The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel Page #3

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he won't have anything to pull back.

- Why can't we get an answer from him?

- His command car's gone. He's in a carrier.

If he's got more than 40 tanks left,

I'd be surprised.

- How about the Italians?

- They've had as much as they can take.

Rome calling, sir.

- Well?

- Field Marshal Kesselring regrets.

Well, that eliminates any

further speculation anyway.

It's now a simple matter of mathematics.

With the petrol we've got left, we have two

choices. We can remain here, be destroyed.

Or we can pull out tonight

and dig in for the next round.

- You think we still can?

- Pull out? Why not?

- Montgomery's got no petrol shortage.

- Montgomery's a very deliberate fellow.

He wouldn't leap after me the way

I'd leap after him. He'd think about it first.

- I don't see what else there is to be done.

- Let's have Plan C.

Notify all commanding officers to stand by

for important orders. If we move...

Berlin calling, sir.

- Who in Berlin?

- The Fhrer.

Signed:
Adolf Hitler.

"The situation requires that the El Alamein

position be held to the last man. "

"There is to be no retreat, not so much as

one millimetre. It must be victory or death. "

- I can't believe it.

- Still got Berlin? Ask him to repeat that.

I know. But it's not him, I tell you.

It's those hoodlums again.

Those thieves and crooks and murderers.

Those toy soldiers.

Those dummy generals, with their books

and charts and maps and pointers.

How can he listen to such nonentities?

How can he stand the smell of such filth?

Why doesn't he slaughter them

and use his intelligence?

- I have your repeat.

- Go ahead, read it.

"The situation requires that the El Alamein

position be held to the last man. "

"There is to be no retreat,

not so much as one millimetre. "

"It must be victory or death. "

Signed:
Adolf Hitler.

- Incredible!

- You won't pay attention to such nonsense?

It's a military order

from general headquarters.

A clear, straight, stupid, criminal

military order from general headquarters.

And what are you going to do?

Double the insanity by obeying it?

We've got the best soldiers in the army.

They may be just hanging on now,

but they're still fighting.

If we take them out now, they can fight again

tomorrow. But this? This is sheer madness.

Nobody has said "Victory or death" since

people fought with bows and arrows.

This is an order to throw away an entire army.

If I may remind you, sir, here in the field

these men are yours, not his.

- I just can't understand it.

- He's insane.

He's not insane. He's...

But neither am I.

Pull 'em out, Bayerlein.

I'll argue with him about it later.

The end came in Tunis,

when the Axis forces were caught

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