Rommel Visiting the Sollum Front

Image size: 900 x 1258 pixel. 924 KB
Date: Wednesday, 2 July 1941
Place: Halfaya Pass, Sollum, Libya
Photographer: Fritz Sturm

Together with his staff officers, on 2 July 1941 General der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel (left, Kommandierender General Deutsches Afrikakorps) made a visit to the headquarters of I.Bataillon / Schützen-Regiment 104 / 15.Panzer-Division in the Sollum front, which is on the border Libya-Egypt. During this visit, in particular "Der Wüstenfuchs" (The Desert Fox) congratulated the commander of the battalion, Hauptmann der Reserve Wilhelm Bech (walking at the forefront with Rommel), who in the battle a month earlier managed to withstand the British tank forces who were trying to break through the Halfaya Pass in order to free their comrades who were besieged in Tobruk, in a mass attack codenamed Operation Battleaxe (15-17 June 1941). For three full days Bach and his men endured wave after wave of enemy tank attacks, with only a platoon of Flak 88 cannons as their main weapon. Although Rommel himself had ordered the Bataillonskommandeur to retreat to a more adequate defensive location "if possible", Bach interpreted his commander's last words in the opposite direction: a counterattack that succeeded in repelling the British troops! For this phenomenal achievement, Bach - who is a former priest (!) - was awarded the prestigious Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on July 9, 1941, just a week after this photo was taken. The Flak 88 itself was originally an anti-aircraft gun, but it can be just as good when it comes to hitting tank targets on the ground. BTW, in April 1941 - which was only one month after Rommel arrived in North Africa - German forces managed to defeat the invading British army and driven it out of Libya, except for one stubborn ANZAC garrison which remained in the port city of Tobruk (despite being besieged by a combined force of Italian and German Afrikakorps). Over the next year, the re-capture of Tobruk became Rommel's biggest obsession, because without it all German efforts to conquer Egypt would be vulnerable. When the port city was finally occupied in June 1942, a grateful Hitler rewarded Rommel with an extraordinary promotion to Generalfeldmarschall.

Source:
https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/search?filter_group=all&filter_region=GBR&filter_text=Erwin%20Rommel

First German POWs in North Africa

 

Image size: 1600 x 1531 pixel. 893 KB
Date: Thursday, 17 April 1941
Place: Tobruk, Libya, North Africa
Photographer: Unknown

Men of the Australian 9th Infantry Division guard Italians and some of the first German prisoners to be taken during the war in North Africa, after Rommel's first unsuccessful assault on Tobruk, 17 April 1941. If we are talking about Heer Division, it was the 5. leitche-Division during the 1st Siege of Tobruk that was on 10-14 April 1941. However, on the 2nd Siege of Tobruk from 30 April to 7 May 1941 it was a mix between the elements of the 5.leichte-Division and the newly arrived 15. Panzer-Division (except for Panzer-Regiment 8 that was not involved yet). BTW, if someone asking: Why are their heads bowed? It is actually a basic techniek of not to look your captors in their eyes, state only your name and number. Look what happened at Malmedy: at the Nuremberg Trials the SS Soldiers stated in their defense that the American POW’s looked at them tauntingly almost staring them down ... we all know how that ended for the Americans! 

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4981605118546865&set=gm.2563691697254982
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205205791
http://menofwehrmacht.blogspot.com/2020/12/first-axis-pows-at-tobruk.html

Giraud and de Gaulle Shaking Hands at Casablanca Conference

Image size: 1600 x 1308 pixel. 666 KB
Date: Sunday, 24 January 1943
Place: Casablanca, Morocco
Artist: Lieutenant H.A. Mason

On 24 January 1943, the final day of Casablanca Conference, Morocco, the journalists assembled on the lawn behind Roosevelt’s villa. Four white chairs sat empty before the scrum of reporters. Shortly after noon, the door to the villa opened, and Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and Henri Giraud walked out, while Franklin Roosevelt was carried to his chair. The whirling of film and clicking of cameras quickly replaced the murmurs of disbelief.

“When the Press reporters saw us both they could scarcely believe their eyes, or, when they were told we had been there for nearly a fortnight, their ears,” wrote Churchill.

