Afrika Korps The Deutches Africa Korps ( also simply called Afrika Korps or DAK ) was an expeditionary force of the Wermatch that attacked at Northern Africa during World War II , The Afrika Korps became famous alongside it ' s first commander , Erwin Rommel . Lacking resources and manpower , the Afrika Korps were defeated in May 1943 . Description . The central philosophy of Rommel was the attack first , quickly , surprising and disorienting the enemy . Because the characteristics of desert warfare , the advance of large distances , pushing the enemy back to their lines , it was possible , using surprise and concentrated firepower . Their Achilles heel was logistics supplies , extremely difficult , as the Italians , responsible for supplying the troops had to cross the Mediterranean in ships to supply the troops Afrikakorps , and to further complicate the logistics operation , the landings supplies and fuels in Benghazi or Tripoli , having to travel long distances in trucks to the front , even though they had conquered Tobruk and Mersa Matruh , more advanced positions . Some air refueling was done by the Luftwaffe , but in general inexspressive because it also did not live your best moments . Also the African front was not the priority of the German High Command , so the Wermatch not made the greatest efforts to meet the needs of this front . Some units have become notable in combat , including the 15th Panzer Division , 21st Panzer Division , a division initially created as an infantry division and slowly upgraded to a fully motorized division . The following has been redefined as the 90th Light Africa Division . Others , such as 164th Light Africa Division , the 999th Light Africa Division , and also the 334th Infantry Division , and Brigade Luftwaffenjäger - 1 or Fallschirmjäger - Ramcke ( Ramcke Parachute Brigade , named after its commander Hermann - Bernhard Ramcke ) . There were also eight Italian divisions ( of the ten Italian divisions in North Africa ) , under the command of Rommel in Panzer Army Africa , including two armored divisions , two motorized divisions , three infantry divisions , and the Folgore Parachute Division . Starting from Tripoli , the Afrika korps ran the coast of North Africa , defeating the British , through Cyrenaica , Gazala , Tobruk , heading to Egypt , where he intended to take possession of fuel sources that would help Afrika korps to keep their tanks running . By this time the British were restructuring their forces in Egypt , aimed against an attack . This restructuring was mainly due to the lease plan signed with the United States , managed tactfully by Churchill , where Field Marshall Montgomery begins to receive many M4 Sherman and all kinds of military equipment and supplies . At the half of 1942 , the turning point occurred in the Second Battle of El Alamein , where the fuels of Afrika korps nearly end , and the English starts their offensive . Then begins the journey back to the Afrika korps , unless it had been allowed to rearrange the Führer behind the lines ( the famous order of Hitler - Victory or death ) until the surrender of what is left of Rommel ' s army in Medjez el Bab in May 1943 . Rommel was already evacuated from the African theater in February 1943 , admitted to a hospital in Germany . On April 7 , 1943 , at the end of the fighting , the fate and history records a fact that would try to change the fate of the Second World War . An English fighter - bomber , dives and reaches the car of Lt . Col . Stauffenberg ( Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg ) , who commanded a retreat . The same falls seriously wounded and rescued immediately by a hospital car that accompanied the withdrawal . The men of the 90th Panzergrenadier Division ( Armored Artillery Regiment 90 ) , accompanied him without knowing that the man later to join the German resistance and joined history . Surrender . On the afternoon of May 12 , 1943 General von Arnim , Commander in Chief of the Afrika Korps gave the enemy the capitulation of Army Group and the Afrika Korps . General Hans Cramer sent his last message : To Wermatch high command " . Ammunition fired until the end , weapons and equipment destroyed . Afrika Korps , under the orders fought until the end . The Afrika Korps will be reborn . Signed Cramer . " On 12 May at 18 : 00 the 90th Light Africa Division capitulated . On 13 May at 11 : 00 the 164th Light Afrika Division laid down its arms . At the end of 130 , 000 German soldiers were arrested , 18 , 594 were buried back in Egypt , Libya and Tunisia , more than 3 , 400 missing . The number of Germans who had ended his days , and during flights over the Mediterranean or on the seabed is still unknown . The Italian authorities indicate a figure of 13 , 748 dead , 8 , 821 of these are in addition to missing He surrendered to the Allies on May 12 , 1943 , on the outskirts of Tunis , in Tunisia today , 773 days after the start of an offensive that put the Allied forces in North Africa on their knees , the legendary Afrika Corps capitulated . " Afrika Korps " Marching Songs . 1st song : Panzer rollen in Afrika vor / Heiß über Afrikas Boden Translation 2nd Song : " " Unser Rommel " " ( " Our Rommel " ) 1 . Translation of verse 1 2 . Translation of verse 2 3 . Translation of verse 3