The Deutsches Afrikakorps (also Afrika Korps) was destroyed in Tunisia 16 May 1943.

Commanders

Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel (14 Feb 1941 - 15 Aug 1941)
Generalleutnant Ferdinand Schaal (15 Aug 1941 - 1 Sep 1941)
General der Panzertruppen Philipp Müller-Gebhard (1 Sep 1941 - 15 Sep 1941)
General der Panzertruppen Ludwig Crüwell (15 Sep 1941 - 9 Mar 1942)
General der Panzertruppen Walther Nehring (9 Mar 1942 - 19 Mar 1942)
General der Panzertruppen Ludwig Crüwell (19 Mar 1942 - 29 May 1942)
General der Panzertruppen Walther Nehring (29 May 1942 - 31 Aug 1942)
Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein (31 Aug 1942 - 1 Sep 1942)
General der Panzertruppen Gustav von Värst (1 Sep 1942 - 2 Sep 1942)
General der Panzertruppen Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma (2 Sep 1942 - 13 Nov 1942)
General der Panzertruppen Gustav Fehn (13 Nov 1942 - 15 Jan 1943)
General der Panzertruppen Hans Cramer (28 Feb 1943 - 16 May 1943)

Area of operations

North Africa (Feb 1941 - May 1943)

Order of battle

Stab des korps
5. Leichte Division
15. Panzer-Division
Korpskartenstelle (mot) 576
Oasen-Bataillon zbv 300
Panzerjäger-Abteilung (mot) 605
I/Flak Regiment (mot) 18
I/Flak Regiment (mot) 33
Flak-Abteilung (mot) 606
Nachrichten-Abteilung (mot) 475
- Leichte Nachrichtenkolonne
- Funkleitstand Zug 10
- Panzer Funk Zug
- Funk Zug
- Fernkabel Zug
Nachschub-Bataillon (mot) 572
- Grosse Kraftwagenkolonne
- Grosse Kraftwagenkolonne für Betriebsstoff
- Kraftwagenwerkstat Zug
- Munitionsverwaltung Kompanie 588
Wasserversirgungs Bataillon (mot) 580
- Wasserversorgungs Kompanie (SW) 659
- Wasserdestillations Kompanie (mot) 655
- Grosse Wasserkolonne 641
- Grosse Wasserkolonne 645
- Grosse Wasserkolonne 651
- Filterkolonne 877
- Wehrgeologenstelle (mot) 8
- Wehrgeologenstelle (mot) 12
Aufklärungs Kompanie (mot) 580
Feldersatz Bataillon 598
Feldersatz Bataillon 599
Bäckerei Kompanie (mot) 554
Korps-Verpflegungslager (mot)
Feldgendarmerie-Trupp (mot) 498
Feldpostamt (mot)

Notable members

Erwin Rommel ("The Desert Fox", forced to committ suicide to avoid trial for involvement in the resistance against Hitler, the Bundeswehr barracks Generalfeldmarschall Rommel-Kaserne in Augustdorf was named in his honour 1961 and the Rommel-Kaserne in Dornstadt/Ulm in 1965 as was the Bundesmarine destroyer D187 Rommel)

In fiction

The 1980 board game "88" designed by James M. Day and published by Yaquinto covers the fighting in Africa.

The 1982 board game "Rommel in the Desert" designed by Craig Besinque and published by Columbia Games covers the fighting in Africa.

The 1997 board game "DAK" designed by Dean Essig and published by The Gamers focused on the Afrika Korps. His 2004 follow-up board game "DAK 2" published by Multi-Man Publishing (MMP) also covers this topic.

Erwin Rommel is greeted by Italian officers as the first units of the Afrika Korps arrive in Tripoli in February 1941

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Sources used

Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Unit insignia illustration courtesy of Wikimedia

Reference material on this unit

Stephen Badsey - Afrika Korps 1941-1943
Roger James Bender & Richard D. Law - Uniforms, organization and history of the Afrikakorps
Paul Carell - Foxes of the Desert: The Story of the Afrikakorps
Francois De Lannoy - Afrikakorps: 1941-1943 - The Libya Egypt Campaign
Jack Greene & Alessandro Massignani - Rommel's North Africa Campaign: September 1940 - November 1942
Rainer Kriebel - Inside the Afrika Korps: The Crusader Battles, 1941-1942
Franz Kurowski - Knight's Cross Holders of the Afrikakorps
Robert Kurtz - Afrikakorps
Samuel W. Mitcham - Triumphant Fox: Erwin Rommel and the rise of the Afrika Korps
George F. Nafziger - The Afrika Korps: An organizational history 1941-1943
Martin Windrow - Afrikakorps 1941-43