Roosevelt and Churchill hoped to bring the competing factions of the French resistance together in Casablanca, but their attempt proved futile. There would be no headlines touting a new, unified French war effort. But photographs showing American, British, and French leaders together would galvanize Allied propaganda efforts. As Giraud, Roosevelt, and Churchill traded small talk and offered occasional smiles for the cameras, a solemn-faced de Gaulle smoked a cigarette. A photographer wanted more—something that didn’t smack of a command performance—and urged Giraud and de Gaulle to shake hands. The generals ignored the suggestion, until the president prodded them. “Why not shake hands?” said Roosevelt. “You two Frenchmen are loyal to your country, and that warrants a cordial handshake anytime.”

They stood, de Gaulle pulling the cigarette from his mouth and holding it to the side, and managed a fleeting handshake. Unable to capture the moment, the photographers called for them to do it again. The second shake was no less awkward. After Giraud and de Gaulle departed, Churchill moved over to sit by Roosevelt and talk further with the reporters and war correspondents gathered before them. Roosevelt began by reading a background statement and then spoke from some notes for about fifteen minutes.

Source :
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/1943_en_France
https://www.gettyimages.com/search/2/image?family=editorial&phrase=giraud+de+gaulle
https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/casablanca-film-mit-humphrey-bogart-und-ingrid-bergman-a-1170512.html
https://time.com/5101354/churchill-fdr-casablanca-photo/

German Generals Captured in Tunisia

Video size: 00:00:48 - 5.40 MB
Date: Thursday, 13 May 1943
Place: Maison Blanche aerodrome, southeast of Algiers, Algeria
Cameraman: J.F. Gunn of U.K. War Office Film Unit

German high ranking officers arrested by the Allies in Tunisia were seen as having just arrived at Maison Blanche aerodrome, Algeria, on 13 May 1943. Their identities were later checked by the authorities. Afterwards, these generals boarded the plane that would take them to a temporary POW camp in England. Some faces that can be recognized include: General der Panzertruppe Gustav von Vaerst (Oberbefehlshaber 5. Panzerarmee. Arrested on 9 May 1943 in Bizerte), Generalleutnant Karl Bülowius (General der Pioniere Heeresgruppe "Africa" ​​und Kommandeur Panzer-Division "Von Manteuffel". Arrested on 9 May 1943 in Tunis), Generalleutnant Willibald Borowietz (Kommandeur 15. Panzer-Division. Arrested on 10 May 1943 in Tunis), Generalmajor Fritz Krause (Kommandeur 334. Infanterie-Division. Arrested on 9 May 1943 in Bizerte), Generalmajor der Luftwaffe Dipl.Ing. Gerhard Bassenge (Kommandant Festungsbezirks Tunis-Bizerte. Arrested on 9 May 1943 in Methelin), Generalmajor der Luftwaffe Georg Neuffer (Kommandeur 20. Flak-Division. Arrested on 10 May 1943 in Tunis), and Oberst im Generalstab August-Viktor von Quast (Chef des Generalstabes 5. Panzerarmee. Arrested on 9 May 1943 in Bizerte). Three of them were Ritterkreuzträger: Gustav von Vaerst, Willibald Borowietz and Georg Neuffer, while only one is Eichenlaubträger: Willibald Borowietz.

Source :
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060034955 

German Prisoners at Enfidaville Tunisia

Image size: 1522 x 1600 pixel. 110 KB
Date: Wednesday, 12 May 1943
Place: Enfidaville, Tunisia
Photographer: Unknown

Photo from 12 May 1943, Enfidaville, Germans surrendering to New Zealand troops. Mixed emotions printed on the faces of the prisoners and their captors. For some anger and disappointment, for others relief "their war was over." The battle of Enfidaville (19-21 April 1943) was the Eighth Army's last significant battle in North Africa, and saw them fail to break through unexpectedly tough Axis resistance in the mountainous terrain around Enfidaville. After forcing the Axis troops to abandon the Gabes Gap (6 April 1943) the Eighth Army pushed north further into Tunisia. Sfax fell on 10 April, and in the process Monty won a bet with Eisenhower that the port would fall by 15 April. His prize was a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, which he insisted on collecting and used as his personal transport for the rest of the war. X Corps captured Sousee on 12 April and reached the outskirts of Enfidaville on 13 April. This was the eastern end of the Axis 'Last Stand' line, which ran north-west from Enfidaville towards Pon de Fahs, Medjez el Bab and Sedjenane. On 20 and 21 April there were heavy counterattacks, led by General Bayerlein, the commander of the German forces in the 1st Italian Army. The British were able to take Takrouna and part of Djebel Garci, twelve miles inland, but at heavy cost. The counterattacks and the heavy losses inland helped convince Montgomery that there was no point going on with the battle. The defenders had a series of strong positions, and were clearly willing to fight to hold onto them. On 21 April the Eighth Army attack was suspended, although at that point the plan was to renew the attack along the coast after four days.

