Panzer Army Africa

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{{Short description|German-Italian armed forces division in North Africa during WWII}}
{{Redirect|Panzer Armee Afrika|the wargame|Panzer Armee Afrika (board game)}}
{{more footnotes|date=March 2022}}

As the number of [[Wehrmacht|German troops]] committed to the [[North African Campaign]] of [[World War II]] grew from the initial commitment of a small corps, the [[Nazi Germany|Germans]] developed a more elaborate command structure and placed the enlarged ''[[Afrika Korps]]'', with [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)|Italian]] units under this new German command and a succession of commands were created to manage [[Axis powers|Axis]] forces in Africa:
* '''Panzer Group Africa''', ({{lang|de|Panzergruppe Afrika}}, {{lang|it|Gruppo Corazzato Africa}}) August 1941 – January 1942; German-Italian force
* '''Panzer Army Africa''', ({{lang|de|Panzerarmee Afrika}}, {{lang|it|Armata Corazzata Africa}}) January–October 1942
* '''German-Italian Panzer Army''', ({{lang|de|Deutsch-Italienische Panzerarmee}}, {{lang|it|Armata Corazzata Italo-Tedesca}}) October 1942 – February 1943
* '''Army Group Africa''', ({{lang|de|Heeresgruppe Afrika}}, {{lang|it|Gruppo d'Armate Africa}}) February–May 1943

==History==
===Panzer Group Africa===
When the {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}} was formed on 11 January 1941 it was subordinated to the Italian chain of command in Africa. In the middle of 1941 [[Oberkommando der Wehrmacht]] (OKW, Armed Forces High Command) created a larger command structure in Africa, forming a new headquarters, '''Panzer Group Africa''' ({{lang|de|Panzergruppe Afrika}}, {{lang|it|Gruppo Corazzato Africa}}). On 15 August 1941, Panzer Group Africa was activated with newly promoted {{lang|de|[[General der Panzertruppe]]}} [[Erwin Rommel]] in command. The Panzer Group controlled the {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}} and other units that were sent to Africa (notably the [[90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|90th Light Infantry Division]]), and the Italian X Corps and XX Corps.

===Panzer Army Africa===
Panzer Group Africa was renamed '''Panzer Army Africa''' ({{lang|de|Panzerarmee Afrika}}, {{lang|it|Armata Corazzata Africa}}) on 30 January 1942. (A German Panzer group was an army-level headquarters. As the war progressed all of the Panzer groups were renamed Panzer Armies.)

===German-Italian Panzer Army===
Panzer Army Africa was renamed ''German-Italian Panzer Army''' ({{lang|de|Deutsch-Italienische Panzerarmee}}, {{lang|it|Armata Corazzata Italo-Tedesca}}) in October 1942 during the long retreat after the defeat at the [[Second Battle of El Alamein]] during the [[Western Desert Campaign]].

===Army Group Africa===
In February 1943, the headquarters was expanded and called '''Army Group Africa''' ({{lang|de|Heeresgruppe Afrika}}, {{lang|it|Gruppo d'Armate Africa}}) to manage the defence of [[Tunisia]] during the final stages of the [[North African Campaign]]. Army Group Africa included the [[5th Panzer Army|German Fifth Panzer Army]] ({{lang|de|5. Panzerarmee}}) and the Italian [[First Army (Italy)|1st Army]]. Command of the Army Group was turned over from [[Rommel]] to [[Hans-Jürgen von Arnim]] in March. He surrendered the Army Group on 13 May 1943, ending the Axis presence in Africa.

==Order of battle==
Throughout its existence, this headquarters controlled the {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}} and for most of its life it controlled a number of other German and Italian units as well. Not all German units in Africa subordinate to the {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}}, some were reserves for the Panzer Army and some were occasionally subordinated to Italian armies or corps. The following overview of its components is taken from ''lexikon-der-wehrmacht de'', with dates corrected (see references).

===Panzer Group Africa (Rommel)===
* As of September 1941: (during Rommel's first push into the [[Western Desert Campaign|Western Desert]])
** {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}}
** [[X Army Corps (Italy)|X Army Corps]]
** [[XX Army Corps (Italy)|XX Army Corps]]
** [[55th Infantry Division "Savona"]]

===Panzer Army Africa (Rommel)===
* As of January 1942: (during Rommel's second push into the Western Desert)
** {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}}
** [[X Army Corps (Italy)|X Army Corps]]
** [[XX Army Corps (Italy)|XX Army Corps]]
** [[XXI Army Corps (Italy)|XXI Corpo]]
** [[90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|90th ''Leichte Afrika'' Division]]
** 55th Infantry Division "Savona"
* As of April 1942: (before and during the Gazala battles and the [[Siege of Tobruk]])
** {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}}
** [[X Army Corps (Italy)|X Army Corps]]
** [[XX Army Corps (Italy)|XX Army Corps]]
** [[XXI Army Corps (Italy)|XXI Army Corps]]
** German 90th ''Leichte Afrika'' Division
* As of August 1942: (in the lead up to the [[Battle of Alam el Halfa]]){{cn|date=January 2022}}
** {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}}
** [[X Army Corps (Italy)|X Army Corps]]
** [[XX Army Corps (Italy)|XX Army Corps]]
** [[XXI Army Corps (Italy)|XXI Army Corps]]
** [[133rd Armored Division "Littorio"]]

