Did Patton and Rommel ever fight?

Not directly. They are often paired, but they never commanded opposing forces against each other. By the time Patton's II Corps fought in Tunisia in early 1943, Rommel had already left North Africa.

Who was the better general, Patton or Rommel?

A matter of debate. Both were daring masters of armoured warfare: Rommel is admired for his desert campaigns, Patton for his breakout across France and the relief of Bastogne.

Why is Rommel called the Desert Fox?

For the speed and cunning of his armoured campaigns in North Africa, which impressed even his enemies.

He died in December 1945 from injuries sustained in a car accident in Germany, months after the war in Europe had ended.

Implicated in the July 1944 plot against Hitler, he was forced to take his own life to protect his family, and was given a state funeral to hide the truth.

Patton vs Rommel: did they ever fight?

They are the two armoured commanders people most love to compare: George Patton, America's hard-driving general, and Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox. Both were masters of fast, aggressive warfare, and both became legends. But did they ever actually fight each other? The honest answer is no. Here they are, side by side.

Head to head

	George Patton	Erwin Rommel
Lived	1885 to 1945	1891 to 1944¹
Role	American general, Third Army	German field marshal, Afrika Korps and Panzer Army Africa
Famous for	The breakout across France, 1944	The desert war and the Desert Fox
Method	Speed, aggression and relentless pursuit	Bold manoeuvre and improvisation
Did they fight?	Never directly, as opposing commanders	Never directly, as opposing commanders
The end	Died after a car accident in 1945	Forced to take his own life in 1944 after the July plot
Reputation	America's fighting general	The chivalrous Desert Fox

Patton: America's fighting general

George Patton was the most aggressive American commander of the war. After leading forces in North Africa and Sicily², he took command of the Third Army in 1944³ and drove it across France at breakneck speed, then turned it north in days to relieve the besieged town⁴ of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. His belief in speed and attack made him feared by the enemy and famous at home.

Colour photographic portrait of General Patton in uniform with four stars and rows of medal ribbons — General George Patton in a colour portrait made in 1945 by Robert F. Cranston, Lee Elkins and Harry Warnecke, now in the National Portrait Gallery, Washington. CC0 (public domain)

Rommel: the Desert Fox

Erwin Rommel made his name with the Afrika Korps, winning a series of audacious victories across North Africa that earned the respect even of his enemies. Stretched supply lines and Allied numbers caught up with him at El Alamein, and he later commanded the defence of Normandy.¹ Implicated in the 1944 plot against Hitler¹, he was forced to take his own life.

Group of German officers in caps and greatcoats standing outdoors, one holding a map — Field Marshal Rommel (third from left) with members of his staff, a photograph reproduced by the US Army Center of Military History in its history of the Tunisian campaign. Public domain

The verdict: did they ever fight?

No. Patton and Rommel are endlessly paired, but they never commanded opposing forces against each other. Patton took over the US II Corps in Tunisia on 6 March 1943; three days later Rommel left North Africa for good⁵, worn down and ill, before Patton's own offensive began. So the great duel history wanted never happened. As for who was greater, it is a matter of taste: Rommel the daring improviser of the desert, Patton the relentless driver of the breakout, the two most famous armoured commanders of the war on their respective sides.

Close portrait of Patton in a helmet with three stars and a leather jacket with a fur collar — Patton as commander of the US II Corps at the front south of El Guettar, Tunisia, on 30 March 1943, three weeks after Rommel had left Africa. US Army Signal Corps photograph. Public domain

Compare more in Montgomery vs Rommel, or meet the field in the greatest military commanders.

Sources

Each commander above has a full biography on this site, with its own sources. Judgements of who was "greater" are ours and openly a matter of debate; the facts and dates follow established histories. See our editorial approach.