Afrika Korps

[The Spartan (Returns)]

I was reading in my history textbook about the German invasion of British occupied Egypt.
It seems it was like a tug of war... the UK was very successful pushing the Germans out until Hitler (from my textbook:) "sends a crack German tank force, the Afrika Korps."
Yet again another tug of war... finally ending in German victory and the renown of General Erwin Rommel being nicknamed the "Desert Fox".

What was so "crack" about this German Panzer Force? Was it the heavily armored tanks such as the Panther and Tigers? Were the crew trained exceptionally better than others?

[A Very Super Market]

Quality of the commander, veterans, up-to-date equipment, and most importantly, SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE ITALIANS.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

Quality of the commander, veterans, up-to-date equipment, and most importantly, SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE ITALIANS.

Very interesting...

Could you please tell me of famous achievements that Rommel performed, what battles the veterans come from, and what kind of tanks the German use? Basically some more interesting details

I know I'm being lazy, but I also know there is better information from people, than your average Google search.

[KarlXII]

The Afrika Korps were not a "special forces" unit specifically trained for the job. They were regular Whermacht soldiers who found themselves deployed in Libya. Erwin Rommel distinguished himself as the commander of Seventh Panzer during the Invasion of France, and was given the job of blocking the British forces after they had destroyed the Italian army in North Africa.

Indeed, German soldiers had were still trying to cope with desert warfare during El Alamein. Much of the dysentry and disease came from inadequate medical development compared to Commonwealth forces.

However, Rommel made due with what he could. He often demanded much from his men, but was no arrogant and elitist, he often lead from the front, in his tank or Mammut command vehicle. He captured the hearts and minds of his men, who trusted his tactical expertise.

What made the Afrika Korps "crack" was her commander and what he did with the little resources he had. Tiger tanks were not even introduced in the African Theater until the Tunisian surrender.

[Strike For The South]

+1 because they weren't Italians

[PanzerJaeger]

Despite becoming the default designation for all German forces in North Africa in popular culture, the DAK actually refers to the small initial force commanded by Rommel of the 5th Light Division and elements of the 15th Panzer division sent to block any further advance of British forces against the Italians in Libya in 1941. This force was used in Rommel's first offensive which trounced the British and resulted in the capture of General Richard O'Connor, the man who so thoroughly defeated the Italians just months earlier.

The formation was expanded throughout the Desert War to include, at least nominally, 2 more Panzer Divisions (10th and 21st) and several light and full infantry divisions. As with all German forces in North Africa, it never achieved full strength. As the war progressed, the DAK became and ever smaller component of the larger Panzer Army Afrika - among other names given to the greater Italian-German force.

There's a lot that has been said about Rommel, the DAK, and the Italians - much of it incorrect. As is true every time the Allies came up against an enemy force that performed better, the DAK was made into an amazing/elite/technologically superior force of Aryan super-soldiers. Suffice to say, there was nothing special about the Afrikakorps or its commander. In actuality, the elite divisions of the German military (Großdeutschland, Panzer Lehr, etc.) and it's best commanders were sent into Russia.

The outstanding performance of the DAK and other German forces in Africa was simply a case of professionals entering a theatre of amateurs. Rommel's greatest attribute was not his tactical sense, but his willingness to take risks and throw himself completely at an objective. The tactics and strategies he employed were standard fare in German doctrine and duplicated on a much larger scale in France and Russia.

What is truly amazing about the Afrikakorps and Rommel was the effect such a small force had on the larger campaign. Most people don't know that North Africa was always an Italian theatre. Rommel was technically subordinate to the Commando Supremo much of the time and the vast majority of Axis troops, supplies, etc. were under Italian organization, including the troops under Rommel's direct command - who performed quite well under German leadership.

It truly speaks to the competence and abilities of the German military during the first years of the war that Rommel was able to use this small, outnumbered, under strength and undersupplied force as the proverbial "tip of the spear" to lead the - inarguably terrible - Italian Army to victory for several years in the Desert against numerically superior Allied forces.

Very interesting...

Could you please tell me of famous achievements that Rommel performed, what battles the veterans come from, and what kind of tanks the German use? Basically some more interesting details

There are way too many battles to get into in detail right now. Gazala was arguably Rommel's greatest victory of the war. It was a textbook example of German maneuver warfare. The Brit's just couldn't keep up. Kasserine Pass was the first large scale encounter the Americans had with German forces. The battle was not particularly huge but had far reaching implications within the Allied command structure. Some have speculated that the American's learned and implemented more lessons from that single battle into their doctrine than the British did with all their combined experiences fighting in the Desert.

The vast majority of German tanks used in the desert were Panzer II and III models. Panzer IV models also saw action in significant numbers as well as a very, very few number of Tigers.

I've had this in my photobucket for a while and I believe it is the famous Bovington Tank Museum Tiger captured in Tunisia and still running today.



Contrary to popular belief, German tanks in North Africa, excluding the Tigers, were not superior to their Allied equivalents in any particularly meaningful ways. It was the skill of the crews as well as their doctrine which resulted in the lopsided results.