Source :
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_enfidaville.html
http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/history-research-third-reich-ww2/you-war-over-period-photos-german-pows-686919/

Captured Afrikakorps after the Battle of Sened

Image size: 1600 x 1041 pixel. 212 KB
Date: Saturday, 27 February 1943
Place: Sened Station, Gafsa Governorate, Tunisia
Photographer: Unknown

This photo shows four captive prisoners of the famed German Afrikakorps that caught in the attack of the US forces (from the 168th Infantry Regiment) to the German-Italian defense position around the Sened train station, southern Tunisia, on February 27, 1943. They are all under 25 years old, while unarmed soldiers told the Allied guards that he was only 20. The position of the Axis defense forces in Sened itself was finally captured by the American troops on March 21, 1943 after going through a fierce battle. In the end, 152 German and Italian soldiers became prisoners of war (including an Italian general). Meanwhile, the same number was also recorded for those who were killed and injured. The capture of Sened Station has paved the way for American forces to master the next larger target: City of Maknassy. In addition, this success was very meaningful for the 168th Infantry Regiment (led by Colonel Thomas Drake), because this were their very first battle against the Axis forces!

Source :
https://wehrmachtss.blogspot.com/2019/05/tawanan-afrikakorps-dalam-pertempuran.html

German Tank Crew Surrendered to New Zealand Troops

Image size: 1600 x 1158 pixel. 64.3 KB
Date: Wednesday, 3 December 1941
Place: Near Tobruk, Cyrenaica, Libya
Photographer: Unknown

A captured Matilda put into use by the German forces, is recaptured and its crew taken prisoner by New Zealand troops, 3 December 1941 during Operation Crusader. On 18 November 1941, Operation Crusader was launched to lift the Siege of Tobruk (the third such attack), under the command of General Alan Cunningham and the New Zealand 2nd Division (integrated into the British Eighth Army) took part in the offensive, crossing the Libyan frontier into Cyrenaica. Operation Crusader was an overall success for the British, although Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps inflicted heavy armour and infantry losses before its weakened and under supplied units retreated to El Agheila and halted the British advance. The New Zealand troops were the ones to relieve Tobruk after fighting around Sidi Rezegh, where Axis tanks had inflicted heavy casualties against the several New Zealand infantry battalions, protected by very little of their own armour. In February, 1942, With Crusader completed, the New Zealand government insisted that the Division be withdrawn to Syria to recover - 879 men were killed and 1700 wounded in Operation Crusader, the most costly battle the Division fought in the Second World War!

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_II
http://www.privateletters.net/allies_newzealand.html

Italian Troops March Past Mussolini Poster in Ethiopia

Image size: 1600 x 931 pixel. 317 KB
Date: Wednesday, 1 January 1936
Place: Ethiopia
Photographer: Unknown

Italian troops march past billboard of Fascist Dictator Benito Mussolini during 1936 invasion. Humiliated by a defeat at Adwa by Ethiopian troops in 1896, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie was one of the few African leaders who ruled without European colonial interference. Yet, Ethiopia was heavily influenced by Italy. Fueled by the need for revenge and expansion by colonization, Mussolini sent his newly mechanized legions under the command of Comando Supremo (Itallian Army) Field Marshal Rodolfo Graziani across the Abyssinian border from Italian Somaliland and Eritrea on October 3, 1935. In 3 days Adwa was engulfed. By November Italians were 80 miles into Abyssinia. Resistance was heavy throughout the country. Graziani destroyed the Intelligentsia, and killed many Coptics in reprisal for partisan attacks. Field Marshal Pietro Badoglio (1871-1956) took command later in 1935 and immediately ordered gas attacks to quell the unrest. On May 5, 1936, the Italian army marched into the capital of Addis Ababa and Ethiopia surrendered. On June 30, 1936, Selassie, who escaped the invading Italians, spoke before the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in protest of the attack, despite Italian attempts to interrupt his speech. "It is us today. It will be you tomorrow." he warned. The League of Nations condemned Italy's aggression and imposed minor economic sanctions in November 1935. Under the Neutrality Act, the United States stopped arms trade with both sides on October 5 and tried to limit exports of oil and other materials to normal peacetime levels on February 29, 1936. On October 9, 1935, the United States, not part of the League, refused to cooperate with any League action. The League sanctions were lifted on July 4, 1936 when Italian East Africa, Africa Orientale Italiana (AOI), was formed by Italy. in 1940, AOI was virtually isolated from Italy: the maritime transports were totally cut off, and supplies could arrive only from air, although always in dismal quantities. On March 27, 1941 the stronghold of Cheren was captured by the British troops after a strenuous defence from general Orlando Lorenzini. Eritrea was lost when the town of Massaua surrendered on April 8. The war was effectively lost on May 1941, when the Fascists at Amba Alagi under viceroy Amedeo di Savoia surrendered in face of overwhelming Allied troops. The last Italian force under General Guglielmo Nasi at Gondar surrendered on November 28, 1941.

