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The siege of Tobruk (/ t ə ˈ b r ʊ k, t oʊ-/) took place between 10 April and 27 November 1941, during the Western Desert campaign (1940–1943) of the Second World War.An Allied force, consisting mostly of the 9th Australian Division, commanded by Lieutenant-General Leslie Morshead, was besieged in the North African port of Tobruk by German and Italian forces.
The Rats of Tobruk were soldiers of the Australian-led Allied garrison, as well as the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade that held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in World War II. The siege started on 11 April 1941 and was relieved on 10 December. [1]
In August, the battery deployed to Mersa Matruh, rejoining the Australian 9th Division. The rest of the regiment remained in Tobruk until September, taking part in the defence of the town before being relieved by a British unit, and withdrawn by sea back to Palestine. [1] Its losses during the siege amounted to 11 killed, 39 wounded and 96 ...
The 9th Division was the fourth AIF division raised, being formed in the United Kingdom in late 1940. Initially it consisted of only two infantry brigades which had been formed in Australia and dispatched to Britain in order to defend against a possible invasion following the Fall of France—the 18th and 25th Brigades—under the command of Major General Henry Wynter.
Lieutenant General John Lavarack determined that Tobruk could be held and ordered Morshead to defend it. He also ordered the 18th Infantry Brigade to reinforce the garrison, bringing it up to four brigades, with British artillery and tank units brought up to provide support. [48] Australian troops occupy a front line position at Tobruk
By 7 January the bulk of the British forces had arrived and cut off Tobruk. [4] The 19th Australian Brigade group placed itself opposite the eastern defences of Tobruk and the 16th Australian Brigade group took over on the western side. The 4th Armoured Brigade moved to the west of the city, the 7th Support Group blocked the western exits and ...
The replica memorial is based on the 1941 memorial in the Tobruk War Cemetery, built by Australian soldiers [3] during the siege, which has since been destroyed. . Incorporated into the memorial is the original inscription stone, the only surviving relic of that memorial, and at one time a front step of the Tobruk
For their service during World War II, the 2/17th Battalion received the following battle honours: [3] North Africa 1941–42 , Defence of Tobruk , El Adem Road , El Alamein , Alam el Halfa , South-West Pacific 1943–45 , Lae–Nadzab , Finschhafen , Scarlet Beach , Defence of Scarlet Beach , Jivenaneng–Kumawa , [ Note 6 ] Liberation of ...