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The 'German Africa Corps' (German: ''Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK'' ) was the corps-level headquarters controlling the German Panzer divisions in Libya and Egypt during the North African Campaign of World War II. Since there was little turnover in the units attached to the corps, the term is commonly used to refer to the headquarters plus its attached combat units.

Contents

Organization

Terminological notes

Historical postscript

Africa Corps marching songs

See also

References

Further reading

Organization

The Afrika Korps was formed on February 12, 1941, after the German Armed Forces High Command (''OKW'') had decided to send an expeditionary force to Libya to support the Italian army, which had been routed by an Allied counteroffensive, Operation Compass. The German expeditionary force, commanded by Erwin Rommel, at first consisted only of the 5th Panzer Regiment and various other small units. These elements were organized into the 5th Light Division when they arrived in Africa in February. In the spring the 5th Light Division was joined by the 15th Panzer Division, though it did not arrive until after Rommel had made a counter-offensive and re-taken most of Cyrenaica and gone back over to the defensive. At this time the Africa Corps consisted of the two divisions plus various smaller supporting units, and was officially subordinated to the Italian chain of command in Africa (though Rommel had conducted his offensive without any authorization).

On October 1, 1941, the German 5th Light Division was redesignated 21st Panzer Division, still attached to the Africa Corps.
During the summer of 1941 ''OKW'' invested more command structure in Africa by creating a new headquarters called Panzer Group Africa (''Panzergruppe Afrika''). On August 15 Panzer Group Africa was activated with Rommel in command, and command of the Africa Corps was turned over to Ludwig Crüwell. The Panzer Group controlled the Africa Corps plus some additional German units that were sent to Africa, as well as two corps of Italian units. (A German "group" was approximately the equivalent of an army in other militaries, and in fact Panzer Group Africa was redesignated as Panzer Army Africa (''Panzerarmee Afrika'') on January 30, 1942.)
After the defeat at El Alamein and the Allied invasion in Morocco and Algeria Operation Torch, ''OKW'' once more upgraded its presence in Africa by creating the XC Army Corps in Tunisia on November 19, 1942, and then creating a new 5th Panzer Army headquarters there as well on December 8, under the command of Colonel-General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim.

On February 23, 1943 Panzer Army Africa, (now called the German-Italian Panzer Army,) was redesignated as the Italian 1st Army and put under the command of an Italian general, while Rommel was placed in command of a new Army Group Africa (''Heeresgruppe Afrika'') created to control both the Italian 1st Army and the 5th Panzer Army. The remnants of the Africa Corps and other surviving units of the 1st Italian Army retreated into Tunisia. Command of the Army Group was turned over to von Arnim in March. On May 13 remnants of the Africa Corps along with all other remaining Axis forces in North Africa surrendered.

Terminological notes

Strictly speaking the term ''Africa Corps'' refers only to the corps headquarters and its attached units, though it is commonly used by amateur writers, the news media and veteran Allied soldiers, as a name for all the German units in North Africa before the retreat to Tunisia. The most notable of those other units were the ''Afrika'' ''zbV'' ("special purpose") Division, which was created as an infantry division and slowly upgraded to a fully motorized division, and then redesignated as the 90th Light ''Afrika'' Division; the 164th Light ''Afrika'' Division, also an infantry division; and the Ramcke Parachute Brigade (named after its commander Gerhard Ramcke). There were also eight Italian divisions under Rommel's command in Panzer Army ''Afrika'', including two armored divisions, two motorized divisions, three infantry divisions, and ''Folgore'' parachute division. The army was supported by a number of smaller units from both the German and Italian armed forces.
The designation "Light" (German: ''Leichte'') did not refer to a standardized table of organization and equipment (TOE) for the various German divisions that bore that designation. For instance, the 5th Light Division had an organization very similar to the 21st Panzer Division, whereas the 164th Light ''Afrika'' Division was at first a partially motorized infantry division and never had any tanks at all. Various German divisions in Africa occasionally reorganized or re-equipped without a change of name, or conversely were redesignated with a new name without any substantial reorganization.

Historical postscript

The Axis forces in Africa surrendered on May 12, 1943. However, three of the German divisions that had fought in the Western Desert were reconstituted in Europe. The 15th Panzer Division was reconstituted as the 15th ''Panzergrenadier'' Division, the 90th Light Division was reconstituted as the 90th ''Panzergrenadier'' Division, and the 21st Panzer Division was reconstituted under its own name

Africa Corps marching songs

: ''Heiß über Afrikas Boden die Sonne glüht''.
: ''Unsere Panzermotoren singen ihr Lied''!
: ''Deutsche Panzer im Sonnenbrand'',
: ''Stehen zum Kampf gegen Engeland
: ''Es rasseln die Ketten, es dröhnt der Motor'',
: ''Panzer rollen in Afrika vor.''
'Translation'
:Hot over African ground, the sun is glowing.
:Our panzer engines sing their song!
:German panzers in the blazing sun,
:As they stand in battle against England.
:The tracks rattle, the engine roars,
:Panzers roll in Africa.
'2nd Song: "''Unser Rommel''" ("Our Rommel")'^[1]
1.