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii107

British SAS Just Back From a Three Month Patrol

Image size: 1600 x 1426 pixel. 493 KB
Date: Monday, 18 January 1943
Place: North Africa
Photographer: Captain Keating from No.1 Army Film & Photography Unit

A close-up of a heavily-armed patrol of 'L' Detachment SAS in their jeeps with their twin-mounted Vickers K machine guns, just back from a three month patrol, 18 January 1943. Lieutenant Edward MacDonald sits in the wheel (foreground) with Corporal Bill Kennedy, while the driver in the second jeep is Private Malcolm Mackinnon. The crews of the jeeps are all wearing 'Arab-style' headdress (kafiyeh), as copied from the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG). The officer at the wheel of the nearest jeep has a Sykes-Fairbairn commando knife on his left hip, and insignia on his shoulder and left breast, including the operational 'SAS' wings. The jeeps all have modified radiator/condenser systems rigged, and many jerrycans of water and petrol mounted on the bonnet, sides, and in the rear of the body. The patrol leader's jeep mounts twin Vickers K .303 guns; the central jeep, twin and single Vickers guns at front and rear; and the furthest one, a .50cal. Browning - apparently an aircraft weapon - at the front and twin Vickers at the rear. Note: They are using the American-built Willys Jeeps, instead of the far less-reliable British Land Rover! The famed Special Air Service (SAS) of the British Army was formed in July 1941 by David Stirling. It was a commando force designed to operate deep behind enemy lines,something it did very successfully. Specially adapted vehicles were used in North Africa, including the famous 4×4 1/4-ton Truck, though heavily modified for its behind-the-lines role. The vehicle began appearing in July 1942. They were generally stripped down to save weight and, for operations in the hot climate,the grill was removed and a water condenser fitted. Weapons such as Lewis and Vickers K machine guns were mounted for use against ground or aerial targets.

Source:

Photograph E 21337 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-32)

http://www.afv-news.com/2013/05/sas-14-ton-4x4-patrol-car/

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205196152

General Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma Surrender to Bernard Montgomery

Image size: 1600 x 1304 pixel. 513 KB
Date: Wednesday, 4 November 1942
Place: Tel el Mampsra, El Alamein, Egypt
Photographer: Unknown

General der Panzertruppe Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma (Kommandierender General Deutsche Afrika Korps) saluting his captor following his surrender to Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery (Commander of the British Eighth Army). On 4 November 1942, von Thoma was captured by the British at the hill of Tel el Mampsra, west of El Alamein, Egypt. With his tank hit several times and on fire, von Thoma dismounted and stood quietly amongst a sea of burning tanks and the German dead scattered around the small hill where he was taken prisoner by Captain Grant Allen Singer of the 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own), nickname "Bakers Light Bobs". Rommel later opined that von Thoma was probably seeking his death in battle while other staff officers quietly speculated that he went to the front to deliberately surrender, though there is really no evidence on this point one way or the other (Von Thoma was captured following his command of the defence of a hill feature in which his force was reduced to a collection of smouldering scrap). Back to the picture: glum though they look, it appears that in the same evening Monty and von Thoma went on to enjoy dinner together at Monty headquarters and discuss the battle.  B.H. Liddell Hart later recorded Von Thoma's shocked reaction to Montgomery's level of knowledge of the German situation and dispositions (derived, no doubt, from Ultra intercepts!): "I was staggered at the exactness of his knowledge… He seemed to know as much about our position as I did myself." Von Thoma was then taken to the Pyramids of Giza by his captors when he expressed regret that he would leave Egypt without seeing them. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill - who apparently developed a great respect for Von Thoma during his period of captivity - is said to have commented, "I sympathise with General von Thoma... Defeated, in captivity, and dinner with Montgomery !" BTW, the captor of Von Thoma, Captain Singer (born in 1915), would died in the following day (5 November 1942) during the Second Battle of El Alamein (read the news HERE).

