The war without hate

Soldiers came to call it the war without hate as the epic clash between the German Afrika korps under the legendary Erwin Rommel and the courageous British and commonwealth forces led by Bernard Montgomery was actually one big game of chess. Large divisions of armor would speed through the desert, trying to out-flank one another. There would be heavy battles, but not with the goal of killing each other. Unlike the Eastern front for example, operations in North Africa were aimed at gaining ground, out-maneuvering the enemy and ultimately forcing them into either retreat or surrender.

The mutual respect and understanding for each other’s lives, skills and resources is greatly illustrated by colonel Hans von Luck in his memoirs:

We quickly developed a certain routine. Toward five o’clock in the afternoon the reconnaissance patrols broke off their operations in order to reach base in good time; in the treeless desert with no landmarks it was impossible to find one’s way back to base in the dark. [...] The two British batallions carried on in the same way, so that from 1700 hours, all reconnaissance and combat activity was suspended, to be resumed again the following morning as soon as it was light.

“We could really agree to a cease-fire with the British from 1700 hours until the next morning,” I said, more as a joke, to those around me.

“Why not?” I was supported by lieutenant Wenzel Luedecke, the reserve officer who had worked at UFA film studios as an assistant director. “After all,” he went on, “the British have a sense of humor. We ought to suggest it to them.”

[...]

It was only a matter of days before we had arrived at a “gentleman’s agreement”: at 1700 hours, precisely, all hostilities would be suspended. We called it “tea time”. At 1705 hours, we would make open [radio] contact with the British, to exchange “news” about prisoners, etc.

Luck goes on describing how his forces and the British would later exchange prisoners, information and cigarettes for one another.

The reason this could be was because of Rommel’s defiance of Hitler. Although Hitler never allowed tactical retreating, let alone “tea time”, Rommel stood his ground. Hitler was not interested enough in North Africa to care, nor was he stupid enough to underestimate Rommel’s abilities and popular support and fire him.

The desert was unforgiving as were most of the battles. But other than in Russia or other fronts, veterans from both sides are today able to drink tea together with pride and understanding. Without hate.