![]() Despite Von Manstein’s recent victory at Kharkov, only the most fanatical senior German commanders, along with Hitler, believed that the Soviet Union could be decisively defeated. With the third summer of the German-Soviet war approaching, the Red Army war machine had grown more powerful while that of the Germans proportionally declined. The Kursk salient was consequently the target of the last, great German summer offensive, ending with the legendary tank battles in the environs of Oboian and Prokhorovka. The front was left with a gargantuan Soviet salient, 150 miles long and 100 miles wide, bulging around the town of Kursk between the two German army groups. The thick “ rasputitsa” clung to steel tank tracks, to truck tires, to the hoofs of tired horses, and to the boots of exhausted soldiers. Operations everywhere then bogged down to a standstill as the Russian spring thawed the frozen earth and turned it to mud. Meanwhile, to the north of the Donets campaign, the Soviet winter offensive was held at bay before Orel by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge’s Army Group Center. Manstein’s brilliant counteroffensive restored the southern front and culminated in an SS frontal assault and a triumphant recapture of Kharkov. Fresh panzer formations sliced into the startled Soviet flanks, ripping apart two Soviet Fronts (Army Groups). Once the Soviet armor ran dry of fuel and low on ammunition, Manstein unleashed Army Group South’s riposte. At the time, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein was only waiting for the Soviets to overextend themselves. The Soviets seemed unstoppable, recapturing the major city of Kharkov from the Germans on February 14, 1943, roughly five months before the Battle of Kursk. German language article at Retrieved May 12, 2005.With the German Sixth Army destroyed at Stalingrad, the Soviet juggernaut lunged west and southwest across the River Donets. ![]() German language article at Retrieved May 7, 2005. " Panzergruppe Afrika / Panzerarmee Afrika / Deutsch-Italienische Panzerarmee".List of Italian divisions in World War II.List of World War II military units of Germany.As of February 1943: (defending southern Tunisia).Italian 136th Motorized Infantry Division Giovani Fascisti.As of November 1942: (during the withdrawal from the Western Desert).Order of battle of the German-Italian Panzer Army Italian 133rd Armored Division Littorio.As of August 1942: (in the lead up to the Battle of Alam el Halfa).As of April 1942: (before and during the Gazala battles and the Siege of Tobruk).Italian Corpo d'Armata di Manovra (Maneuver Corps).As of January 1942: (during Rommel's second push into the Western Desert).As of September 1941: (during Rommel's first push into the Western Desert).The following overview of its assets is taken from, with dates corrected (see references). Throughout its existence, this headquarters controlled the well-known Afrika Korps, and for most of its life it controlled a number of other German and Italian units as well. von Arnim surrendered the Army Group on, ending the Axis presence in Africa. Panzerarmee) in addition to the Italian 1st Army. Army Group Africa included the German Fifth Panzer Army ( 5. Command of the Army Group was turned over to Hans-Jürgen von Arnim in March. In February 1943, the headquarters was upgraded to Army Group Africa ( Heeresgruppe Afrika, Gruppo d'Armate Africa) to manage the defense of Tunisia during the final stages of the North African Campaign, its combat units-including the Afrika Korps-were turned over to the Italian 1st Army. Panzer Army Africa was redesignated as German-Italian Panzer Army ( Deutsch-Italienische Panzerarmee, 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. Panzer Group Africa was redesignated as Panzer Army Africa ( Panzerarmee Afrika, Armata Corazzata Africa) on 30 January 1942. The Panzer Group controlled the Afrika Korps plus some additional units that were sent to Africa (notably the 90th Light Infantry Division), as well as two Italian corps, X and XX. On 15 August 1941, Panzer Group Africa was activated with newly promoted Lieutenant-General ( General der Panzertruppe) Erwin Rommel in command. In the middle of 1941 the German Armed Forces High Command (German acronym OKW) created a larger command structure in Africa, forming a new headquarters called Panzer Group Africa ( Panzergruppe Afrika, Gruppo Corazzato Africa). When the Afrika Korps was formed on 11 January 1941 it was officially subordinated to the Italian chain of command in Africa. 5.4 Order of battle of Army Group Africa. ![]()
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