Hans Von Luck - Panzer Commander Read online

  In the following days everyone was allowed out. Many of the restaurants and bars reopened and supplied free beer. Sepp Huber, the proprietor of the Huber Bar, produced a long-hoarded bottle of Scotch from his cellars. It turned into a long night.

  The civilian population, and most of us, thought that with the Polish campaign the war would be over. The French and the British had not attacked. Would there be a second “Munich”?

  Would the Prime Ministers Daladier and Chamberlain try again to come to terms with Hitler? Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but it seemed that, with the bloodless “Return home to the Reich” of Germanspeaking territories, the occupation of the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia, and the “liberation” of West Prussia and Danzig in a blitzkrieg with few casualties, all the goals that redressed the “injustice” of the Treaty of Ven6iles had been achieved. But I had my doubts. Hitier's hatred of France, against whom he had fought in the First World War, was too deep.

  The propaganda machine was again going full blast. The names Alsace and Lorraine were also cropping up, territories that had had to be ceded in the wars of 1870-71 and 1914-18, first to Germany and then back to France.

  All of us in turn received leave for short visits to our families. We enjoyed those days, but reality soon caught up with us again. "Me Wehrmacht, especially the armored branch, was being further enlarged. New panzer divisions were being set up from cadres that had to be supplied by us. Our 2nd Light Division was reorganized and reequipped to form the 7th Panzer Division. By an order of 6 February 1940, General Erwin Rommel, my infantry instructor from Dresden, became our divisional commander; he took over the Interim, 1939-1940 35 panzer division at Bad Godesberg on the 10th. Much as we admired this man, we wondered if an infantryman could be a commander of tanks.

  We soon found out. Rommel had made himself thoroughly familiar with the tactics of tank warfare. A completely new wind blew among us from now on. The division was left with only a single armored reconnaissance battalion, Battalion 37, under Major Erdmann. He now became our commanding officer. Like many other commanders, he had taken part in the First World War. We respected his combat experience and at once felt confidence in him.

  The division received new, better tanks. The Mark III with its 5cm gun and the Mark IV with its 7.5cm “stubby” gun were.faster, better armed, and better armored. With the three-axled armored scout car and a 3.8cm gun, we received a better reconnaissance vehicle.

  We moved from Kissingen to the little village of Heimersheim on the northern fringe of the Rhoen Mountains. Hard training began, which was made more difficult by a very severe winter.

  Rommel organized field exercises in all weathers, and also by night. He visited every unit daily and insisted that the same units should always work together. Thus tank people, artillerymen, and infantrymen got to know each other and became coordinated. A team was formed within the division, which was later to prove extremely important.

  The propaganda increased. Hitler mocked the French. He referred ever more frequently to

  “Whiskey Churchill” and later to the “Paralytic Roosevelt.” Was the ever growing strength of the Wehrmacht intended to deter the Western Allies from making an attack, or did Hitler plan to enter France? We did not know.

  We relied on ourselves and our modern weapons, which seemed to be superior to those of our opponents.

  The first SS panzer divisions were organized. Their nucleus was made up of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (Hitler's personal guard) under their commander Sepp Dietrich. We suspected, not without reason, that with the Waffen-SS Hitler wanteo to create a counterweight to the army, especially to the conservative officer corps, and we were by no means happy about it. Although Himmler, the “highest SS leader,” assumed responsibility for the disposition of the men and their equipment, and through his influence recruited the best people for his Waffen-SS, all SS units were tactically under the control of the army, so it was still a cooperation rather than a rivalry. For want of experienced troop leaders, army officers were transferr6d to the Waffen-SS as commanders and to their dismay were given SS service ranks.

  The severe winter of 1939/40 duly passed. In the meantime the British had begun to move an expeditionary force to northern France. But things still remained comparatively quiet on the westem front.

