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South Africans Versus Rommel


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https://www.amazon.com/South-Africans-versus-Rommel-Untold/dp/081171781X

 

South Africans versus Rommel: The Untold Story of the Desert War in World War II

 

After bitter debate, South Africa, a dominion of the British Empire at the time, declared war on Germany five days after the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Thrust by the British into the campaign against Erwin Rommels German Afrika Korps in North Africa, the South Africans fought a see-saw war of defeats followed by successes, culminating in the Battle of El Alamein, where South African soldiers made a significant contribution to halting the Desert Foxs advance into Egypt. This is the story of an army committed somewhat reluctantly to a war it didnt fully support, ill-prepared for the battles it was tasked with fighting, and sent into action on the orders of its senior alliance partner. At its heart, however, this is the story of men at war.

 

Review

David Katz's book South Africans versus Rommel is a timely addition to this country's war histories; providing the descendants our 1941-42 North African Desert War veterans, half of whom were Afrikaners, with an accessible yet detailed andmeticulously researched military history. Katz's book often invokes outrage at commanders'ineptitude with the lives of brave men; this book content is part of ourhistory and identity; it needs to be read. Rapport Newspaper 26 August 2018.

 

The subtitle of the book "The untold story of the Desert War in World War II" already indicates that the author tried to add a new dimension to the history of the Desert War which in itself had been extensively researched by numerous historians. To provide new insights and especially from a South African perspective would be a daunting task. Katz definitely provides new insights, starting in chapter 1 with a thorough investigation on the issue of military doctrine and how the military history of South Africa led to a different approach in two World Wars from that of the British armed forces under whose command the South Africans had to serve. He explains how the history of the South African armed forces led to the combination of different military cultures and how the political situation in both conflicts made South African commanders even more sensitive to higher casualties. The clash of military doctrines runs like a golden thread through all the arguments, but the opinions are not one-sided from a South African perspective. The amount of research based on an intensive literature study and archival research causes this book to be major contribution to the better understanding of the war in North Africa in the period, 1940 - 1943. Dr James Jacobs Historia, 63, 2, November 2018, pp 168-197

 

In South Africans Versus Rommel, David Brock Katz presents a thorough, comprehensive, and concise overview of the history of the South African army in North Africa. The narrative includes a brief discussion of the forming of the army after the Boer War and its role during World War II's African Campaign and East African Campaign to remove Italian forces from Abyssinia and Somalia from July 1940 to June 1941.

There is also a rich discussion on the divergent views and doctrinal perspectives on employment of mobile forces in both campaigns. This divergence is one of many of the contributing factors that led to the annihilation of the 5th South African Infantry Brigade at Sidi Rezegh during Operation Crusader. It also helps to explain the defeat in May 1942 of the British 8th Army during the battles near Gazala as well as the fall of Tobruk, which resulted in the surrender of the 2nd South African Infantry Division in June 1942. Even with the differing views on how to fight and employ forces in the North African Desert in 1941-1942, this book is a shining example of the abilities, capabilities, and courage of the South African Defense Forces as it fought against Rommel's Afrika Korps--an equally capable, well lead, and tenacious enemy.

For the military reader or historian, South Africans versus Rommel is an excellent, necessary, and relevant source to begin the process to understand the issues, confusion, and misunderstandings that can arise during coalition or multinational operations. This is an ideal companion for any library, or for those who study or are interested in modern warfare, military history, and war studies in general. Military Review The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army. Lt. Col. Jeffrey L. LaFace, U.S. Army, Retired, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 30 November 2018

 

From the Inside Flap

DAVID BROCK KATZ ,

a veteran of the modern-day South African National

Defence Force, completed two years of national

service in 1988 as a young officer. He later served

with a Commando unit through South Africa's difficult

transition to a new democratic dispensation.

There, he was extensively involved with internal

deployment and, until recently, as a member of the

defense force, working closely with the local police

forces in crime prevention operations. As a serving

member of the South African Irish Regiment, he

completed a Masters in Military Science (cum laude)

in the Department of Military History, Stellenbosch

University, at the South African Military Academy.

He has published numerous articles in various

academic journals and regularly presents papers

on military doctrine and different aspects of South

African military history at conferences at home

and abroad. He is registered for a Ph.D. in Military

Science at Stellenbosch University, where he is

studying Smuts as defense minister during the First

World War.

 

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