Generalmajor Erwin Rommel was appointed as a Commander of the 7. The Panzer-Division, replacing Generalleutnant Georg Stumme, in February 1940. At first he made a less-than-promising impression when - on the first day of his arrival - saluted his senior commanders with a Nazi salute instead of a usual military salute! (though Rommel was eventually forced to commit suicide in 1944 for alleged involvement in the anti-Hitler movement, but in 1939 he was Head of Hitler's Bodyguard Battalion and, as such, had become a Nazi fanatic in 1940). The "newbie" Division Commander also offended his officers when he said that most of the 7th Panzer-Division were comes from Thuringia, a region that is considered rarely producing quality soldiers! Not enough, Rommel immediately ordered a general inspection of the entire army the next day – which happened to be a Sunday – which was an unusual thing to do and, therefore, very unpopular with the soldiers. All of this, coupled with the fact that Rommel was seen as a mere “Hitler's consignment” and had no experience in an armored unit at all, made most of the 7th Panzer-Division officers hate him. Rommel realized this too, and he overcame it in one drastic measure: on February 29, 1940 Rommel suddenly fired a battalion commander who was considered a nuisance, and made him leave the division headquarters in just an hour and a half! This ruthless act of tolerance shocked the entire division, and forced them to obey Rommel's further instructions - at first reluctantly, but then done with a full support when they saw that the Divisionskommandeur always at the forefront of every battle, slept in the tent with the grass as a floor, and ate the same rations eaten by the lowest-ranking soldiers in his unit!
Source :
"Rommel's Lieutenants: The Men Who Served the Desert Fox" by Samuel W. Mitcham
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/03/album-foto-erwin-rommel-sebagai_10.html
