In their first battle with the Germans in North Africa in March 1943, Rommel's Afrika Korps drove American troops back fifty miles and nearly wiped them all. The only reason the Americans were able to stay in the area was because the Germans decided not to pursue them. The supreme commander, General Eisenhower, was aware that his men required a new leader on the ground to restore their badly wounded morale. Lieutenant General George Patton was given the position as a replacement by him. Patton was charismatic, irreverent, impetuous, and motivating. He also had a huge ego and a lot of ambition. He could, however, inspire men to battle. He only had ten days to get his demoralised soldiers in fighting form before facing off against the frightening Panzers of the Wehrmacht, the quick and potent German tanks that American forces had never been able to overcome. The opportunity to acquire a fourth star and the task of turning the tide of America's infant fight against Hitler appealed to Patton, who felt he had previously served as a Roman legionnaire.