major. While at Dresden, he wrote a manual on infantry training, published in 1934. In October 1933, he was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) and given his next command,

4370-572: The 15th Panzer Division and the 5th Light Division, now reinforced and redesignated 21st Panzer Division, was put under command of Generalleutnant Ludwig Crüwell . In addition to the Afrika Korps, Rommel's Panzer Group had the 90th Light Division and four Italian divisions, three infantry divisions investing Tobruk, and one holding Bardia. The two Italian armoured divisions, formed into the Italian XX Motorized Corps under

4485-406: The 1968 photo above. In order to promote organized class sailing, WRBC at one time limited the type of boats kept at the club to racing classes. In the 1970s, the following classes of sailboats were eligible for membership: Butterfly, Coronado 15, Flying Scot, Harpoon, Lido, Lone Star 13, MC Scow, M16 Scow, M20 Scow and Rebel. The club remains active on the lake today. White Rock Lake is also home to

4600-541: The 3rd Jäger Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, stationed at Goslar . Here he first met Hitler, who inspected his troops on 30 September 1934. In September 1935, Rommel was moved to the War Academy in Potsdam as an instructor, serving for the next three years. His book Infanterie greift an ( Infantry Attacks ), a description of his wartime experiences along with his analysis, was published in 1937. It became

4715-682: The 49th Field Artillery Regiment, XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps , as a battery commander. He returned to the 124th when war was declared. While at Cadet School, Rommel met his future wife, 17-year-old Lucia (Lucie) Maria Mollin (1894–1971), of Italian and Polish descent. During World War I, Rommel fought in France as well as in the Romanian (notably at the Second Battle of the Jiu Valley ) and Italian campaigns . He successfully employed

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4830-494: The 5th Light Division, supported by two Italian divisions. This thrust was not anticipated by the British, who had Ultra intelligence showing that Rommel had orders to remain on the defensive until at least May when the 15th Panzer Division were due to arrive. The British Western Desert Force had meanwhile been weakened by the transfer in mid-February of three divisions for the Battle of Greece . They fell back to Mersa El Brega and started constructing defensive works. After

4945-418: The 7th Armoured Division about 25 kilometres (15 mi) to the south. The Battle of Alam el Halfa was launched on 30 August. The terrain left Rommel with no choice but to follow a similar tactic as he had at previous battles: the bulk of the forces attempted to sweep around from the south while secondary attacks were launched on the remainder of the front. It took much longer than anticipated to get through

5060-580: The Afrika Korps received 55 tanks and new supplies and Rommel started planning a counterattack, which he launched on 21 January. Caught by surprise, the Allies lost over 110 tanks and other heavy equipment. The Axis forces retook Benghazi on 29 January and Timimi on 3 February, with the Allies pulling back to a defensive line just before the Tobruk area south of the coastal town of Gazala. Between December 1941 and June 1942, Rommel had excellent information about

5175-566: The British began a retreat eastward toward Egypt on 14 June, the so-called "Gazala Gallop". The assault on Tobruk proper began at dawn on 20 June, and the British surrendered at dawn the following day. Rommel's forces captured 32,000 Commonwealth troops, the port, and huge quantities of supplies. Only at the fall of Singapore , earlier that year, had more British Commonwealth troops been captured at one time. On 22 June, Hitler promoted Rommel to Generalfeldmarschall for this victory. Following his success at Gazala and Tobruk, Rommel wanted to seize

5290-466: The British launched a counterattack in the Battle of Arras . It failed and the British withdrew. On 24 May, Generaloberst (Colonel General) Gerd von Rundstedt and Generaloberst Günther von Kluge issued a halt order, which Hitler approved. The reason for this decision is still a matter of debate. The halt order was lifted on 26 May. 7th Panzer continued its advance, reaching Lille on 27 May. The Siege of Lille continued until 31 May, when

5405-628: The Daniel family farm is in the Family Bible of Thomas Walker Daniel. He and his wife Frances Herndon Daniel seem to have moved to the White Rock area in the late 1830s and early 1840s. Daniel's son had a good friend during the civil war named Cox. When the war was over, the Cox family moved to land adjacent to the Daniel family. Together they had a joint family cemetery called the Daniel-Cox Cemetery. Other pioneer families such as

