Editing Erwin Rommel (section)

==== End of Africa campaign ====
As Rommel attempted to withdraw his forces before the British could cut off his retreat, he fought a series of delaying actions. Heavy rains slowed movements and grounded the Desert Air Force, which aided the withdrawal, yet Rommel's troops were under pressure from the pursuing Eighth Army and had to abandon the trucks of the Italian forces, leaving them behind.{{sfn|Scianna|2018|p=135}} Rommel continued to retreat west,{{sfn|Coggins|1980|p=11}} aiming for 'Gabes gap' in Tunisia.{{sfn|Lewin|1998|p=192}} Kesselring strongly criticised Rommel's decision to retreat all the way to Tunisia, as each airfield the Germans abandoned extended the range of the Allied bombers and fighters. Rommel defended his decision, pointing out that if he tried to assume a defensive position the Allies would destroy his forces and take the airfields anyway; the retreat saved the lives of his remaining men and shortened his supply lines. By now, Rommel's remaining forces fought in reduced-strength combat groups, whereas the Allied forces had great numerical superiority and control of the air. On his arrival in [[Tunisia]], Rommel noted with some bitterness the reinforcements, including the 10th Panzer Division, arriving in Tunisia following the Allied invasion of Morocco.{{sfn|Rommel|1982|pp=342–357}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1990-071-31, Nordafrika, Rommel, Bayerlein.jpg|thumb|left|Rommel speaks with troops who are using a captured American M3 half-track, Tunisia.]]

Having reached Tunisia, Rommel launched an attack against the [[U.S. II Corps]] which was threatening to cut his lines of supply north to Tunis. Rommel inflicted a sharp defeat on the American forces at the [[Battle of the Kasserine Pass|Kasserine Pass]] in February, his last battlefield victory of the war, and his first engagement against the United States Army.{{sfn|Coggins|1980|p=129}}

Rommel immediately turned back against the British forces, occupying the [[Mareth Line]] (old French defences on the Libyan border). While Rommel was at Kasserine at the end of January 1943, the Italian General [[Giovanni Messe]] was appointed commander of Panzer Army Africa, renamed the Italo-German Panzer Army in recognition of the fact that it consisted of one German and three Italian corps. Though Messe replaced Rommel, he diplomatically deferred to him, and the two coexisted in what was theoretically the same command. On 23 February Army Group Afrika was created with Rommel in command. It included the Italo-German Panzer Army under Messe (renamed 1st Italian Army) and the German 5th Panzer Army in the north of Tunisia under General [[Hans-Jürgen von Arnim]].

The last Rommel offensive in North Africa was on 6 March 1943, when he attacked the Eighth Army at the [[Battle of Medenine]].{{sfn|Coggins|1980|p=134}} The attack was made with [[10th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|10th]], [[15th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|15th]], and [[21st Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|21st]] Panzer Divisions. Alerted by [[Ultra (cryptography)|Ultra]] intercepts, Montgomery deployed large numbers of anti-tank guns in the path of the offensive. After losing 52 tanks, Rommel called off the assault.{{sfn|Coggins|1980|p=135}} On 9 March he returned to Germany.{{sfn|Lewin|1998|p=209}}{{why|date=February 2024}} Command was handed over to General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim. Rommel never returned to Africa.{{sfn|Coggins|1980|p=136}} The fighting there continued for another two months, until 13 May 1943, when Messe surrendered the army group to the Allies.