While Rommel rests and recuperates in Germany, his temporary replacement is the good-humored General der Kavallerie Georg Stumme, who led a panzer division in Russia. Stumme is quite relieved to get away from Russia's cold, and he tells his men he relishes the desert's conditions. That does not impress the senior officers. The Afrika Korps is worn out. At the front, things are grim.
Most German troops suffer from lice.
The Italians have had a bellyful of war and are only willing to dig shelters and minefields. They won't wash, dispose waste, or even bury dead bodies, preferring flies and stench to physical exertion. The sick rate is high, transport is limited because of fuel shortages, and ailing men can't get to medical stations. Jaundice, dysentery, and scabies are rife. Food consists of tinned meat, hard biscuits, and a little margarine.