Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Squadron Leader Le Roux of 602 Squadron was flying his Spitfire Mk 9 on a sweep through the French countryside that morning on the 17th July 1944.
Seeing a German staff car on a lonely road in Normandy he immediately attacked.
Later it was found to be Rommel's staff car and the attack and subsequent roll over left Rommel with multiple skull fractures.

Details:
Name LE ROUX, Jacobus Johannes 'Chris'
Number 42240
Nationality South African
Born South Africa, 1920
Arrived England 9 December 1940

Decorations DFC (1941), 1st Bar to DFC (1942), 2nd Bar to DFC (1943)
Notes KIA 29 August 1944, whilst CO of 602 Sqdn.; remembered on Panel 200 of the Runnymede Memorial

Chris le Roux took command of No.602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron in France in the summer of 1944, with Spitfire 9s, having received a second Bar to his DFC for his North African successes. He led this squadron through the fierce fighting of the invasion of Normandy, and moved it to French soil on 25th June. He shot down a FW 190 and a Me 109 on 15th July, 1944, and another FW 190 on 16th. On 17th he destroyed two Me 109s and damaged two more.

Chris Le Roux nearly succeeded in killing the German Commanding General, Erwin Rommel. Diving on his car, he caused it to overturn near the village of Sainte Foy de Montgomerie, and Rommel was flung into a ditch and sustained a fractured skull. He survived, only to kill himself on 14th October, rather than stand trial for complicity in the plot against Hitler of 20th July.
By 25th August, 1944, Paris had been liberated, and on 3rd September, five years after the outbreak of war, the Welsh Guards entered Brussels.

Chris le Roux did not live to enjoy the fruits of the victory. Like so many gallant and brilliant fighter pilots, he was killed, not by enemy gunfire, but by an aircraft accident, on 19th September, 1944

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

According to Pierre Closterman in his book "The Big Show", it was indeed 602 Squadron that shot up Rommel's car, but it was two pilots called Bruce Oliver and Jacques Remlinger, not S/L Le Roux. He cites camera gun films as providing proof but no pictures from their films are published in the book.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Well it doesn't matter what is reported in the world there are always counter claims.
Just look at the claims about who got Baron Von Richthofen.
Many couldn't come to terms with a mere Australian infantry Lewis gunner getting him.

How about John Kennedy? Now it's a second gunman on the grassy knoll.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Actually, what is reported does matter, if only in the interests of historical accuracy.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

You miss read me. Please read it again.
I said that " it doesn't matter what gets reported in the world, there are always other views'.
My article stands as I reported it. I doubt if all the counter claims will disprove it any more than who fired the bullet that hit Richthofen.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

I give up!

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Do you? What a pity. This forum needs members like you.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

You are a wise man.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Instead of making stupid remarks about people's posts, you might be better employed on this forum by posting some new threads yourself.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Do you mean posts like yours, which are copied from other websites like

www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

or

www.subbrit.org.uk

Should this be regarded as "clever"? :rolleyes:

It seems, you don't like criticism.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

i come on this site to learn, not to boost my post count by making meaningless and misleading statements.
you have shown yourself to be, not only blinkered and lacking in manners, but also ignorant of your own Air force.
Please allow me to help you out.
you state in one of your threads that the 91st BG belonged to the USAF. The 91st was never part of the United States Air force.
until 1947 your air force was a branch of the Army and was called the United States Army Airforce. USAAF. WW2 ended in 1945. this may be different in whatever world you live in, but its a fact in this one.
As you dont know the basics of your own armed forces history, its hardly suprising that your knowledge of any others is flawed.


As for stupid remarks. im sure that others here, have already decided who is making those.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

When I joined this forum I had no idea there was vindictive members like you here Smith and Tsetse.
I joined for a fun time, hence my avatar. It would probably all go over your heads anyway. In regard to heads, I suggest you pull them in.
However you have bought up a very good point. As this is the only forum I have ever seen where neither the Administor or Moderators are in evidence, a new person joing this forum just does not know what is expected of him here.
All other forums allow articles bolstered from cut and paste methods as a way of portraying subjects accurately with sourced photos form sites.
If the owners here don't want this method, I'd be pleased to stand down. I would welcome a PM from any Moderator.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

You want to put a sock in it about the Seawings forum.
Now either take your place here on this forum as a member or butt out pal!

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

general savage,

as this is a respected site, i have answered you by private message, please do the same.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

As the host and admin of this forum I must step in.

First I must blame myself for letting this go out of hand. RL is making demands on me that are more important than a daily presence on the forum, BUT... that does not a Kindergarten make.

TOCH! is about sharing information.

Cross posting can be interesting if you clearly state the fact that you've done so and include a link to the original Website.

If you are cut and pasting (parts of articles) just for the sake of starting arguments it is little more than trolling.

Although you might like participating in our community, this forum isn't about having "fun", a term I again link with trolling.

