Osprey Elite 34 : Afrikakorps 1941-1943

So many battles of the Second World War were fought with such ferocity and disregard for basic humanity that many survivors of that time have only the most bitter memories of their wartime experiences. The campaign in North Africa between September 1940 and May 1943 holds not only an enduring fascination for postwar generations; but also a perhaps unique degree of nostalgia for some surviving participants. The campaign was no less costly in terms of human lives and material than many others; but regret at the cost is accompanied by positive memories in the minds of many veterans. This is not to suggest that the dead have been forgotten; but an almost mystical bond nevertheless exists, even between former enemies, amongst veterans of the desert campaign. Their memories seem to have a special quality not found among men who fought on other fronts, and enduring hatred is very rarely voiced. Gordon Williamson examines the history, organisation and uniforms of Rommel's Afrikakorps who fought in this vividly inhospitable battlefield, where the scorching, arid terrain by day became an equally unwelcoming, freezing world at night; where raging sandstorms could completely alter a landscape within just a few hours; and where countless flies, scorpions and sand vipers, to say nothing of open sores, jaundice and dysentery, could make life a complete misery. Accompanied by illustrations by Ron Volstad.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Campaign
• DAK Organisation
• The Major Formations
• Uniforms and Insignia
• The Plates