  In the middle of February we were transferred to Demau on the Ahr, hence practically to the western front. Rommel visited every unit. He told us that he was proud to be permitted to lead a panzer division. Guderian, too, came to inspect and talk to us. “You are the cavalry,” he told us. “Your job is to break through and keep going.” We would thrust in a straight line to the west, to the Belgian frontier east of Luettich Li6ge), hence far to the north of the French border.

  France, 1940 At the beginning of May, we moved west to the Eiffel Mountains.

  Rommel was in a nearby training area with parts of the division for practice with live ammunition. With the older commanders and reserve officers, who had taken part in the First World War, we discussed what lay before us.

  “It won't be a walk-over, as in Poland,” we were warned. “The French and the British are quite different opponents.” We younger ones replied that there could not, and must not, be any trench warfare as in 1914-18. Our tank force was too mobile for that, our attitude too positive. We youngsters thought always of Guderian and his flashing eyes when he explained his tactics to US. Rommel, the Alpine soldier of the First World War, had convinced us during our exercises that he had adapted himself to mobile warfare and was the right tank commander for us.

  On the evening of 9 May we company commanders were summoned to our commanding officer, Major Erdmann. “Tomorrow morning we march into Belgium. The initial resistance at the frontier must be quickly overcome; the goal of our 7th Panzer Division is the Meuse near Dinant. Along with the 5th Panzer Division, we are part of General Hoth's Panzer Corps, which will advance as spearhead through the Ardennes. Our reconnaissance battalion can take pride in being at the forefront of the division.” At 0532 hours on 10 May we fell in. The Belgian frontier posts withdrew at once or surrendered. Skirting the northern edge of Luxembourg, we advanced due west through the difficult terrain of the Ardennes and without great resistance reached the Meuse north of Dinant on 12 May. From the high ground we could see the valley and, on its western side, further heavily wooded hills. We could also see, however, the broken bridges, which Romcnel would have liked to take intact. We felt our way slowly down into the valley, but at once came under well-directed gunfire and were straddled by heavy artillery.

  Rommel appeared among us, as so often in the following weeks, in order to form personally a picture of the situation. He arrived

  his armored car, specialty equipped with radio gear. “What's going on?” he asked.

  “Held up by artillery fire,” we replied.

  “Show me. Where is the fire coming from?” Standing in his armored car, he studied the opposite bank with his binoculars.

  He was calm and steady, giving no sign of uncertainty or nervousness. Within minutes he made his decision.

  “Stay put,” he told us. “This is a job for the infantry.” The May sun was already shining warmly. The river valley lay peacefully below us. Soon we saw elements of the 7th Panzer Grenadier Regiment climbing down the hill, accompanied by army engineers with rubber dinghies. Further south, near Dinant, the 6th Panzer Grenadier Regiment was on the move.

  Hardly had the first boats been lowered into the water than all bell broke loose. Snipers and heavy artillery straddled the defenseless men in the boats. With our tanks and our own artillery we tried to neutralize the enemy, but he was too well screened. The infantry attack came to a standstill.

  Rommel went to Dinant to see whether the other regiment had been more successful. But there, too, dinghy after dinghy had been sunk.

  “Smoke,” thought Rommel, but we had no smoke shells. Again came one of Rommel's instant decisions made on the spot: some houses that stood in the right direction for t
he wind were shot into flames, and under cover of the smoke the attack was begun again.

  Like a whirlwind Rommel came back to us, at once organizing covering fire for the 7th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. He personally took command of its 2nd Battalion. With the second wave Rommel was across the river, where it became possible to form a small bridgehead in the teeth of the French, who defended themselves bravely.

  During the night the first tanks were ferried over by the engineers. On the morning of 14 May we took up the attack with the infantry.

  Rommel was there again; his command post could not hold him.

  His command tank was hit and the driver put it in A ditch.

  Rommel was slightly wounded, but hurried forward on foot-in the midst of enemy fire. “Is Rommel immune?” we asked ourselves.

