DAK Deutsches Afrika Korps (XX0045)

The Deutsches Afrika Korps, 1941-43

The Afrika Korps was formed in February 1941 as a blocking force. Its original task was limited: to prevent the collapse of the Italian position in Libya after the British offensive of the previous winter had destroyed the Tenth Army. It arrived as two divisions under Erwin Rommel and remained in North Africa for two years, over a front that moved back and forth across 1,500 kilometres of coastline.

A War Governed by Supply

The North African campaign was decided less by manoeuvre than by fuel and shipping. Every litre of petrol reaching the front had crossed the Mediterranean under air attack and then travelled hundreds of kilometres by road from Tripoli or Benghazi. Advances tended to outrun their supply lines and then stop; the side that had just retreated found itself closer to its own bases and counterattacked. That rhythm, rather than any tactical doctrine, explains the repeated reversals between Egypt and Cyrenaica.

Conditions

The desert imposed its own regime: heat over 50 degrees, sandstorms that stopped operations entirely, dust that destroyed engines and weapons, water rationed at a few litres a day per man. Uniforms were modified locally almost from arrival — tropical tunics discarded, shorts and captured British items adopted, headgear replaced by whatever worked. Dysentery and jaundice caused more casualties in some periods than combat.

The End in Africa

After El Alamein in November 1942 and the Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria, the Axis forces in Africa were compressed into Tunisia between two armies. The surrender in May 1943 cost around 250,000 prisoners, German and Italian — a loss comparable in scale to Stalingrad three months earlier.

Giuseppe Rava’s Original Work

Giuseppe Rava reconstructs the German soldier in North Africa from photographs and surviving items: the tropical uniform faded almost white by sun and washing, the pith helmet quickly abandoned in favour of the field cap, the goggles and dust scarf, and the mixture of German, Italian and captured British equipment that characterised the theatre.

This is a limited edition fine art print, hand-signed by the artist, produced in SRA3 format on fine art paper. Ships worldwide.