Eric Groves asks why the Allies invested so much effort in defending the island. Question 2.Which countries were involved? The Siege of Tobruk (Arabic:حصار طبرق) was a series of North African-theatre battles of World War II, fought in 1941-2 between Nazi German attackers and Australian defenders, over the town's invaluable harbor. Italian Actions in the Siege of Tobruk “Always beating against the unbreakable barrier of the Bologna Division” These are the words of an Italian war correspondent on 1 December 1941, when describing the fighting spirit of Major-General Carlo Gotti’s Bologna Division, which had fought off repeated attacks from the 70th Infantry Division, the largely British garrison defending Tobruk. Tobruk was captured by the Germans and the 35,000-strong garrison taken prisoner of war. When the Axis forces retreated to regroup, the Australians didn't wait in a siege mentality. This ensured they remained focused on the task of defending the city against the German infantry. a. 4. After initial victories against the Italians who had colonized the area, the Allied troops were now being chased eastwards by the Germans under the command of General Rommel (James Mason), later in WWII to be promoted to Field Marshal. The weapons that were used in the siege of Tobruk were, rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, handguns, grenades, mortars, tanks, anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns and aircraft. By Dr Eric Grove In 1940, Malta found itself at the heart of a raging battle between Allied and Axis powers for naval control of the Mediterranean. The entire area within the perimeter was within range of German and Italian artillery, but some shelter was provided by a network of caves that had also been used by the Italians. See more ideas about ww2, north africa, world war two. Instead, they hid safely in Tobruk's network of tunnels. More information. Accuracy, and reliability. We begin our walkthrough with Mission 1: Siege of Tobruk. The fact files in this timeline were commissioned by the … Tobruk was subject to repeated ground assaults and almost constant shelling and bombing. At this time Britain and her Dominions were fighting alone against a most daunting adversary. It was the first defeat of German land forces in the Second World War. Next Mission 1 - Siege of Tobruk Destroying heavy artillery Prev Mission 1 - Siege of Tobruk Map and statistics Use your sniper rifle to get rid of the observers. The countries that were involved in the Siege of Tobruk include Australia, United Kingdom, India, Poland, Czechoslovakia and India. Siege of Tobruk 1941-42 Other North African Campaigns : El Alamein, Bardia, Tobruk Both Capture & Siege, Benghazi, Derna, Beda Fomm. Rommel ordered the withdrawal of all forces east of Tobruk and the abandonment of the siege. As the title of the game suggests, your most prominent weapon is your sniper rifle, although you'll use a laundry list of stealth tactics as you navigate your way through the game's eight missions. The siege of Tobruk (17-21 June 1942) was one of the more embarrassing British defeats in North Africa, and helped to reduce Churchill's confidence in General Auchinleck's abilities as a commander.. 32,667 troops were evacuated and were replaced by 34,113 fresh troops. 3. Although the British managed to push Rommel 300 miles down the coast road he rallied at Gazala, in a counterattack that sent the British into full retreat. The Siege of Tobruk 1941 (The following text is transcribed from AWM File of Research No 581, dated 24 April 1958) Tobruk, like Gallipoli, is a name that means much in the war annals of Australia. Rommel’s forces surrounded the port in early April 1941, and so began the siege of Tobruk. Originally used as an antiaircraft gun, ... the siege of Tobruk entered its sixth month. The Germans in the ‘Siege of Tobruk’ in 1941 found that the Aussie Diggers could suppress their MG34s consistently. 'The Spud Run - Siege Of Tobruk Submitted by Stones on Sat, 12/05/2012 - 21:47 The eight month long siege of Tobruk in 1941, which saw the name 'Rats of Tobruk' (first coined by Radio Berlin as a contemptuous one) take a proud place in Australian history was one of the greatest stories of bravery and endurance against overwhelming odds in the history of modern warfare. A number of British and Commonwealth troops remained in Libya, in the fortified port of Tobruk. 12. How to solve: What caused the Siege of Tobruk? The next year, the city was captured by the Germans in a second battle. Aug 23, 2019 - Explore Geoffrey Mansfield's board "WW2-Siege of Tobruk 1941" on Pinterest. And clearly way more rounds per second around the head of the 34’s no 1 and 2. Seeing as the battle was set on the dessert, the Tobruk soldiers beared through severely cold nights, the … He used panzer (‘armour’) tanks to make swift attacks across the flat desert terrain, driving most of the Allied forces out of Libya, into Egypt. 