5520-546: The East Lawther Trail and close to Mockingbird Lane. Dozens of species of birds call White Rock Lake home. The ecosystem of the waterfront makes it a perfect nesting place for small and large water birds including herons , egrets , geese , ducks , and pelicans , along with woodland birds such as owls , hawks and eagles . Some feral bird species may also be identified, including monk parakeets that nest in nearby electrical substations and feed off of trees by

5635-590: The Eighth Army lost 530 tanks and Rommel only 100. Wanting to exploit the British halt and their apparent disorganisation, on 24 November Rommel counterattacked near the Egyptian border in an operation that became known as the "dash to the wire". Cunningham asked Auchinleck for permission to withdraw into Egypt, but Auchinleck refused and soon replaced Cunningham as commander of the Eighth Army with Major General Neil Ritchie . The German counterattack stalled as it outran its supplies and met stiffening resistance, and

5750-529: The French II Army Corps was shattered and on 17 May, Rommel's forces took 10,000 prisoners, losing 36 men in the process. He was surprised to find out only his vanguard had followed his tempestuous surge. The High Command and Hitler had been extremely nervous about his disappearance, although they awarded him the Knight's Cross. Rommel's (and Guderian's) successes and the new possibilities offered by

5865-536: The French garrison of 40,000 men surrendered. Rommel was summoned to Berlin to meet with Hitler. He was the only divisional commander present at the planning session for Fall Rot (Case Red), the second phase of the invasion of France. By this time the Dunkirk evacuation was complete; over 338,000 Allied troops had been evacuated across the Channel, though they had to leave behind all their heavy equipment and vehicles. Rommel, resuming his advance on 5 June, drove for

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5980-454: The French garrison surrendered on 19 June. The speed and surprise that it was consistently able to achieve, to the point at which both the enemy and the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH; German "High Command of the Army") at times lost track of its whereabouts, earned the 7th Panzers the nickname Gespensterdivision ("ghost division"). After the armistice with the French was signed on 22 June,

6095-519: The Hitler Youth leader, over the training that the boys should receive. Trying to fulfil a mission assigned to him by the Ministry of War, Rommel had twice proposed a plan that would have effectively subordinated Hitler Youth to the army, removing it from NSDAP control. That went against Schirach's express wishes. Schirach appealed directly to Hitler; consequently, Rommel was quietly removed from

6210-663: The Humbards, the Glovers, Lavenders, McCommases, Coxes and Donagheys jointly maintained the cemetery. Construction on White Rock Lake began in 1910 in response to a water shortage in Dallas. After the lake was completed in 1911, residential construction around the lake increased, and in the early 1930s the Dallas Park Board, with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), began developing

6325-490: The Jews. However, Uri Avnery notes that even when Rommel was a low-ranking officer, he protected the Jews who lived in his district. Manfred Rommel tells the Stuttgarter Nachrichten that their family lived in isolated military lands but knew about the discrimination against the Jews which was occurring on the outside. They could not foresee the enormity of the impending atrocities, about which they only knew much later. At one point, Rommel wrote to his wife that Hitler had

6440-451: The North African campaign. A number of historians have since rejected the phrase as a myth and uncovered numerous examples of German war crimes and abuses towards enemy soldiers and native populations in Africa during the conflict. Other historians note that there is no clear evidence Rommel was involved in or aware of these crimes, with some pointing out that the war in the desert, as fought by Rommel and his opponents, still came as close to

6555-423: The Old Fish Hatchery. The lake contains catfish , sunfish , crappie , carp , gar , and bass . A handful of reports in the early 1990s claim that hagfish had been spotted in White Rock Lake as well. Largemouth bass are found around structures like the reed beds, mouths of creeks, and up Dickson Branch. A well-known Dallas urban legend is the story of the Lady of White Rock Lake . White Rock Lake Park

6670-452: The SA whose members terrorised the Jews and dissident Goslar citizens. After the Röhm Purge , he mistakenly believed that the worst was over, although restrictions on Jewish businesses were still being imposed and agitation against their community continued. According to Remy, Manfred Rommel recounts that his father knew about and privately disagreed with the government's antisemitism, but by this time, he had not actively campaigned on behalf of

6785-409: The Southern Methodist University Sailing Club which uses the lake primarily as the team's practice water Many events are held at White Rock Lake, including the White Rock Marathon , which, for part of the course, runs around the lake. The White Rock Marathon is recognized as a top 10 marathon within the United States, and serves as a Boston Marathon qualifier. The primary beneficiary of the marathon

