Rommel Page #4

The 6th British Airborne Division has

occupied the bridges over the Orne at Caen.

They also crushed our artillery

at Merville,

albeit with heavy losses.

Is that all?

We are getting sporadic information.

The enemy is disrupting telephone traffic.

French saboteurs are cutting telephone lines.

We must expect

a second major offensive.

They have darkened the coast at Dover.

Just admit it, Speidel.

- What is that?

- We have failed.

Fuhrer's Headquarters

in Margival - June 17th, 1944

Field Marshals von Rundstedt and

Rommel, my Fuhrer.

Thanks for coming.

I'm speechless.

Speechless about the failure of

your local commanders.

The fact that the Wehrmacht

was so surprised ...

says a lot about the readiness

of your soldiers.

That is what the enemy

propaganda is saying.

Call it what you want.

But the landing was not hindered...

as you had assured me.

My Fuhrer, our troops were sacrificed.

That the landing was not prevented ...

was due to the failure of the

Air Force and the Navy.

The army has made a superhuman

effort in this unequal battle.

The enemy prevails in

the air and at sea.

That makes an organized

counteroffensive nearly impossible.

It is regrettable that so far no one

in the high command ...

is forming an accurate picture.

Instead, I believe the

enemy's propaganda.

We need to hold Cherbourg,

with its harbor.

Otherwise, the enemy can take

Normandy and the rest of France.

Well, we only have the choice

between holding Cherbourg ...

or prevent the breakthrough of

the enemy. We can't do both.

Do you have the same opinion,

Herr Von Rundstedt?

We must give up the rigid defense

of the peninsulas ...

and embark on an orderly retreat

to the port and fortress.

And at Caen, in front of Orne,

we should avoid ...

There is no question of taking evasive

action. We must stand or die.

Assign a highly skilled commander

at Cherbourg to ...

and let the field marshals show

the effect of our V-rockets.

Since yesterday, we have continually

fired V-1 rockets against London.

each with a payload of

one ton of explosives .

There have been numerous direct hits.

The English people are distraught and

have turned against Churchill ...

Enemy bombers are

approaching our airspace.

My Fuhrer, we'd better

head for the shelter.

- What now?

- I see a hopeless situation.

- He should know that it's hopeless.

- You tell him.

You are the commander in chief

in the West.

I only have enough power to let my

guards exchange places.

My Fuhrer, you know I am

your loyal servant.

- May I?

- Have a seat .

Do you not think...

it's time to consider

other options?

- What do you mean?

- To negotiate.

They will no longer

negotiate with me.

The enemy wants to destroy Germany.

We now only have our individual

fanatical resistance.

Are you prepared to do this?

Are you prepared to do this, Rommel?

Yes.

"Where knowledge and ability ends,

intuition takes over" -

"in a transcendental observation

capability, coupled with insight ..."

"there is the leadership of the

commander. Rommel possesses it. "

You certainly amuse yourself.

General-Field Marshal.

- Am I being praised?

- Please.

The Fuhrer orders us to save Cherbourg

And stand west of the Orne.

Make the necessary preparations.

Can General Marcks create

a diversion?

Marcks was killed during an air raid.

Do you want today's total loss figures?

No, it isn't necessary.

Gentlemen.

Normandy, German position near Caen

June 20th, 1944

Once you have taken the hill, protect

the road to Bayeux. Best of luck.

Thank you, General-Field Marshal.

- Forward, men. Give the Tommy's hell.

- Yes, Field Marshal!

Good.

- Good luck, men.

- Thank you, Field Marshal.

Back, Daniel. We must return.

This is madness.

We must get out of here.

Well then. Daniel, get going.

Who's there?

Come forward. Hello?

Bonsoir.

Excuse me. I did not

mean to scare you.

- What are you doing here, Countess?

- I come here often. It is beautiful here.

Our soldiers may have mistaken

you for a partisan,

Or an British agent.

- Maybe I am.

Then I should watch out. I would make a

fine trophy for the English.

Yes, the Desert Fox.

No longer. Now I am only the one

who could not stop the invasion.

- Do you regret that?

- I am a soldier, don't forget.

- I 'll tell the men that you are

roaming around up here. - Thank you.

"Dear Lu, I'm doing well.

I must not lose heart ...

"Although much hope has been dashed."

[Knock on door] Yes?

General-Field Marshal, the Russians have broken

through the lines of the Army's Center.

Seven divisions are surrounded.

The front is about to collapse.

It's probably over in the east.

Yes.

It will be nice when next week is over.

Here, I have something.

- Where is that?

-That was Oradour.

A town near Limoges.

The 2nd SS Panzer Division

has leveled it to the ground.

All the residents were slain,

including 450 women and children.

As retaliation for an

abducted SS SturmbannFuhrer.

How do you know this?

Army management.

Stulpnagel has already protested.

But Hitler has prohibited a lawsuit from

being filed against the responsible officer.

Really?

Good night.

Poor bastards. Mom said I should

thank God that I ended up with you.

- Why?

- With you, nothing can happen to me.

Colonel Finckh, the quartermaster-

general, has arrived from Paris.

- He wants to present himself .

- Good, I will see him soon.

- Field Marshal ...

- What is it?

The Fuhrer asks if you can

relieve the west flank...

by attacking back against

the Americans in Cherbourg.

He wants the 7th Army, to advance

on the west flank.

Explain that we are only able to keep

our defense line in western Normandy.

An attack is impossible.

The brother of General Marcks

called me this morning.

He wanted to know exactly to the minute

when the general died.

- Why?

- At eleven o'clock that day ...

at his house, a painting of

the General, fell off the wall.

The General was hit a quarter to eleven,

and died at eleven.

-Do you believe in miracles?

- No, but Hitler does .

As far as the war is concerned then-

"Don't speak about the bridgehead ...

except by mentioning the final result

of France as occupied by the enemy. "

Cherbourg will fall within three days.

Within four weeks the enemy will head

unhindered to the Reich border.

We can only pray that the Allies

are faster than the Russians.

You are not the only one who thinks so.

I believe that everyone here

at the table sees it that way.

Is that right, Dr. Speidel?

Hitler is in a sort of frenzy.

He can not draw any conclusions

or make decisions.

I'm just saying that "holding out until the

last man" would be a disaster.

The idea of attacking Cherbourg is idiotic.

You're the only German who

- can end this war.

- There are others who still support it.

Then they must be shot if there

is no other solution.

Good God, Speidel.

You're a true warrior.

At the battle for Cherbourg ...

Cherbourg - June 22nd, 1944

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