In the end it is up to the individual to make a choice. Share information, with a healthy dose of discourse thrown in, or have fun. If it is the latter you seek I advice you to seek it elsewhere. If you still think TOCH! is about having fun (with people), you'll soon find out that although the admins are low profile they will act.

Regard this a reminder. If it is a misunderstanding you'll have my apology, if not, your stay will be very short.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Mr. Horta,

Thank you for your clear message. I have appreciated this site very much and have been amazed at the depth of knowledge shown by the individuals who participate. For my part, I do not think we need to patronize arrogant, discourteous individuals who take offense at any suggestion/comment they disagree with. I hope Savage will either mend his ways or find another site more to his talents.

You do an excellent job in managing this site. Keep up the good work.

Cordially,
Mayfair 35

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Didn't Canadian Charlie Fox have something to do with it?

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Yes, I had also heard that it was a Canadian who shot up Rommel's car. Mind you, I have no doubt that there was more than one car -- always assumed to be a staff car -- shot up that day.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

I found this which might be of some use....

http://www.amnesta.net/other/index.html

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Gentlemen,

During my research at NARA, College Park, MD, I accidentlly found the interrogation report of Rommel's driver. He makes NO mention of the type of aircraft that strafed their vehicle, killing Rommel's aid and causing the crash.

I gave the report to a Canadian researcher. Let me dig through my references to see if I still have the Record Group and location of the report at NARA. Then anyone may obtain a copy of the report and determine for themself that it is futile to assign anyone specific to having strafed the vehicle.

There is a possibility that Rommel's driver was interrogated twice, and that I only found the first report, and not the second interrogation report?

Norman Malayney

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Norman,

What sort of research are you doing at NARA? It's a terrific place isn't it. We obtained a great deal of footage there for our film. Check out the trailer at:

www.militaryintelligenceandyou.com

I'd like to get back there and dig around some more.

MK

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

A couple of years ago on CBC radio there was an interview with the Canadian pilot who supposedly shot up Rommels staff car.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...8-c3479e720e73

The Canadian Spitfire pilot often credited with seriously wounding storied German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in a strafing attack in the critical weeks after D-Day, has died. Charley Fox was 88.

The much decorated flyer from London, Ont., was killed in a weekend automobile crash near Tillsonburg, Ont.

It took years before Fox was cited for the attack on Rommel - there were counterclaims by the Americans that one of their aircraft was responsible. As well, a South African pilot is also thought to have carried out the attack.

Rommel was Germany's leading field commander during the Second World War, earning the nickname Desert Fox for his African campaign. He had been summoned to France to prepare for the expected Allied invasion.

The strafing effectively ended Rommel's career. While still recovering from severe head injuries suffered in the incident, he was implicated in a plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler and committed suicide in October of 1944.

Although falsely accused, Rommel was convinced Germany would lose the war and historians now believe he wanted to secretly make peace with the Allies.

How history might have unfolded had Rommel not been incapacitated by the Spitfire remains one of the great "what ifs" of the history.

"He was badly, badly hurt," Fox said in a 2004 interview. "I end up thinking, 'What if I hadn't been airborne at the time? What if I hadn't shot him up? Would that have changed the war? Or would it have lengthened it?' "

On July 17, 1944, Fox and his squadron left their airfield at Bernières-sur-Mer in Normandy.

"As soon as we got airborne ... we started heading toward Caen and we split up into three sections of four, and we were to look for 'targets of opportunity' -- anything that was moving. It was the other side of Caen, and I saw this staff car coming along between a line of trees on a main road," Fox said.

"I made no motion until it was just about nine o'clock, and I did a diving, curving attack down and I probably started firing at about 300 yards. I saw hits on it and I saw it start to curve and go off the road - and by then I'm on my way."

The July 17 entry in his own wartime log book records "staff car damaged."

At the end of the entry, Fox had written: "Rommel - Yes."

A U.S. aircrew initially claimed to have fired on Rommel's car. Other accounts say South African pilot J.J. Le Roux carried out the strike.

But a Quebec historian researching the controversy at Library and Archives Canada says the official operational record book of Fox's unit, 412 Squadron, puts him in the air at the right time and place to have taken out Rommel.

"This is the official account from the time, usually filled out by a clerk with the squadron, recording when planes took off and came back. It's very precise, very exact." "said Michel Lavigne.

Fox had a standout record as an airman. He ended the war with credit for nine enemy aircraft and 153 vehicles and locomotives destroyed or damaged, according to a 412 Squadron description of his exploits.

He was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and bar - equivalent to a second DFC - for "exceptional courage and skill."

Fox ended his tour of duty in January 1945 and served in the 420 Reserve after the war. He retired in 1956 and began to work at a shoe factory, from which he retired in 1998. In April of 2004, he was named honorary colonel of 412 Squadron.

Re: Who shot up Erwin Rommel's staff car that day in 1944
 

Nice interesting post Peter - a fitting tribute to an extraordinary airman.