6900-418: The action took place at the end of July as both sides rested and regrouped. Preparing for a renewed drive, the British replaced Auchinleck with General Harold Alexander on 8 August. Bernard Montgomery was made the new commander of the Eighth Army that same day. The Eighth Army had initially been assigned to General William Gott , but he was killed when his plane was shot down on 7 August. Rommel knew that

7015-405: The area are named using Spanish words. The neighborhood is known for its abundant trees, well-kept landscaping, and some homes with servants' quarters that can be used for rentals or guest accommodations. The Browns owned the shopping center until Howard D. Brown decided to sell it in late 1978 due to leukemia. His daughter, Beverly Ann Brown Heart, continued the family tradition of home building in

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7130-456: The area until the mid-1980s. Casa Linda Plaza continued to thrive with a mix of new and old tenants, such as Chili's restaurant and El Fenix Restaurant, which has been a tenant since the mid-1950s. As of 2015, Casa Linda remains a vibrant neighborhood with a mix of longstanding and newer businesses. 32°49′44″N 96°41′53″W  /  32.829°N 96.698°W  / 32.829; -96.698 White Rock Lake White Rock Lake

7245-470: The barracks at Winfrey Point to house 403 German prisoners-of-war who had served in Rommel's Afrika Corps . The growing population of Dallas and a drought increased the demand for water, and on September 1, 1952, the beaches of White Rock saw their last swimmers in order to maintain a sanitary water supply. By 1992 White Rock Lake Park was a center of recreational activity for central Dallas, providing picnic areas and bicycle and jogging paths. All that

7360-526: The capture of Tobruk. He made preparations for a new offensive, to be launched between 15 and 20 November. Meanwhile, Auchinleck reorganised Allied forces and strengthened them to two corps, XXX and XIII , which formed the British Eighth Army . It was placed under the command of Alan Cunningham . Auchinleck launched Operation Crusader , a major offensive to relieve Tobruk, on 18 November 1941. Rommel reluctantly decided on 20 November to call off his planned attack on Tobruk. In four days of heavy fighting,

7475-821: The command he aspired to, despite having been earlier turned down by the army's personnel office, which had offered him command of a mountain division instead. According to Peter Caddick-Adams , he was backed by Hitler, the influential Fourteenth Army commander Wilhelm List (a fellow Württemberger middle-class "military outsider") and likely Heinz Guderian , the commander of XIX Army Corps , as well. Going against military protocol, this promotion added to Rommel's growing reputation as one of Hitler's favoured commanders, although his later outstanding leadership in France quelled complaints about his self-promotion and political scheming. The 7th Panzer Division had recently been converted to an armoured division consisting of 218 tanks in three battalions (thus, one tank regiment, instead of

7590-413: The command of General Gastone Gambara , were under Italian control. Two months later Hitler decided he must have German officers in better control of the Mediterranean theatre, and appointed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring as Commander in Chief, South. Kesselring was ordered to get control of the air and sea between Africa and Italy. Following his success in Battleaxe, Rommel returned his attention to

7705-452: The defenders off-guard, Rommel launched a failed attack on 14 April. Rommel requested reinforcements, but the OKW, then completing preparations for Operation Barbarossa , refused. General Friedrich Paulus , head of the Operations Branch of the OKH, arrived on 25 April to review the situation. He was present for a second failed attack on the city on 30 April. On 4 May, Paulus ordered that no further attempts should be made to take Tobruk via

7820-613: The defenders, and Rommel, having suffered losses that could not easily be replaced, had to concentrate on regrouping the divisions that had attacked into Egypt. By 7 December, Rommel fell back to a defensive line at Gazala, just west of Tobruk, all the while under heavy attack from the Desert Air Force . The Allies kept up the pressure, and Rommel was forced to retreat all the way back to the starting positions he had held in March, reaching El Agheila in December 1941. The British had retaken almost all of Cyrenaica, but Rommel's retreat dramatically shortened his supply lines. On 5 January 1942,

7935-441: The disposition and intentions of the Commonwealth forces. Bonner Fellers , US military attaché in Egypt, was sending detailed reports to the US State Department using a compromised code. Following Kesselring's successes in creating local air superiority around the British naval and air bases at Malta in April 1942, an increased flow of supplies reached the Axis forces in Africa. With his forces strengthened, Rommel contemplated

