Siege of Tobruk

Siege of Tobruk
Conflict	World War II
Date	March 31 1941 – November 27 1941
Place	Tobruk, Libya
Result	Allied victory
Combatants Germany, Italy United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, Czechoslovakia Commanders Erwin Rommel Leslie Morshead Strength ? 14,000 Casualties 8,000 At least 4,000
Western Desert Campaign Compass – Tobruk – Brevity – Battleaxe – Crusader – Gazala – Bir Hakeim – 1st Alamein – Alam Haifa – 2nd Alamein

The Siege of Tobruk was a lengthy confrontation between Axis and Allied forces in the North African Campaign of World War II. It started on 10 April 1941 as Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel invested the fort, besieging it for months, and launched attacks against the fort that were unsucceful. Finally, after a failed, but nearly successful, British attempt to relieve the fort, Rommel retreated and the fort was relieved. It was the longest siege in British military history. However, it was also the first land defeat for German forces in World War II.

See also

• Afrika Korps
• Desert Rats
• Rats of Tobruk
• Operation Brevity
• Operation Battleaxe
• Operation Crusader
• Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade

External links

• The Characteristic of Tobruk defence in 1941
• BBC - WW2 People's War - Siege of Tobruk
• Australian War Memorial - Siege of Tobruk

See also: Siege of Tobruk, 10 April, 1941, Afrika Korps, Allies, Australia, Axis Powers