After the losing Cyrenaica, Italy requested a German intervention, as well as in February 1941 the very first troops of the thing that was to become the famous Deutsche Afrika Korps led by General Erwin Rommel were sent to North Africa. The troops of the Axis in a couple of months took back Cyrenaica and Tobruk, and advanced into Egypt. Constantly quick on supplies, these people were beaten by the 8th British Army at El Alamein. The extra force due to the US arrival in Morocco forced the Afrika Korps to gradually retreat in Tunisia during 1943.