  It made a strong impression on all the officers and men; his example spurred us on.

  From the bridgehead a breakout was successfully made: the way France, 1940 39 to the west seemed open. Our reconnaissance battalion was put across and we at Once set out from the bridgehead into the western advance.

  “Keep going, don't look to left or right, only forward. I'll cover your flanks if necessary. The enemy is confused; we must take advantage of it.” So ran Rommel's unorthodox orders.

  The panzer regiment moved up, and with it a special unit of engineers. Together we managed to make a breach in the French line, one and a half miles deep. Rommel was again right up at the front, driving us on. During the night we were already advancing through the town of Avesnes and next day, the 17th, we reached the River Sambre, where the bridges were intact.

  The French were caught completely unawares by our impetuous advance and retreated, to some extent with signs of disbandment.

  “La guerre est finie, je men fou,” we heard, shouted by some French soldiers.

  What was up with the famous French army, which in the First World War had fought against us so bravely and on equal terms?

  In the first place, we thought, the “impregnable” Maginot Line had given them a feeling of complete security; second, they had undoubtedly underestimated our fighting strength and mobility.

  They did not draw lessons from the blitzkrieg in Poland. In addition, the French will to wage war against us seemed to be very weak, although such outstanding leaders as Marshal P6tain and General Weygand were at the head of the French army.

  We had no information about the situation either in the individual sectors of the'front or as a whole. We had the feeling of being alone at the head of a division advancing tempestuously. “Forward!” was the cry. By 18 May our panzer regiment was already rolling into Cambrai, that historic town which became famous in the First World War as the place where the British first used tanks With our reconnaissance battalion we covered the tank advance on the left flank and were thereby involved again and again with the flood of retreating French soldiers, who in their panic mingled to a large extent with the civilian population. I/ The division closed up. On 20 May the important St. Quentin canal was crossed. That evening we heard that Guderian, with three armored divisions, who had been rushing forward to the south of us, had reached Abb-6ville on the Somme and was thus only 15 miles from the Channel coast. and brought about a turning point in the war.

  Where were the British, whom we were now crediting with more fighting spirit? On the one hand they were tougher than the demoralized French, and on the other they had their backs to the Channel, which separated them from their base on the island.

  For them, winning was a matter of survival.

  On 20 May we reached the area south of Arras. For the first time a division of the Waffen-SS appeared in support of us. We advanced on the La Bass6e canal. Rommel wanted at all costs to skirt Arras on the west, so as to cut off the way to the coast for the British who were presumed to be in the area. When our tanks reached and closed the arterial road leading from Arras to the west, a hard and costly battle was about to begin for our division.

  I was with my company on the canal, trying to force a crossing.

  All the bridges had been destroyed. In addition, the French had sunk all the river boats. We were coming under accurate sniper fire from the opposite bank. As I sprang to oneof our antitank guns to direct its fire, I received a shot in the right hand.

  My pistol whirled through the air; several of my fingertips had been shot through and I was bleeding heavily. As my orderly Erich Beck recalls, "I at once fetched an armored car. As I tried to get my boss on to it, he slipped away under my hands.

  “My God,” I thought, 'now he's really had it.“ But next day he was back among us, with his arm in a sling.” Assault parties had brought in a few prisoners, whom I questioned. After some coaxing, it turned out that the British battalion opposite us belonged to the Grenadier Guards. Its commander was an old friend of mine, with whom I had sat together in the Marlborough Club in London only shortly before the war. How senseless it all was, I thought.

  During the night we used rubber boats to cross and, against light opposition, succeeded in establishing a bridgehead on the other bank. Engineers had to construct the pontoon bridge like a snake through the sunken barges and lighters. During the violent crossing of the canal, Rommel stood like a target on the embankment and directed the fire, while next to him men were being wounded and even killed. Once again he spurred us on by his exemplary behavior. Only when Stukas (JU 87 dive-bombers) came into action was the crossing finally successful.