:''Wir sind das deutsche Afrikakorps''

:''Des Führers verwegene Truppe''

:''Wir stürmen wie die Teufel hervor''

:''Versalzen dem Tommy die Suppe''

:''Wir fürchten nicht Hitze und Wüstensand''

:''Wir trotzen dem Durst und dem Sonnenbrand''

:''Marschieren beim Takt unserer Trommel''

:''Vorwärts, vorwärts''

:|:''Vorwärts mit unserem Rommel!'':|

'Translation of verse 1'

:We are the German Africa Corps

:The Führer's daring troops

:We assault like the Devil

:Oversalt the Tommy's soup

:We fear neither heat nor desert sand

:We resist the thirst and the blazing sun

:March to the beat of our drum''

:Forwards, forwards

:|:Forwards with our Rommel!:|


2.

:''Die Briten fürchten uns wie die Pest''

:''Sie sitzen auf glühenden Kohlen''

:''Wir rächen Deutsch-Ost und rächen Südwest''

:''Das einst sie uns feige gestohlen''

:''Sind Churchhill und Roosevelt auch Wut entbrannt''

:''Wir werfen die Feinde in jedem Land''

:''Es schlägt Generalmarsch die Trommel''

:''Vorwärts, vorwärts''

:|:''Vorwärts mit unserem Rommel!'':|

'Translation of verse 2'

:The Brits fear us like the plague

:They are on tenterhooks

:We revenge German East (Africa) and revenge South-West (Africa)

:Which once were dastardly stolen from us

:Let Churchill and Roosevelt be inflamed with rage

:We beat the enemies in every country

:The drum beats 'get ready'

:Forwards, forwards

:|:Forwards with our Rommel!:|

3.

:''Mit uns im Kampf und im Siege vereint''

:''Marschieren Italiens Scharen''

:''Bis einst die Sonne des Friedens uns scheint''

:''Und wieder gen Deutschland wir fahren.''

:''Doch wenn mich die feindliche Kugel fand''

:''So lasset mich ruhen im Wüstensand''

:''Und rühret noch einmal die Trommel''

:''Vorwärts, vorwärts'' (disputed line)

:|:''Vorwärts mit unserem Rommel!'':|

'Translation of verse 3'

:In battle and in victory united with us

:Italy's cohorts are marching

:Until one day the sun of peace will shine for us

:And we will return to Germany.''

:But if the enemy's bullet meets me

:Than let me rest in the desert sand

:And beat the drum once again.

:Forwards, forwards (disputed line)

:|:Forwards with our Rommel!:|

See also

★ Army Group Africa

★ Panzer Army Africa

★ Fliegerführer Afrika

★ Western Desert Campaign

★ North African Campaign

★ First Battle of El Alamein - 1-27 July 1942

★ Second Battle of El Alamein - 23 October-4 November 1942

★ László Almásy

★ Operation Salaam

★ Hans von Luck

★ Hans-Jürgen von Arnim

★ Panzer Division

★ Armored warfare

★ Afrika Korps (game)

★ Heer

★ Eastbourne Redoubt (Home of General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim's Steyr 1500A Africa Corps Staff Car, which was captured by the Royal Sussex Regiment)

References

1. Song text and MP3(not identical at the ending of the third verse) of ''Unser Rommel Retrieved'' 2007-02-12


★ Cooper, Matthew (1990). ''The German Army 1933-1945''. Scarborough House. Chelsea, MI, USA. ISBN 0-8128-8519-8.

★ Panzer Battles: A Study of the Employment of Armor in the Second World War, von Mellenthin, Major General F. W., , , Ballantine Books, 1971, ISBN 0-345-24440-0

★ Rommel and the Africa Corps

Further reading

★ Editor Major-General Alfred Toppe ''Desert warfare:German experiences in World War II'', written with the assistance of nine German commanders who served in North Africa, the manuscript (translated by Mr. H. Heitman) represents a collaborative attempt to determine "as many factors as possible which exerted a determining influence on desert warfare."

★ Hans von Lucks memoirs ''Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck'' include chapters from his time in North Africa under Rommel.