Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski took advantage of some awful defending to put the Germans into a two-goal lead after 32 minutes before Matthew Upson gave Fabio Capello's side some hope by pulling one back five minutes later.
Frank Lampard had a goal disallowed less than a minute later, despite his lob clearly bouncing over the line via the underside of the bar, prompting furious protestations and no doubt a renewed campaign for the introduction of instant video replay technology.
Lampard struck the woodwork again with a free-kick after the break but a quick-fire brace from Thomas Mueller extinguished any hope England harboured of completing an unlikely comeback.
The defeat was England's heaviest at a World Cup and will prompt doubts over the future of Capello, whose team selection and tactics have been called into question this tournament.
Germany meanwhile, head into the last eight - and a match against either Argentina or Mexico - full of confidence after another excellent performance under intense pressure.
For the first time in nearly three years, Capello named an unchanged side, keeping faith with his central defensive partnership of Upson and John Terry, after the pair helped book England's place in the last 16 in the victory over Slovenia.
But during an action-packed first half, neither player did much to justify their selection as they and the England back line were regularly pulled apart by a fluid, pacy and intelligent German attack.
Pre-match Mesut Ozil had been identified as Germany's dangerman and the Werder Breman man proved as much after just five minutes, getting the wrong side of Ashley Cole before firing on target. Only a sharp save from David James denied Germany a dream start.
But Joachim Loew's side did not have to wait much longer to make a breakthrough, the Upson-Terry partnership showing their fallibility as keeper Manuel Neuer's long goal kick cleared the former's head before the latter allowed Klose to outmuscle him and fire low past James.
It was Klose's 50th international goal, drawing level with the great Gerd Mueller, and he nearly passed the German legend's mark soon after when he was played through following some lovely approach play. Again James had to be at his best to keep him out.
England briefly threatened at the other end, Jermain Defoe hitting the bar with a header - although it would not have counted as the flag was up for offside - before Germany doubled their advantage on 32 minutes.
Again one of the centre-backs was at fault, Terry allowing Mueller to ghost past him out wide before the Bayern Munich midfielder squared to Podolski, who recovered from a poor first touch to fire under James from a tight angle.
England picked themselves up with Upson making amends for his woe at the other end with a soaring header from Gerrard's cross on just five minutes after Podolski's strike.
Just 50 seconds later England were denied an equaliser by an inexplicable error from Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his assistant, both of whom failed to spot that Lampard's superb lob from the edge of the box had bounced, via the underside of the bar, a yard over the line.
After the break, Lampard rattled the bar at the other end with a long-range free-kick but with England's back line looking so porous, the Germans were always dangerous going forward.
Mueller took full advantage on 67 minutes, Bastian Schweinsteiger leading a break before squaring the ball to his Bayern team-mate to lash past James at his near post.
And when three minutes later Mueller added his second and his team's fourth - a simple tap-in after Gareth Barry had let Ozil breeze past him out wide - Germany's domination over England at major tournaments was confirmed.
The Three Lions have now been knocked out by Germany in their last five meetings at major tournaments.
Match stats
Goals 4-1
1st Half Goals 2-1
Shots on Target 6-7
Shots off Target 7-6
Blocked Shots 4-5
Corners 4-6
Fouls 7-6
Offsides 4-2
Yellow Cards 1-1
Red Cards 0-0
Passing Success 78.8%-78.2%
Tackles 22-20
Tackles Success 59-170
Possession 44.8%-55.2%
Territorial Advantage 52.6%-47.4%
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