Sold For $18,761
*Includes Buyers Premium
Important World War II–dated ALS in German, in blue pencil, signed "Your Erwin," one page both sides, 6 x 4, personal Generalfeldmarschall letterhead, June 7, 1944. Writing just one day after D-Day, Rommel writes home to his wife, Lucia, in full (translated): "Dearest Lu! I need a few quiet minutes for a short greeting to you. Hopefully you thoroughly enjoyed your birthday. It was very good that I was able to be there at the beginning. You can imagine what state I arrived here in. Situation not very encouraging. However, I hope we will still 'triumph.' It is, of course, only the beginning. Slowly I have calmed down. The boys are doing their best. However, the superiority in aeroplanes, tanks and ships, is massive. To you and Manfred hearty greetings and an intimate kiss." In fine condition, with an old tape stain to the signed side.
As a powerful storm brought rough weather to the English Channel in the first week of June in 1944, Rommel, who had been overseeing preparations for defending against an Allied attack, assumed that any invasion plans would be postponed. He took leave to visit his family at their home in southern Germany, most of his command staff headed inland to a military conference, and all German aerial and seaborne reconnaissance around the Channel was halted until the weather improved. So it was that on June 6th, when the Allied troops arrived at Normandy, Field Marshal Rommel was completely out of touch, rushing back by car from his home 400 miles away.
As Rommel notes the discouraging situation and overwhelming Allied superiority in air, sea, and land forces, his tone shifts from confident leadership to sober assessment, marking one of the earliest private acknowledgments of the tide of war turning against the Third Reich. Ten days later he would express the same sentiment to Hitler in an unsuccessful attempt to convince him of the impossibility of success.
This letter's timing—written one day after the historic D-Day landings as Rommel rushed back from an ill-timed family visit, having misjudged the invasion's imminence—underscores its historical weight, capturing a leader caught between personal loyalties and the crumbling reality of his military command. A truly remarkable piece of wartime correspondence, offering a rare and deeply personal glimpse into the mindset of one of Germany's most famous commanders at a pivotal moment in World War II.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$100.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