8050-419: The division was placed in reserve, being sent first to the Somme and then to Bordeaux to re-equip and prepare for Unternehmen Seelöwe ( Operation Sea Lion ), the planned invasion of Britain. This invasion was later cancelled, as Germany was not able to acquire the air superiority needed for a successful outcome, while the Kriegsmarine was massively outnumbered by the Royal Navy. On 6 February 1941, Rommel

8165-399: The documentary The Real Rommel , released in 2001 by Channel 4 , that his father would "look the other way" when faced with anti-Jewish violence on the streets. But, according to the documentary, Rommel requested proof of "Aryan descent" from the Italian boyfriend of his illegitimate daughter Gertrud. According to Remy, during the time Rommel was posted in Goslar, he repeatedly clashed with

8280-424: The early adoption of Blitzkrieg in World War II. Acting as advance guard in the capture of Longarone on 9 November, Rommel again decided to attack with a much smaller force. Convinced that they were surrounded by an entire German division, the 1st Italian Infantry Division – 10,000 men – surrendered to Rommel. For this and his actions at Matajur, he received the order of Pour le Mérite . In January 1918, Rommel

8395-537: The fall-back position, surrounding it on 28 June. The fortress fell to the Germans on 29 June. In addition to stockpiles of fuel and other supplies, the British abandoned hundreds of tanks and trucks. Those that were functional were put into service by the Panzerarmee which by now relied on British trucks for half its transport. Rommel continued his pursuit of the Eighth Army, which had fallen back to heavily prepared defensive positions at El Alamein . This region

8510-434: The front on 24 October, and Rommel was ordered to return from his medical leave, arriving on the 25th. Montgomery's intention was to clear a narrow path through the minefield at the northern part of the defences, at the area called Kidney Ridge, with a feint to the south. By the end of 25 October, the 15th Panzer, the defenders in this sector, had only 31 serviceable tanks remaining of their initial force of 119. Rommel brought

8625-551: The head of the brave Axis troops, is already rattling the last gates of England's power! Arabs! Help your friends achieve their goal: abolishing the English-Jewish-American tyranny! On 1 July, the First Battle of El Alamein began. Rommel had around 100 available tanks. The Allies were able to achieve local air superiority, with heavy bombers attacking the 15th and 21st Panzers, who had also been delayed by

8740-576: The indelible impression that "Everyone in this Republic was fighting each other," along with the direct experience of people who attempted to convert Germany into a socialist republic on Soviet lines. There are similarities with Hitler's experiences: like Rommel, Hitler had known the solidarity of trench warfare and then had participated in the Reichswehr's suppression of the First and Second Bavarian Soviet Republics . The need for national unity thus became

8855-514: The inhabitants of the ruined city and that they were "rescued". Following the invasion of Poland, Rommel began lobbying for command of one of Germany's panzer divisions , of which there were then only ten. Rommel's successes in World War I were based on surprise and manoeuvre, two elements for which the new panzer units were ideally suited. Rommel received a promotion to a general's rank from Hitler ahead of more senior officers. Rommel obtained

8970-408: The inner workings and maintenance of internal combustion engines and heavy machine guns. He memorised logarithm tables in his spare time, and enjoyed skiing and other outdoor sports. Ian F. Beckett writes that by 1938, Rommel drifted towards uncritical acceptance of Nazi regime, quoting Rommel's letter to his wife in which he stated "The German Wehrmacht is the sword of the new German world view", as

9085-463: The lakeshores into a municipal park. The White Rock CCC Camp was established at Winfrey Point and included eight barracks buildings. For several years, the men of the CCC deepened and widened the lake, built numerous limestone rock buildings, and made recreation improvements to the park. At the outbreak of WWII, the U.S. Army used the CCC camp as induction point for new recruits. In 1943 the government used

9200-457: The land changed hands until it was acquired by the Browns. The Browns transformed their family farm into Casa Linda Estates and a shopping center known as Casa Linda Plaza. The area's development included the installation of streets, electricity, and city water. Casa Linda Theatre was the first building completed after World War II. Deed restrictions were established in 1939 to maintain the area as

9315-402: The minefields in the southern sector, and the tanks got bogged down in unexpected patches of quicksand (Montgomery had arranged for Rommel to acquire a falsified map of the terrain). Under heavy fire from British artillery and aircraft, and in the face of well-prepared positions that Rommel could not hope to outflank for lack of fuel, the attack stalled. By 2 September, Rommel realised the battle

