Siege of Tobruk
Tobruk, Cyrenaica, Libya
What happened
A mainly Australian garrison under Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, with British, Indian, Polish and Czechoslovak troops, held out against German and Italian forces under Erwin Rommel. In April 1941 German and Italian forces surrounded the port of Tobruk in North Africa. For 231 days the defenders held the town against attacks and bombing. Royal Navy and Australian warships, nicknamed the 'Tobruk Ferry', ran in at night with troops and supplies and took out the wounded.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Holding Tobruk kept Rommel from using a port close to Egypt. It was the first time German tank units were stopped in the war.
What came next
Operation Crusader broke the siege in November 1941. German and Italian forces captured Tobruk the following year, on 21 June 1942.
Did you know?
The defenders of Tobruk quickly became known as the 'Rats of Tobruk'.
Timeline
- 10 April 1941The siege of Tobruk begins.
- 1941Polish and Czechoslovak units arrive to relieve some defenders.
- 27 November 1941Operation Crusader relieves the garrison.
- 21 June 1942Axis forces capture Tobruk.