Quotes from Hans von Luck

My experience in previous theaters of war had taught me that the more critical a situation, or the more alarming the reports, the more calmly every experienced leader should react.

To forget is good—but hard. To forgive is better.            Best of all is reconciliation.

to which every Wehrmacht unit from the regiment up had to appoint an NFO, "National Socialist Leadership Officer" (Nationalsozialistische Führungs-Offizier), whose job was to keep a political eye on the unit and its command.

It was a new discovery for us that the stalwart and robust-seeming men often lost their nerve under combat conditions, while the supposedly weak proved to be strong and kept their heads at precarious moments.

inculcated with a healthy national consciousness.

Love of country, patriotism, a cause - these are noble virtues, but people don't fight and die for them. They will fight and die for their units and for their comrades. (in the Introduction by Steve Ambrose)

As my orderly Erich Beck later wrote, "We admired our opponents for their national pride and commitment. They demanded our respect. We heard that a Polish cavalry regiment had mounted an attack against our tanks. They had been told that the German tanks were only wooden dummies.

Rommel realized this at once and brought up an 88mm battery. He personally directed the 88s shot by shot with the result that over 30 British tanks were knocked out and the enemy withdrew.

Then a machine—I thought I recognized the Canadian emblem—approached for a low-flying attack on the armored radio station. At 20 yards, I could clearly see the pilot's face under his flight helmet. But instead of shooting, he signaled with his hand for the radio officer to clear off, and pulled his machine up into a great curve. "Get the operator out of the vehicle," I shouted, "and take cover, the pair of you.

Once again, Rommel took my arm. "Luck, one day you will think of my words. The threat to Europe and to our civilized world will come from the east. If the peoples of Europe fail to join forces to meet that threat, western Europe will have lost. At the moment, I see only one 'warrior' prepared to champion a united Europe: Churchill!