Casemate's Afrikakorps at War 1941-43, reviewed by Scott Van Aken

Casemate's Afrikakorps at War 1941-43

Author/Artists:	George & Simon Forty
Publisher/Distributor	Casemate
Price	$45.00 MSRP from Casemate
Reviewer:	Scott Van Aken
Notes:	256 pages, hardcover, over 350 photos and illustrations. 7x 10 inches. ISBN: 978-1-63624-635-2

This is another nicely done Casemate Illustrated Special editions and it covers the Afrika Korps in nearly two years of war back and forth across north Africa during WWII. Initially, it was the Italians who were facing the British in this theater of operations. While Italian soldiers were just as brave as the British, where they were lacking was in decent leadership and in sufficient modern equipment. Italy's army was more of a colonial force which was frequently adequate when they faced poorly equipped native forces. But when up against a modern western army, such as what the British had, they simply did not have what was needed to be succesful.

As a result of several major losses, the Italians looked to the Germans to help them out. North Africa has large areas of hard ground that is perfect for armored warfare. Most of the areas that can be defended are along the coast so it is fairly easy to outflank a unit. That being said, the Germans sent one of their premier tank commanders, Erwin Rommel, to head the German effort. Soon ships loaded with equipment started arriving in Tripoli and fairly quickly off-loaded both men and materiel.

This headed to the east where they soon met up with Italian forces and then the British. This was what was needed to push the British back and while there was a lot of back and forth, the Germans slowly advanced. The biggest issue for the Germans was being properly supplied. The British were not shy about interdicting their shipping and a lot of needed gear was sent to the bottom of the Mediterranean. Eventually, the US entered the war in North Africa from the west and having to fight on two fronts was eventually the end of Axis resistance. Of course, there was more to it than this, but you need to read the book to get details.

The authors have done a nice job researching this one and while I didn't read of anything really surprising, each of the various aspects of the campaign are well covered. This includes not only the battles, but also the use of air power, the issue with logistics, and what is was like to have to live in the desert. This is all combined with a lot of quality period images (some of them in full color), color profiles, vignette stories, and well done maps. It makes for a book that is eminently readable and one I know you will like.

March 2026

Review book courtesy of Casemate Publishers. Get yours at this link.

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