Would the German High Command actually shake loose better AT weapons for a small formation in Libya though? Or would they assume thatt he British wouldn't have had time to manufacture enough new tanks to actually be a threat to the Afrika Korps?
How do the German and British manufacturing times compare in case that would have an affect on the command's assumptions on how fast the British could rearm with better tanks?
Edit: I know a lot of the German kit wasn't exactly set up for mass production and they had trouble adapting some stuff like the AT weapons from skilled craftsmanship into something that they could build on whaat approached what we would recongise as a modern production line
Edit, Edit: I think the PAK40 was a particular victim of this and I wouldn't be surprised if their tanks were even worse
For the German high command Africa was somewhere to send the minimum amount of stuff to keep the Italians in the game.
It wasn't somewhere where a strategic victory was plausible, and the orders were to defend. Equipment and supplies were provided for that.
(Rommel deciding to ignore his orders and attack was in character, but not planned for).
At least 2 of the axis columns in operation sonnenblume ran out of fuel, and sat in the middle of the cyrenaica desert until supplies caught up.
Cutting edge kit doesn't get sent to second or third priority theatres, at least not in more than penny packets.