9430-740: The moment and not allow the 8th Army a chance to regroup. He strongly argued that the Panzerarmee should advance into Egypt and drive on to Alexandria and the Suez Canal , as this would place almost all the Mediterranean coastline in Axis hands and, according to Rommel, potentially lead to the capture from the south of the oil fields in the Caucasus and Middle East . Rommel's success at Tobruk worked against him, as Hitler no longer felt it

9545-537: The nations in which they lived. Despite this fact, other pieces of evidence show that he considered the Nazi racial ideologies to be rubbish. Historian Alaric Searle comments that Rommel knew the official stand of the regime, but in this case, the phrase was ambiguous and there is no evidence after or before this event that he ever sympathised with the antisemitism of the Nazi movement. Rommel's son Manfred Rommel stated in

9660-476: The new tank arm were welcomed by a small number of generals, but worried and paralysed the rest. On 20 May, Rommel reached Arras . General Hermann Hoth received orders that the town should be bypassed and its British garrison thus isolated. He ordered the 5th Panzer Division to move to the west and the 7th Panzer Division to the east, flanked by the SS Division Totenkopf . The following day,

9775-483: The north the following morning. On 30 May, Rommel resumed the offensive, and on 1 June, Rommel accepted the surrender of some 3,000 Commonwealth soldiers. On 6 June, Rommel's forces assaulted the Free French strongpoint in the Battle of Bir Hakeim , but the defenders continued to thwart the attack until finally evacuating on 10 June. Rommel then shifted his attack north; threatened with being completely cut off,

9890-480: The opportunity to observe first-hand the use of tanks and other motorised units. On 26 September Rommel returned to Berlin to set up a new headquarters for his unit in the Reich Chancellery . Rommel briefly returned to occupied Warsaw on 5 October in order to prepare for the German victory parade. In a letter to his wife he claimed that the occupation by Nazi Germany was "probably welcomed with relief" by

10005-482: The party and the paramilitary forces associated with it. In 1944, Rommel was implicated in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler. Because of Rommel's status as a national hero, Hitler wanted to eliminate him quietly instead of having him immediately executed, as many other plotters were. Rommel was given a choice between suicide , in return for assurances that his reputation would remain intact and that his family would not be persecuted following his death, or facing

10120-486: The port he could greatly reduce the length of his supply lines and increase his overall port capacity, which was insufficient even for day-to-day operations and only half that needed for offensive operations. The city, which had been heavily fortified by the Italians during their 30-year occupation, was garrisoned by 36,000 Commonwealth troops, commanded by Australian Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead . Hoping to catch

10235-610: The postwar era. The German Army's largest military base, the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf , and a third ship of Lütjens-class destroyer of the German Navy are both named in his honour. His son Manfred Rommel was the longtime mayor of Stuttgart , Germany and namesake of Stuttgart Airport . Rommel was born on 15 November 1891 in Heidenheim , 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Ulm , in

10350-653: The project in 1938. He had been promoted to Oberst (colonel), on 1 August 1937, and in 1938, following the Anschluss , he was appointed commandant of the Theresian Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt . In October 1938, Hitler specially requested that Rommel be seconded to command the Führerbegleitbatallion (his escort battalion). This unit accompanied Hitler whenever he travelled outside of Germany. During this period, Rommel indulged his interest in engineering and mechanics by learning about

10465-559: The rest of his platoon forward. The armies continued to skirmish in open engagements throughout September, as the static trench warfare typical of the First World War was still in the future. For his actions in September 1914 and January 1915, Rommel was awarded the Iron Cross , Second Class. Rommel was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) and transferred to the newly created Royal Wurttemberg Mountain Battalion of

10580-424: The sake of trifles." A signal arrived from General Franz Halder reminding Rommel that he was to halt in Mersa El Brega. Knowing Gariboldi could not speak German, Rommel told him the message gave him complete freedom of action. Gariboldi backed down. Throughout the campaign, fuel supply was problematic, as no petrol was available locally; it had to be brought from Europe by tanker and then carried by road to where it