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Ritter_von_Thoma

http://www.stanford.edu/group/auden/cgi-bin/auden/individual.php?pid=I4181&ged=auden-bicknell.ged&view=preview

http://ww2gravestone.com/general/thoma-wilhelm-ritter-von

http://www.ww2incolor.com/german/vonthomamonty.html

Rommel With 15. Panzer-Division Between Tobruk and Sidi Omar

Image size: 1600 x 1146 pixel. 300 KB
Date: Monday, 24 November 1941
Place: Between Tobruk and Sidi Omar, Libya
Photographer: Kriegsberichter Ernst A. Zwilling (KB-Kp. Lw. 7) (KB-Zug Lw. 18)

General der Panzertruppe Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (Kommandierender General Panzergruppe "Afrika") with the 15. Panzer-Division between Tobruk and Sidi Omar. Libya, November 24,1941. A tired and dispirited "Desert Fox" stands in the front of his Horch staff car during the great retreat after his momentarily defeat by the British in the Crusader offensive. The vehicle in th background is an SdKfz 260 armoured radio vehicle from the HQ signals unit. After Operation Battleaxe failed to relieve the siege of Tobruk in June 1941, British General Archibald Wavell was replaced as Commander-in-Chief Middle East by General Claude Auchinleck. Lieutenant General Cunningham, fresh from victory in East Africa, was given command of the new 8th Army, comprising 13th Corps, supplemented by a New Zealand division, and 30th Corps, incorporating South African troops. The Australian division garrisoning Tobruk was replaced by 70th Division, incorporating Polish troops. Rommel now headed the expanded Panzergruppe Afrika, incorporating the Deutsches Afrika Korps; he also had operational control over three Italian divisions. On 18 November, 30th Corps advanced through the southern desert, aiming to engage and destroy enemy tanks before turning north west to rendezvous with a breakout at Tobruk. By 21 November, both 30th Corps and 70th Division were pinned down by the artillery of Rommel's 90th Light Division. The situation was saved by the advance of 13th Corps, which began engaging enemy positions along the coast on 22 November; by 26 November 13th Corps' New Zealand Division had cleared a corridor between Tobruk and 30th Corps. Auchinleck now replaced Cunningham with Ritchie. The Deutsches Afrika Korps withdrew on 6 December, creating a new front line at Gazala, west of Tobruk. In December further skirmishes in western Cyrenaica, with heavy British losses, were followed by German withdrawal to Tripolitania. However, this apparently favourable British position was undermined by inadequate forward defences and an unrealistic assessment of Rommel's intentions. A massive and apparently unexpected counter attack in January destroyed British positions in the south and west, bringing Rommel back to Gazala. The gains of Operation Crusader had proved to be painfully limited.

Source:

NARA (National Archives) Identifier 540148 / Local Identifier 242-EAPC-6(M713a)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a1124993.shtml

Panzer IVs Pass Knocked Out Universal Carrier

Image size: 1600 x 1066 pixel. 437 KB
Date: Wednesday, 1 July 1942
Place: North Africa
Photographer: Unknown

Two Deutsche Afrikakorps Panzer IV ausf F including turmnummer (turret number) 413 pass a knocked-out captured Carden Lloyd Universal Carrier Mark 1 serial number T33417 armed with a Boys .55 caliber (13.9mm) anti-tank gun. The Universal Carrier is painted in the Caunter camouflage scheme, which used grey, blue, black, sand, and brown paint, or whatever was available, to form straight angular lines that were thought to "dazzle" whomever saw the vehicle in the desert, making it hard to judge size and distance. The Carrier has a Nazi flag over it to prevent an air attack by friendly German aircraft; this was common practice to mark captured vehicles with the Swastika flag. Panzerarmee Afrika had more captured vehicles than most other German units, because of lack of supplies. The Panzer IVs, especially the early ausf G models with a longer 75mm KwK 40 L/43 (3 inch) gun, contributed greatly to the Germans' mobility and firepower. Only the M3 Grant/Lee and the M4 Sherman tanks were able to penetrate their armor, and often only with a shot to the rear. The British cruiser tanks and the American M3 Stuart were totally unable to stop the Panzer IV. The Panzer IV ausf G could stop any Allied tank before the tank was in range. The British called the ausf G the "Mark IV Special." After the war the early versions were called the ausf F2. At the second Battle of El Alamein, Rommel had eight Panzer IVs with 75mm KwK 37 L/24 gun and 30 Panzer IV with a long 75mm KwK 40 L/43 gun. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0137