  Meanwhile the British had decided, even without the French, to launch a counterattack east of Arras on our right flank. One of our panzer grenadier regiments caught the brunt of it. Our own France, 1940 41 were already west of Arras at the time. The situation became increasingly critical, so Rommel decided to intervene again personally. To our dismay the British attacked with a new tank which, though slow, was well armored, the Matilda, against which our 3.7cm antitank gun was powerless.

  Rommel realized this at once and brought up an 88mm battery. He personally directed the 88s shot by shot with the result that over 30 British tanks were knocked out and the enemy withdrew.

  Rommel never even noticed that one of his orderly officers was killed beside him. The battle for the La Bass6e canal and Arras lasted several days and cost the division its heaviest casualties so far.

  Rommel's unorthodox tactics horrified the general staff. Even Hitler wanted to stop the headlong forward rush and order a halt to operations. But as Rommel told us, “I must and will turn the favorable situation to our advantage. Our opponents are beginning to fall back and must not be allowed to find a foothold again.” We believed him, trusted him, and went along with him.

  With two bridgeheads,-we pushed forward again at once and on 27 May reached the area south of Lille. The panzer regiment advanced even further during the night and in the early morning was able to block the arterial road from Lille to Dunkirk at Lomm6. We suffered from the dust, which covered the vehicles and gave us the feeling of chewing dry biscuits all the time.

  On 28 May, Rommel was with his command tank at the command post of the panzer regiment when heavy artillery fire suddenly opened. up, which from its direction could only have come from our own artillery. We had probably advanced too fast.

  Communications were not always so quick. Also with Rommel, to receive fresh orders, was my commander, Major Erdmann.

  Erich Beck recalls, "We were just going to have breakfast when a runner came, summoning our boss, von Luck, to Romtel's command post. I needed a little time to pack everything.

  “'Beck, where are you, man?” the boss called, “I've got to go to the general.”

  “Just as we got to the outskirts of the town where we were to meet Rommel, it came under heavy artillery fife. In front of a house lay a dead man. It was our commander, Erdmann. Rommel stood near by brushing the dust from his uniform. Rommel seemed to be greatly affected by this death. He had lost one of his old and reliable commanders. I thought, ”Was it thanks to our guardian angel that we left a few minutes late?“' Rom
mel turned to me: ”Von Luck, you will take over command of Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 37 at once. You will receive fresh orders immediately." I was the second youngest company commander in the battal ion.

  “General,” I protested, “some of the company commanders are older than me. Does your decision stand in spite of that?”

  “You're in charge, full stop. If the company commanders obstruct your orders, I will replace them.” This again was one of Rommel's unorthodox measures. With him, performance counted for more than rank or seniority.

  While securing its right flank, the whole division now advanced on the area west of Lille. The British, after their unsuccessful attempt at a counterattack set off “Operation Dynamo,” the beginning of the evacuation through Dunkirk.

  On 31 May a French division surrendered in and around Lille.

  The British managed to get more than 330,000 men back across the Channel to England. We could not understand why we let so many get away.

  As our Intelligence reported, the French, after the loss of the area north of the Somme and their divisions in action there, built up a new line of defense, apparently in haste, south of the Somme, which was called after their commander in chief the “Weygand Line.” On the north bank of the Somme, meanwhile, our follow-up infantry divisions secured our southern flank. The 7th Panzer Division, the “Phantom Division,” as the French had by now respectfully christened it, was given a few days' rest to restore men and material.

  On 2 June Rommel was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by Hitler personally, the first divisional commander to receive it. As he presented it, Hitler remarked, “We were all very worried, but success proved you right.” The days of rest did us good. We could bury our dead and our fallen commander Erdmann with dignity and with military honors.

  The first mail went to our families. I visited my companies and thanked them for their effort. I dwelt longer with my own company, which was now being led by Staff-Sergeant Werner Almus.