Would Rommel have beaten Gott?

Would Rommel have beaten Gott?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 34.8%
  • No

    Votes: 8 34.8%
  • Depends

    Votes: 7 30.4%

  • Total voters
    23
Brigadier_W_H_E_Gott.jpg


The PoD is that Lieutenant-General William Gott doesnt die in a plane crash, and instead successfully assumes the role of Auchinleck's successor in North Africa.

With him, rather than Monty, in command of the British Eighth Army, do you foresee Rommel being able to win at the 2nd Battle of El Alamein?

Here's an assessment of his potential command competency:

A big man with an aggressive, outgoing personality, he was popular with soldiers under his command, but as a senior commander he was considered by some to be out of his depth. John Bierman and Colin Smith say that Gott was much admired for his personal qualities, but lacked real military skill. He was one of the few senior officers who was "well known and well liked by the rank and file". However, "a cold appraisal of his soldiering in North Africa reveals no stunning display of tactics or Rommel-esque grip that bends scarred and exhausted men to the will of the born leader.

- Pitt, B Crucible of War: Year of Alamein 1942 p122 (1982)
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 1487

I put depends, because the structural factors were against Rommel pretty heavily, but Gott was pretty burnt out and his track record was pretty poor, so he might snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by poor planning and panicking, ordering an unnecessary retreat. For all the justified derision Monty gets, he really was a strong commander who wasn't afraid of a fight and did really rehabilitate the 8th Army and bring it to victory in a way previous commanders weren't really able to.
 
Auchinleck has already beaten 'Rommel' at fairly even odds. While Auchinleck was gone as CC Middle East in August Alexander had replaced him. The latter was a capable tactician and operations leader & was perfectly capable of backing up Gott and intervening the same way Auchinleck had when Ritchie as seen to be failing.
 
Top