General Montgomery Planning the Final Assault on Tripoli

Image size: 1600 x 1582 pixel. 442 KB
Date: Friday, 22 January 1943
Place: Outside Tripoli, Libya
Photographer: Sergeant Silverside from No. 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit

General Bernard Law "Monty" Montgomery (17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), left, with other officers planning the final assault on Tripoli beside a Humber Mk II armoured car, 22 January 1943. On the next day, The British 8th Army, under the command of General Montgomery, captured Tripoli from Italy. The Italian Governor, Alberto Denti di Piranjo, formally surrendered to the British, relinquishing Italian control of Libya that had started in 1912. This was part of a series of battles that initially started with the Italian occupation of Ethiopia. This thrust was eventually supported by the German Afrikakorps in the hope that the whole of North Africa would be occupied by the Axis forces, ultimately denying the Allies access to the reserves of labour and raw materials in the North African/ Middle Eastern Region. However, during the British Liberation of Tripoli, Germany was deeply involved on a second war front, with Russia. This meant that a depleted Germany force fought in North Africa, and the manoeuvres by Rommel amounted to slightly more than a series of fighting retreats. Each encounter further diminished the Axis' reserves of men and material, while the Allies received reinforcements every day. This was to lead to the ultimate defeat of the Axis forces in the North Africa. Among the Colonies that fought on the side of the British/Allies, were South Africa, New Zealand, Senegal and Australia.

Source:

Imperial War Museums, Catalogue number E 21450

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205204070

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N of Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501

Image size: 1600 x 961 pixel. 482 KB
Date: Friday, 1 January 1943
Place: Tunisia
Photographer: Unknown

The commander of a Panzerkampfwagen III ausf N medium tank stands on his turret to locate targets. After Operation Torch landed 225,000 Allied soldiers in North Africa, the Germans and Italians built up their forces. During November 1942 transports brought to the ports of Tunis and Bizerte 176 tanks, 131 artillery pieces, 1,152 vehicles, and 13,000 tons of supplies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 (Heavy Tank Battalion 501) arrived in Tunisia between November 23, 1942 and early January 1943. To assist their Tiger Is with reconnaissance and anti-infantry duties, the Panzer III ausf Ns (Sturmpanzer IIIs) were sent along. Their 75mm short-barreled guns were excellent infantry support weapons, and their speed and reliability rendered effective assistance to the high-maintenance Tigers. By Christmas Day 1942 twelve Tiger Is and sixteen Panzer IIIs were in Tunisia, and after the occupation of Southern France and the rest of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 arrived, the twenty Tiger Is were slowly whittled down by offensive operations. By March 10, 1943 only six of the heavy tanks and twelve of the mediums were operational. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 and 504 were merged on March 17. On May 12, the remaining units surrendered to the Allies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 was reformed by elements that were flown out before the collapse and fought on the Eastern Front. Date and location estimated. 

Source:

http://www.tiif.de/print.php?threadid=440

Panzerkampfwagen IVs of the Afrika Korps

Image size: 1600 x 1159 pixel. 345 KB
Date: Thursday, 1 May 1941
Place: Libya
Photographer: Unknown

A column of Panzerkampfwagen IVs on the move. The date is estimated; some of the men appear to be wearing the tropical hat (tropenhelm) first issued in 1941. The Deutsches Afrika Korps (German Africa Corps) had the 15. Panzer-Division and the 5. Leichte (Light) Division (later designated the 21. Panzer-Division) as their primary armored formation. Both of the divisions landed in Tripoli, Libya in February through May of 1941. The Afrika Korps was attached to Panzergruppe Afrika (August 15, 1941) and then Panzerarmee Afrika (January 30, 1942) and later the 5. Panzerarmee (December 8, 1942) and finally Heeresgruppe Afrika (Army Group Afrika) on February 23, 1943. They were involved in fighting the British 8th Army from 1941-1943 and then after the Torch Landings in November 1942 the Americans. Both divisions were completely shattered during the fighting, and surrendered on May 13, 1943. The divisions were reconstituted in Germany and continued to fight until the end of the war. 