7516 wounded men were transported to base hospitals and 7097 captured prisoners were taken to the rear. The Siege of Tobruk was a confrontation between the Italo-German army under Lieutenant-General Erwin Rommel and British Commonwealth forces that lasted for 253 days in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War. After regaining control of your character, leave the building and reach the sandbags indicated by the game (point 2 on the map). Its successful use as an improvised anti-tank gun led to the deployment of them in North Africa. What were the weapons involved? What You Need To Know About The Siege Of Tobruk The capture of Tobruk was essential for an advance on Alexandria and Suez. The war took place out in the desert making it nearly impossible to fight in the hot climate. The Siege of Tobruk began on April 10, 1941 when a joint-force of Italian-German troops under the Command of Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel attacked Tobruk. In April 1941, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel made its capture the main objective of his first offensive in North Africa. What were the conditions/environment like? The Siege of Tobruk lasted 242 days from 10 April to 7 December 1941, 55 days longer than the siege of Mafeking in the Boer War. In the initial battle, the Australians held off the Nazi attack. The Desert Rats is a 1953 war movie about the dramatic events that took place in 1941 in the North African theatre. First siege In 1940, in the early months of World War Two, Malta had… Derrick says: 17 Jun 2019 11:43:22 PM I think it would be useful to comment on the impact Tobruk had on allied morale, especially in the early stages of the siege. The Siege of Tobruk took place from April 10 1941 and ended on the 8th of November 1941. The 88 was powerful enough to penetrate over 84 mm of armour at a range of 2 km, making it an unparalleled anti-tank weapon during the early war, and still formidable against … What were the conditions/environment like? British commanders had decided not to defend Tobruk for a second time and its minefields had been stripped for use … Rats of Tobruk Gurkhas Reason Endurance 80 88 Gurkhas live in thin mountain air and don't get tired easily. Why? The Siege of Tobruk was important for many reasons, it allowed the allied force to regroup and resupply in Egypt preparing and planning for operation Crusader, left the Africa Korps in no position to take the cities of Cairo and Alexandria, it also tied many valuable axis resources and many lives were lost. Tobruk was the first defeat administered against German forces and it gave much hope. This special anniversary exhibition is on display in the Memorial until 16 November 2011. The countries involved in the Siege of Tobruk include; Australia, Germany, India, New Zealand, Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, Poland. Caves used during Siege of Tobruk, 1941 The outer 'red line', which included an anti-tank trench and barbed wire, was about eight-ten miles outside the port. The Desert Fox would not return for another six months, but then he finally did take Tobruk—only to lose it again following the battle of attrition with Montgomery at El Alamein, which took place less than a year after the Crusader battles of late fall 1941. IME&0 much of what gets posted here is from gamers who haven’t got a clue! Some of the weapons that were used in the siege of Tobruk were handguns, machine guns, sub machine guns, assault rifles, radios, armored cars, mortars and Swiss army knives. Weapons commonly used by the Rats of Tobruk and all WW2 soldiers were the Enfield revolver, Owen submachine gun, Austen submachine gun, Lewis machine Gun, Vickers machine gun, Bren Light machine gun, PIAT, Boys anti-tank rifle and Mills bomb. a. The Siege of Tobruk was a significant, important and decisive stronghold which proved to be pivotal in the outcome of World War II and Australia’s war history. Axis forces had conducted the Siege of Tobruk for eight months in 1941 before its defenders, who had become an emblem of resistance were relieved in December. The weapons used in the battle of Tobruk included tank attacks, artillery barrages, ground assaults and shelling and bombing. A parallel can also be drawn between Tobruk and Milne Bay. Which countries were involved? Brutality 60 80 The Gurkhas always are more vicious than the Rats of Tobruk. In so doing, they achieved lasting fame as the “Rats of Tobruk”. The Austrialian 9th Division under the Command of Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead maintained its defense of the town, and received instructions from the British C-C General Archibald Wavell to hold its defense for at least eight weeks. Tactics 60 50 The Siege of Tobruk delayed the Afrika Korps for 240 days straight. https://9thdivvy.blogspot.com/2008/08/map-siege-of-tobruk-1941.html The movements in and out of Tobruk during the siege were as follows: The ships delivered 72 tanks, 92 guns, 33,946 tons of stores, ammunition, food and fresh water and 108 live sheep (food for the Indian troops). The conditions were very dusty, sandy and dry desert. Exhibition dates 18 March 2011 - 16 November 2011. Which meant that it lasted for around 7 months, which is more than half a year. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. This time, the defenders faced the scourge of 88mm flak guns, one of the deadliest weapons of the war. 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