Armor of the Deutsches Afrikakorps

In early February 1941, the Italian Army was on the brink of a disastrous defeat in North Africa. This situation prompted Hitler to send in the Afrikakorps, under the command of Erwin Rommel, who later earned fame as the Desert Fox. The DAK made its first contact with the British forces on 24 February and subsequently pushed the British back to the Halfaya Pass. The British formed the Eighth Army and stopped the German’s advance further into Egypt. With a long supply line, the DAK was forced to retreat due to increasing British attacks. 1941 and 1942 saw both sides fighting a seesawing battle in the Western Desert. Montgomery came to the scene in July 1942 and turned the tide for the British. With the undersupplied Germans pushed back to Tunisia, the Americans landed in Northwest Africa and eventually the Allies liberated North Africa.

The DAK operated many interesting vehicles in North Africa, from self-propelled guns to reconnaissance vehicles to tanks. The book features many unpublished photos of rare German vehicles, and destroyed vehicles from private sources. The 16 colour profiles include camouflage and markings of some of these rare vehicles that served in the DAK.

Tom Cockle
Softcover 72 pages, 177 b/w photos, 16 colour plates
Concord Publications

Armor of the Deutsches Afrikakorps