10695-415: The tactics of penetrating enemy lines with heavy covering fire coupled with rapid advances, as well as moving forward rapidly to a flanking position to arrive at the rear of hostile positions, to achieve tactical surprise. His first combat experience was on 22 August 1914 as a platoon commander near Verdun, when – catching a French garrison unprepared – Rommel and three men opened fire on them without ordering

10810-613: The terrain to outflank the Italian forces, attacking from unexpected directions or behind enemy lines, and taking the initiative to attack when he had orders to the contrary. In one instance, the Italian forces, taken by surprise and believing that their lines had collapsed, surrendered after a brief firefight. In this battle, Rommel helped pioneer infiltration tactics , a new form of manoeuvre warfare just being adopted by German armies, and later by foreign armies, and later described by some as Blitzkrieg without tanks. But he played no role in

10925-484: The trail. It is unknown exactly how these parakeets, native to South America, first established themselves in the area. The wildlife at White Rock Lake is thriving. From squirrels and beavers to larger animals which are white-tailed deer , raccoons , red foxes , bobcats , wild boars , river otters , minks , nutrias , opossums , skunks and coyotes . White Rock is home to many animals that keep this park in balance. Many of these land animals can be spotted near

11040-409: The two assigned to a standard panzer division), with two rifle regiments, a motorcycle battalion, an engineer battalion, and an anti-tank battalion. Upon taking command on 10 February 1940, Rommel quickly set his unit to practising the manoeuvres they would need in the upcoming campaign. The invasion began on 10 May 1940. By the third day Rommel and the advance elements of his division, together with

11155-811: Was a German Generalfeldmarschall ( field marshal ) during World War II . He served in the Wehrmacht (armed forces) of Nazi Germany , as well as in the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic , and the army of Imperial Germany . Rommel was a highly decorated officer in World War I and was awarded the Pour le Mérite for his actions on the Italian Front . In 1937, he published his classic book on military tactics, Infantry Attacks , drawing on his experiences in that war. In World War II, he commanded

11270-618: Was appointed commander of the new Afrika Korps ( Deutsches Afrika Korps ; DAK), consisting of the 5th Light Division (later renamed 21st Panzer Division ) and of the 15th Panzer Division . He was promoted to Generalleutnant three days later and flew to Tripoli on 12 February. The DAK had been sent to Libya in Operation Sonnenblume to support Italian troops who had been roundly defeated by British Commonwealth forces in Operation Compass . His efforts in

11385-477: Was banned in September 1952 and a ban on motorized boats followed in 1958. Current recreational activities on the lake include sailing, kayaking , canoeing and standup paddleboarding , available by rental. The lake is surrounded by White Rock Lake Park, which features a 9.33 miles (15.02 km) trail for hiking, running and bicycling , the Bath House Cultural Center and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden . There are several fishing piers and sailing

11500-454: Was briefly sent to Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, where he restored order by "sheer force of personality" in the 32nd Internal Security Company, which was composed of rebellious and pro-communist sailors. He decided against storming the nearby city of Lindau , which had been taken by revolutionary communists. Instead, Rommel negotiated with the city council and managed to return it to the legitimate government through diplomatic means. This

11615-544: Was chartered in 1939 to promote the sport of sailing and sailboat racing in the Dallas area. The club focuses on racing with well attended Saturday and Sunday afternoon races, Wednesday evening "fun" races, club sponsored regattas held year round, and several major annual regattas. The club is nationally known for its excellent sailors and fine race management. CSC, located on beautiful White Rock Lake in Dallas, also sponsors many social activities, teaches adult sailing and supports an active juniors program. The White Rock Boat Club

11730-415: Was constructed not only to supply reasonably priced davits, but to help sell Hellcats. The club sold davits to help pay for the construction of the club, with the provision that the club could buy the davit back if the owner left the club. The club has exercised this right and now owns and leases most of its davits. The club was constructed with a few differences from its present configuration as can be seen in

11845-495: Was criticised by the German High Command and some of Rommel's staff officers. While Rommel drove into Egypt, the remaining Commonwealth forces east of Tobruk threatened the weak Axis lines there. Unable to reach Rommel for several days, Rommel's Chief of Staff, Siegfried Westphal , ordered the 21st Panzer Division to withdraw to support the siege of Tobruk. On 27 November, the British attack on Tobruk linked up with

