
Fascinating photos of German war commander Erwin Rommel during the North Africa campaign against the British have come to light in a new book.

Under the direction of Field Marshal Rommel, whose reputation as one of the most formidable tank commanders of the war earned him the nickname Desert Fox, the Africa Korps was recognised as a superb but fearsome fighting machine.

The Korps famously outmanoeuvered the British at the Battle of Gazala in June 1942, which led to them capturing Tobruk in Libya.

A German Panzer tank climbs a sand dune. Stick grenades can be seen mounted on the turret sides, with water bottle attached to the rear turret

A destroyed Panzer tank is surrounded by debris where shells have struck the side of the vehicle, ripping off the track. One of the deceased crew can be seen sprawled out next to the vehicle

General Rommel (left), who was nicknamed the Desert Fox, stands in a vehicle leading his men from the front on the battlefield

But they were ultimately defeated in the iconic Battle of Alamein when they succumbed to an offensive led by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.

The previously unpublished black and white photos feature in military historian Ian Baxter's new book, Images of War: The Armour of Rommel's Afrika Korps.

They document German operations in North Africa between 1941 and 1943 and feature deadly heavy Panzer tanks, self-propelled guns, armoured cars and motorcycles.

Rommel, who was given command of a small force in Libya in February 1941 to shore up the Italians, can also be seen studying maps as he plotted his next move.

In another image, a crowd of locals watches on as a Kubelwagen armoured car leads a column of German vehicles through Tripoli in April 1941.

In a display of power to locals, a column of German Panzer tanks advance along a road in Tripoli, the Libyan capital in April 1941

Members of the crew are seen eating their rations following the installation of an engine on a Tiger tank - one of the deadliest heavy Panzer tanks

And there is a photo showing a Tiger tank crew resting in the desert while a Tunisian man and his camel pass by.

Away from the heat of battle, some soldiers enjoy their down time by lounging in decks, while others played the accordion.

Mr Baxter, who also is a World War Two photo collector, from Chelmsford, Essex, said: 'This book reveals the different armoured vehicles that fought in Rommel's force, ranging from the light, to the medium, to the deadly, heavy Panzers such as the Tiger.

'It shows the diverse armoured support, including self-propelled guns, armoured cars and personnel carriers, as well as field cars and motorcycles.

General Rommel (left) directs the movements of his Panzer tank force with one of his commanding officers in the north African desert

A column of the Africa Korps Tiger I tanks in the desert. The unit was recognised as a superb but fearsome fighting machine under the leadership of General Rommel

A Horch field staff car emblazoned with the Nazi swastika leading a convoy of armoured vehicles in Africa during the Second World War

Gereral Rommel is pictured plotting his first attacks against his enemy in 1941. Behind him are transport ships in the bay outside Tripoli

A famous image of German commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (centre) speaking to other German and Italian commanders in the field

'It tells the story of the infamous Panzer divisions that fought successfully across the desert against determined British and Commonwealth forces, and then how it battled in despair and defeat.

'During its two year existence the Afrika Korps achieved unequalled progress in the evolution of its armoured vehicles.

'Its deployment of tanks and support vehicles had been masterly, planned by the brilliant tactician Rommel, the Desert Fox.'

The Battle of Gazala, fought from May 26 to June 20, 1942, saw Rommel drive his army around the flank of the British army and into its rear.

A long column of armoured vehicles in the African desert, behind a crew lining up a FlaK anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun weapon

A German Panzer tank being unloaded from a transport ship. German machinery during the Second World War included deadly heavy Panzer tanks, self-propelled guns, armoured cars and motorcycles

General Rommel (second right) inside an armoured vehicle during operations in El Alamein on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, where Rommel's forces succumbed to an offensive led by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery

Crew members standing next to their Panzer tank out in the open desert. Bottles of water can be seen on the turret side

A German Afrika Korps crew sitting on one of their vehicles during some down time, while one crew member plays an accordion

It was a risky move and they nearly ran out of ammunition, but they managed to repulse every British counter attack.

They then destroyed the British armoured forces in a climactic battle near Bir Hacheim.

However, German luck turned later in the year at the Battle of El Alamein where Montgomery launched a powerful offensive.

Rommel wanted to withdraw but received a direct order from Hitler to stand firm, which he obeyed.

As a result, the bulk of the Axis army was destroyed.

Officers in the field take some time out and rest on Italian deckchairs from a Libyan beach in 1942. The Afrika Korps' greatest triumph occurred when they outmanoeuvred the British at the Battle of Gazala in Libya in June 1942

Rommel returned to Germany where he was implicated in a failed assassination plot on Hitler in July 1944.

While most of those suspected of being involved in the plot were immediately executed, Hitler was mindful that to the German public, Rommel was a highly respected and beloved war hero.

Instead, the Fuhrer sent two officers to his home to give Rommel the option of a very public show trial that would ultimately end in his execution, or committing suicide and keeping his reputation in tact.

After seeking assurances that his family would not be persecuted, Rommel committed suicide using a cyanide pill on 14 October 1944.

A German Panzer tank, set up as a command post in the middle of the desert. The tarpaulin was to protect the crew from the dust and intense heat

Inhabitants of a Tunisian town flock around and climb onto a Marder III tank destroyer, which had been abandoned by German troops