Source:

Signal Magazine

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii127

Panzerkampfwagen III in Libya

Image size: 1600 x 1217 pixel. 455 KB
Date: Saturday, 1 March 1941
Place: Libya
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III ausf H stops to check Allied positions or make a navigation reference. In October of 1940, the Panzer III ausf H entered production, with the battle experience in France and North Africa influencing the design. 308 were produced by MAN, Alkett, Henschel, Wegmann, MNH and MIAG until April of 1941. Ausf H featured a newly designed turret to mount a 50mm gun with a single 30mm armored rear plate. Additional armor plates were added to defeat the Soviet 45mm, American 37mm and British 2-pounder (40mm) anti-tank guns. The Panzer III formed the bulk of German armor during the Western Desert Campaign (June 10, 1940 - July 27, 1942). Most were ausf G, but the ausf H with a more powerful 50mm gun and mechanical reliability was better suited to desert fighting. Date estimated. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii126

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N Unloaded in North Africa

Image size: 1157 x 1600 pixel. 770 KB
Date: Monday, 23 November 1942
Place: Bizerte, Wilāyat Binzart, Tunisia
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III ausf N medium tanks are unloaded form a transport. After Operation Torch landed 225,000 Allied soldiers in North Africa, the Germans and Italians built up their forces. During November 1942 transports brought to the ports of Tunis and Bizerte 176 tanks, 131 artillery pieces, 1,152 vehicles, and 13,000 tons of supplies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 (Heavy Tank Battalion 501) arrived in Tunisia between November 23, 1942 and early January 1943. To assist their Tiger Is with reconnaissance and anti-infantry duties, the Panzer III ausf Ns (Sturmpanzer IIIs) were sent along. Their 75mm short-barreled guns were excellent infantry support weapons, and their speed and reliability rendered effective assistance to the high-maintenance Tigers. By Christmas Day 1942 12 Tiger Is and 16 Panzer IIIs were in Tunisia, and after the occupation of Southern France and the rest of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 arrived, the twenty Tiger Is were slowly whittled down by offensive operations. By March 10, 1943 only six of the heavy tanks and twelve of the mediums are operational. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 and 504 were merged on March 17. On May 12, the remaining units surrendered to the Allies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 was reformed by elements that were flown out before the collapse and fought on the Eastern Front. Date and location estimated. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii125

M3 Stuart Light Tank in North Africa

Image size: 1600 x 1247 pixel. 523 KB
Date: Friday, 1 January 1943
Place: North Africa
Photographer: Unknown

American Late production M3 light tank with a D58101 version welded turret. These late production M3s were called "Stuart Hybrids" by the British. Note that it still has the sponson (side mounted) machine guns and welded hull construction. There is a star atop the turret for aircraft recognition. The sponsons were remotely fired by the driver, but were found to have limited use and were deleted in the M3A1 model. The M3 light tank - named "Stuart" by the British and nicknamed "Honey" by their crews because of its need for low maintenance and high speed - first fought in the North African desert in November 1941 in Operation Crusader. While the Stuarts broke down less than British tanks, they had limited range, firepower, and lacked sufficient armor protection. The riveted construction broke apart when hit, sending shrapnel around the turret. The gasoline engine required high octane and was prone to fire when hit. The Americans first used them against the Japanese in the Philippines; they were successful against the lightly armed and armored Japanese tanks throughout World War II. Large numbers accompanied the 1st Armored Division when it landed in North Africa during Operation Torch on November 8, 1942. With five .30 caliber (7.62mm) Browning machine guns and a 37mm (1.46 inch) main gun, the M3 looked like a potent armored fighting vehicle on paper and the 1st Armored had initial successes with hit-and-run tactics against soft targets in Algeria. However, when the 1st Armored M3s encountered the heavier German Panzer IIIs and IVs at the Battle of Kasserine Pass in February 1943, the M3's 37mm shells bounced off their German adversaries. The Germans captured large numbers of American vehicles, including M3 light tanks, and were contemptuous of the Americans' equipment. The light tank regiments were disbanded and a company of light tanks attached to the new medium tank companies that were building up. Despite being obsolete, the M3, M3A1 and M5 variants continued to serve with Britain, Australia Soviet Union and the United States throughout the war. 25,000 M3s were built, including a moderately successful infantry assault gun, the M8 75mm (3 inch) howitzer version. Date and location estimated. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0079