11960-459: Was followed by his defence of Schwäbisch Gmünd , again bloodless. He was then posted to the Ruhr, where a Red Army was responsible for fomenting unrest. Historian Raffael Scheck praises Rommel as a coolheaded and moderate mind, exceptional amid the many takeovers of revolutionary cities by regular and irregular units and the associated massive violence. According to Reuth, this period gave Rommel

12075-646: Was forced to take a more defensive posture than he would have liked for the second Battle of El Alamein . The German defences to the west of the town included a minefield eight kilometres (five miles) deep with the main defensive line—itself several thousand yards deep—to its west. This, Rommel hoped, would allow his infantry to hold the line at any point until motorised and armoured units in reserve could move up and counterattack any Allied breaches. The British offensive began on 23 October. Stumme, in command in Rommel's absence, died of an apparent heart attack while examining

12190-600: Was formed in 1961 as the brainchild of three members of the Corinthian Sailing Club. CSC was having a problem with tracking davit ownership and the price of davits escalated due to demand since the club had no control over prices. Two of the founders, the Oetkings, had also developed a fine catamaran called the Hellcat and had gone into production with growing sales, but they couldn't find davits at CSC. WRBC

12305-399: Was held off with difficulty. Throughout the first half of July, Auchinleck concentrated attacks on the Italian 60th Infantry Division Sabratha at Tel el Eisa. The ridge was captured by the 26th Australian Brigade on 16 July. Both sides suffered similar losses throughout the month, but the Axis supply situation remained less favourable. Rommel realised that the tide was turning. A break in

12420-457: Was left in command in Rommel's absence. Improved decoding by British intelligence (see Ultra ) meant that the Allies had advance knowledge of virtually every Mediterranean convoy, and only 30 per cent of shipments were getting through. In addition, Mussolini diverted supplies intended for the front to his garrison at Tripoli and refused to release any additional troops to Rommel. The increasing Allied air superiority and lack of fuel meant Rommel

12535-437: Was necessary to proceed with Operation Herkules , the proposed attack on Malta. Auchinleck relieved Ritchie of command of the Eighth Army on 25 June, and temporarily took command himself. Rommel knew that delay would only benefit the British, who continued to receive supplies at a faster rate than Rommel could hope to achieve. He pressed an attack on the heavily fortified town of Mersa Matruh , which Auchinleck had designated as

12650-432: Was needed. Food and fresh water were also in short supply, and it was difficult to move tanks and other equipment off-road through the sand. Cyrenaica was captured by 8 April, except for the port city of Tobruk , which was besieged on 11 April. The siege of Tobruk was not technically a siege, as the defenders were still able to move supplies and reinforcements into the city via the port. Rommel knew that by capturing

12765-428: Was operated on the lake by Garland resident John H. Williams, Sr. from 1946 to 1956. White Rock offers a number of activities, but one it has become most notable for is rowing. They have a historical boathouse and dock where boats are launched off of almost every day by rowers of all ages. There are also sometimes races that people watch from their sail boats or around the lake. Although originally permitted, swimming

12880-419: Was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) and assigned to a staff position in the 64th Army Corps , where he served for the remainder of the war. Rommel remained with the 124th Regiment until October 1920. The regiment was involved in quelling riots and civil disturbances that were occurring throughout Germany at this time. Wherever possible, Rommel avoided the use of force in these confrontations. In 1919, he

12995-474: Was purchased by Carl Martin Brown and his wife Ida May James Brown on January 1, 1933. They initially farmed the land until they could develop it for residential and commercial purposes. The land's history can be traced back to Richardson Scurry, who was awarded the land for his participation in the Battle of San Jacinto . Upon his death, the land was sold by his attorney to W. Heedle. Over the course of 100 years,

13110-505: Was reduced to ashes. According to David Fraser , Rommel instructed the German artillery to bombard the city as a "fire demonstration". According to one witness report, the smoke from burning Rouen was intense enough that it reached Paris. Daniel Allen Butler states that the bridges to the city were already destroyed. After the fall of the city, both black civilians and colonial troops were summarily executed on 9 June by unknown German units. The number of black civilians and prisoners killed

13225-442: Was unwinnable, and decided to withdraw. On the night of 3 September, the 2nd New Zealand Division and 7th Armoured Division positioned to the north engaged in an assault, but they were repelled in a fierce rearguard action by the 90th Light Division. Montgomery called off further action to preserve his strength and allow for further desert training for his forces. In the attack, Rommel had suffered 2,940 casualties and lost 50 tanks,

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