===German-Italian Panzer Army (Rommel)===
* As of November 1942: (during the withdrawal from the Western Desert)
** {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}}
** [[X Army Corps (Italy)|X Army Corps]]
** [[XX Army Corps (Italy)|XX Army Corps]]
** [[XXI Army Corps (Italy)|XXI Army Corps]]
** German 90th ''Leichte Afrika'' Division
** [[17th Infantry Division "Pavia"]]
** [[136th Armored Division "Giovani Fascisti"]]
* February 1943: (defending southern Tunisia)
** {{lang|de|Afrika Korps}}
** [[XX Army Corps (Italy)|XX Army Corps]]
** [[XXI Army Corps (Italy)|XXI Army Corps]]
** German [[German 164th Infantry Division|164th Light Division]]
** German [[Ramcke Parachute Brigade]]

===Army Group Africa===
From February 1943:
* [[5th Panzer Army|German 5th Panzer Army]] ({{lang|de|5. Panzerarmee}}) (Northern Tunisia)
** [[Division Hermann Göring]]
** [[Division von Broich/von Manteuffel|Division von Manteuffel]]
** [[10th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|10th Panzer Division]]
** [[334th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|334th Infantry Division]]
** [[999th Light Afrika Division (Wehrmacht)|999th Light Division]]
** Italian [[1st Infantry Division "Superga"]]
* Italian [[1st Army (Italy)|1st Army]] (Southern Tunisia)
** [[16th Motorized Division "Pistoia"]]
** [[101st Motorized Division "Trieste"]]
** [[131st Armored Division "Centauro"]]
** [[136th Armored Division "Giovani Fascisti"]]
** German [[15th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|15th Panzer Division]]
** German [[21st Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|21st Panzer Division]]
** German [[90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|90th Light Division]]
** German [[164th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|164th Light Division]]

==Commanders==
{{Officeholder table start
| showorder = y
| showimage = y
| officeholder_title = Commander
| showtermlenght = y
| showparty = n
| showdefencebranch = n
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 1
| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-018-13A, Erwin Rommel(brighter).jpg
| military_rank = ''Generaloberst''
| officeholder = [[Erwin Rommel]]
| officeholder_sort = Rommel, Erwin
| born_year = 1891
| died_year = 1944
| term_start = 1 September 1941
| term_end = 9 March 1942
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1941|09|01|1942|03|09}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 2
| image = Ludwig Cruwell.jpg
| military_rank = ''General der Panzertruppe''
| officeholder = [[Ludwig Crüwell]]
| officeholder_sort = Crüwell, Ludwig
| born_year = 1892
| died_year = 1958
| term_start = 9 March 1942
| term_end = 19 March 1942
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1942|03|09|1942|03|19}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = (1)
| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-018-13A, Erwin Rommel(brighter).jpg
| military_rank = ''Generalfeldmarschall''
| officeholder = [[Erwin Rommel]]
| officeholder_sort = Rommel, Erwin
| born_year = 1891
| died_year = 1944
| term_start = 19 March 1942
| term_end = 22 September 1942
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1942|03|19|1942|09|22}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 3
| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1980-009-34, Georg Stumme.jpg
| military_rank = ''General der Panzertruppe''
| officeholder = [[Georg Stumme]]
| officeholder_sort = Stumme, Georg
| born_year = 1886
| died_year = 1942
| died = y
| term_start = 22 September 1942
| term_end = 24 October 1942
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1942|09|22|1942|10|24}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = -
| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1972-083-25, Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma.jpg
| military_rank = ''Generalleutnant''
| officeholder = [[Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma]]
| officeholder_sort = Thoma, Wilhelm
| born_year = 1891
| died_year = 1948
| term_start = 24 October 1942
| term_end = 25 October 1942
| acting = y
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1942|10|24|1942|10|25}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = (1)
| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-018-13A, Erwin Rommel(brighter).jpg
| military_rank = ''Generalfeldmarschall''
| officeholder = [[Erwin Rommel]]
| officeholder_sort = Rommel, Erwin
| born_year = 1891
| died_year = 1944
| term_start = 25 October 1942
| term_end = 26 November 1942
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1942|10|25|1942|11|26}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 4
| image = Gustav Fehn.jpg
| military_rank = ''General der Panzertruppe''
| officeholder = [[Gustav Fehn]]
| officeholder_sort = Fehn, Gustav
| born_year = 1892
| died_year = 1945
| term_start = 26 November 1942
| term_end = 2 December 1942
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1942|11|26|1942|12|02}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = (1)
| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-018-13A, Erwin Rommel(brighter).jpg
| military_rank = ''Generalfeldmarschall''
| officeholder = [[Erwin Rommel]]
| officeholder_sort = Rommel, Erwin
| born_year = 1891
| died_year = 1944
| term_start = 2 December 1942
| term_end = 22 February 1943
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1942|12|02|1943|02|22}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 5
| image = Jurgen von Arnim.jpg
| military_rank = ''Generaloberst''
| officeholder = [[Hans-Jürgen von Arnim]]
| officeholder_sort = Arnim, Hans
| born_year = 1889
| died_year = 1962
| term_start = 10 March 1943
| term_end = 13 May 1943
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1943|03|10|1943|05|13}}
}}
{{Officeholder table end}}

==See also==
* [[List of World War II military units of Germany]]
* [[List of Italian divisions in World War II]]
* [[Panzer Division]]
* {{lang|de|[[Fliegerführer Afrika]]}}
* [[Hans von Luck]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{Army Groups Germany}}
{{Armies of the German Army}}
{{Subject bar
| portal1=Military of Germany
| portal2=World War II
}}

[[Category:North African campaign]]
[[Category:Western Desert campaign]]
[[Category:German units in Africa]]
[[Category:Panzer armies of Germany in World War II|PA]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1941]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1943]]
[[Category:Army groups of the German Army in World War II]]

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Panzer Army Africa