M13/40 of Italian XX Armored Corps in North Africa

Image size: 1600 x 1103 pixel. 397 KB
Date: Thursday, 1 January 1942
Place: Somewhere in North Africa
Photographer: Kriegsberichter Leutnant Erwin Seeger from XI. Fliegerkorps

A Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 of XX Armored Corps. XX Corps, consisting of the Ariete and Littorio Armored Divisions and the Trieste Motorized Division, (formerly the Corpo d'Armata di Manovra) was the Italian counterpart to Rommel's Afrika Korps. While the main body of the Italian Army was plagued by corrupt officers, anti-fascist elements, and low morale, the XX Corps was well regarded by Rommel, and despite being armed with increasingly outdated equipment, performed well during Rommel's offensive in early 1942, moving with the panzers through Libya into Egypt. At the First Battle of El Alamein, XX Corps lead the attack on the Ruwisat Ridge on July 3, 1942, because Afrika Korps had only twenty-six panzers left after three days of battle. XX Corps was utterly destroyed by the 2nd New Zealand Division supported by British tanks. Ariete Division was most severly mauled, losing almost all its guns. By July 8, 1942, the whole of the Italian Army had on hand fifty-four tanks and forty anti-tank guns, out of an authorized strength of 430 tanks and 120 anti-tank guns. Because Axis supply favored Italian units, XX Corps could mount combat operations during the second battle of El Alamein; it was mostly destroyed on November 4, 1942, when the Ariete Division's 120 obsolete tanks were ordered to stem the tide of the British advance. The M13/40s and even older designs lacked armor and firepower to stand up to the new American-built, British-crewed M3 Grant and M4 Sherman tanks and concentrated artillery. In an after-action report, the commander of the Ariete Division reported, "the Ariete tanks had to receive very hard blows without any chance to inflict any damage to the enemy." The remnants of XX Corps retreated with Rommel all the way to Tunisia, surrendering in May 1943. Rommel wrote in his diary, "In the Ariete we lost our oldest Italian comrades, from whom we had probably always demanded more than they, with their poor armament, had been capable of performing." The photographer, Erwin Seeger, was assigned to the Kriegsberichter (War Correspondent) Abteilung (unit) of the Fallschirmjäger (Paratrooper) Armeeoberkommando (Army High Command) at XI Fliegerkorps. German Army combat photographers also carried arms, and he fought in Arnhem during Operation Market-Garden in September 1944. A book of his North African photos, "Bilder eines Wustenkriegs: Der Afrikafeldzug Erwin Rommels aus der Sicht des Ebinger Kriegsberichterstatters Erwin Seeger" (Pictures of a Desert War: Erwin Rommel's Campaign in Africa from the Perspective of the War Reporter Erwin Seeger) was published in Germany in 2005. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0076

M13/40 Tanks of the VII Battaglione, Ariete Armored Division

Image size: 1600 x 1044 pixel. 471 KB
Date: Monday, 24 March 1941
Place: Misrata (Misratah/Misurata), northwestern Libya
Photographer: Unknown

Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 tanks of the VII Battaglione, 32 Reggimento Carri, Ariete Armored Division just before the Axis advance on El-Agheila. After the Italian Tenth Army was destroyed in Operation Compass (December 8, 1940-March 21, 1941) General Erwin Rommel and the units known as the Afrika Korps were sent to North Africa. Ordered to stabilize and hold the line, he immediately launched a counter-offensive. After taking El-Agheila (March 24), Mersa Brega (April 1), Benghazi (April 3), capturing XIII Corps commander General Sir Richard O'Connor (April 6), Mechili (April 7) and approaching Tobruk (April 11), encircling and besieging it. His German-Italian forces had maneuvered some 500 kilometers (310 miles) in combat operations, according to VII Battaglione commander S. Andreani. In his after action report, he found fault with the M13/40, which had recently become available. He found the engine underpowered, the armor too weak to withstand Allied guns, and the moving parts (like the turret and running gear) were prone to failing in contact with sand. The armor cracked when hit and the riveted construction caused the bolts to turn into shrapnel inside the tank. His men lacked enough training, and because of a two-year enlistment in the Italian Army, VII Battaglione lacked experienced tankers to train new replacements, most men having only twenty-five days of training. Despite the lack of reliability in their vehicles, the Italians and their M13/40s accompanied Rommel into Tobruk in June 1942. The M13/40 was given a new engine in 1941 and designated the M14/41, which solved some of the problems but it was obsolete compared to the M3 Grant and M4 Sherman available to the Allies. The M13/M14 served throughout World War II. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0075