[Marshal Murat]

As I understand it, the Panzer II and Panzer III models weren't superior to the British tanks they faced. They were faster, better coordinated, and some had bigger guns, but those appeared later in the war. The British Matildas had bigger guns, heavier armor, and there were frankly more Matildas.

Rommel and the Afrika Korp was so successful because Rommel could exploit his speed to outmaneuver the British troops, and punch through British piecemeal resistance. The 88s also helped Rommel defeat British counterattacks very easily.

If the British hadn't dispersed the troops, used their combined forces more effectively, and in general hadn't thought the Germans a bunch of rats who were gonna throw themselves onto minefields willy-nilly, then it wouldn't have been such a big deal.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

Sweet posts guys. Thanks a lot, I'm lovin' the info.

[KrooK]

Germans were not loosing into Africa before Africa Corps because there ITALIANS NOT GERMANS.

Africa Corps was not better than other German Corpses. Count from veterans of polish and probably french campaign reitrained on Błędowska Desert in Poland. They had new equipment but what is more important, good commanders.
There were no Panthers or Tigers (maybe few at the end but practically no) but earlier German tanks.
And of course Africa Coprs go some luck because their first punch was in the moment, when british commanders had to send some units to Greece.

[CountArach]

[Agent Miles]

What exactly were the combined arms tactics where the Germans excelled? The Panzer II’s were fast scout tanks that could actually defeat the thin armor of some of the British cruiser tanks at close range and chew up infantry with High Explosive rounds from its 20 mm main gun. The Panzer III’s were the mainstay and could defeat most of the slower Allied armor by outflanking them. When the panzers were outmatched, the 88 mm flak guns could defeat any Allied tank from a considerable range. The British tanks were equipped with guns that did not fire HE rounds, so the 88’s could fire at them with impunity (until the M3 and M4 showed up). The German Panzer IV’s short 75 mm HE gun on the other hand, was able to take out Allied AT gun crews. In place of set piece artillery, the Luftwaffe provided Stukas to pummel desert fortresses. So the DAK had an answer to most tactical situations that the Allies could provide.

Rommel fought a “guerrilla blitzkrieg”, which his contemporaries in Russia did not employ. He often took his force into deep flanking maneuvers without what most generals would consider adequate logistical support on the premise that he would overrun Allied supply depots and thus use Allied fuel for his panzers and Allied food and water for his troops. Possession of the battlefield was paramount as destroyed panzers were cannibalized to repair damaged panzers and fuel and ammo was always stripped away. Rommel was also not against using captured Allied equipment. Twelve British Matildas were used by the DAK, often to the confusion of both sides. Still, the Afrika Korps often had fewer than 100 panzers operational. Never have so few done so much with so little.

[Pannonian]

What exactly were the combined arms tactics where the Germans excelled? The Panzer II’s were fast scout tanks that could actually defeat the thin armor of some of the British cruiser tanks at close range and chew up infantry with High Explosive rounds from its 20 mm main gun. The Panzer III’s were the mainstay and could defeat most of the slower Allied armor by outflanking them. When the panzers were outmatched, the 88 mm flak guns could defeat any Allied tank from a considerable range. The British tanks were equipped with guns that did not fire HE rounds, so the 88’s could fire at them with impunity (until the M3 and M4 showed up). The German Panzer IV’s short 75 mm HE gun on the other hand, was able to take out Allied AT gun crews. In place of set piece artillery, the Luftwaffe provided Stukas to pummel desert fortresses. So the DAK had an answer to most tactical situations that the Allies could provide.

Rommel fought a “guerrilla blitzkrieg”, which his contemporaries in Russia did not employ. He often took his force into deep flanking maneuvers without what most generals would consider adequate logistical support on the premise that he would overrun Allied supply depots and thus use Allied fuel for his panzers and Allied food and water for his troops. Possession of the battlefield was paramount as destroyed panzers were cannibalized to repair damaged panzers and fuel and ammo was always stripped away. Rommel was also not against using captured Allied equipment. Twelve British Matildas were used by the DAK, often to the confusion of both sides. Still, the Afrika Korps often had fewer than 100 panzers operational. Never have so few done so much with so little.

Operation Compass. A British-Commonwealth force of around 35,000, with barely enough fuel to reach the Egyptian border, against an Italian force of around 150,000. Ended up clearing out the Italians from Cyrenaica, and would have continued into Tripolitania if the bulk of the force hadn't been transferred to Greece. A highlight of the campaign was the sending of a mobile column across open desert to cut off the retreat of the Italians, while simultaneously harassing them via the road route. I wonder if Rommel would have had the same success if O'Connor, who used Rommel's tactics before Rommel ever arrived on the scene, hadn't been captured early on.

[PanzerJaeger]

I wonder if Rommel would have had the same success if O'Connor, who used Rommel's tactics before Rommel ever arrived on the scene, hadn't been captured early on.

I'm almost sure of it.