Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free youtube. The rats of tobruk were soldiers of the australianled allied garrison that held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in world war ii. May 27, 2017 watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free lynn m. The rats of tobruk hold an identifiable place within the ranks of returned servicemen, particularly in australia, where there is the rats of tobruk memorial, canberra. The rats of tobruk was the name given to the soldiers of the garrison who held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in world war ii. Curators notes the rats of tobruk 1944 on aso australia. Horsemen is a more entertaining and better constructed film, fully deserving of its place in the australian pantheon. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of. Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on my dvd version as the scenes looked totally black.
Corny, but its a fair enough way to open a movie made during wartime. This photograph taken in august 1941 shows the rats of tobruk some of the 15,000 men of the 9th. It was a different story when a german italian army commanded by general erwin rommel attacked the garrison of 14,000 australians who held the libyan port of tobruk on april 10, 1941. The rats of tobruk, featuring memorial historian dr karl james discussing the exhibition rats of tobruk 1941. For one reason or another, the italians offered little resistance and many surrendered without fighting. Members of the 2th battalion on patrol along the antitank ditch. The only libyan territory still in british hands was the cyrenaican port of tobruk. Australian forces successfully held tobruk against heavy fire from axis troops for 250 days, and the battle has been cited as a turning point in the war in north africa. Men of the 2th battalion going out through the wire in tobruk, 30 april 1941 awm 007.
Tobruk definition at, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Dead, wounded and held captive the battle of tobruk 8 months, 559 dead, 2450 wounded and 941 taken prisoner, in 1941 australian troops endured intense bombing and constant threat of attack from both the german and italian forces. The siege continued for 240 days up to 27 november 1941. View a list of all the feature films sorted by popularity.
Rommel ordered a retreat, but followed that up with an aerial bombardment of tobruk and the ships at. These include bardia and tobruk, beda fomm, rommels first attack. Commemorating one of the first major battles that australia fought in world war ii, the rats of tobruk 1941 special exhibition is on display in the canberra memorial until. The deserts of north africa were crucial to the war effort. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. Australians, backed by british artillery and tanks, captured the fortress in the first allied drive through cyrenaica libya, and australian troops, again backed by british artillery, held it against as great odds as have been faced by any garrison in history. This offensive run by the australians led to the sudden halt of the german panzers. Tobruk 1967 in order to slow rommels advance on the suez canal, a group of allied soldiers cross the libyan desert to destroy enemy fuel reserves and stop tanks dead in their tracks. The siege of tobruk took place in the western desert of north africa in 1941 at the height of the second world war. The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk. The siege of tobruk started april 11th 1941 when tobruk.
Feature films, shorts, silent films and trailers are available for viewing and downloading. Exhaustion and dust storms but the rats of tobruk kept fighting. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. It took the australians less than two days to capture 27,000 italian pows, 208 guns, 28 tanks and a large number of supplies. The rats of tobruk is a dated but watchable aussie ww2 movie, of which there arent too many in existence. Grant taylor is the squarejawed lead, chips rafferty adds character, and peter finch is the uppercrust englishman. Tobruch is a port city on libyas eastern mediterranean coast, near the border with egypt. Rats of tobruk home tribute is a tribute to the rats of tobruk, who fought in tobruk, during the siege of tobruk, of 241 days from april 10 to december 1941. Oct 11, 2011 fighting through incredible heat, cold, thirst and hunger with unmistakable bravery, determination and passion 2011 marks the 70th anniversary of the battle of tobruk. Miloslav kratochvil bitton was a hero several times over. By 1941, theyre with the 9th division of the australian infantry force, fighting italians and nazis in north africa. The battle started on 11 april 1941, when tobruk was besieged by an italian and nazi german force commanded by lieutenant general erwin rommel. Tells the story of three menbluey, a tough two fisted drover taylor, milo, a laconic dingo trapper rafferty, and pete, an intellectual english new chum finch. The rats who returned to melbourne formed as association which has branches in every state as well as in the united kingdom.
The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australias audio and. By 1911, tobruk had become an italian military post, but during world war ii, allied forces, mainly the australian 6th division, took tobruk on. The story follows a trio of characters as they head off to fight rommel on north africa. Finally toward the end of the siege the allies went on the offensive and destroyed the axis strongpoints. Tobruk before 1938 before ww2, this part of libya was controlled by the italians. Fighting through incredible heat, cold, thirst and hunger with unmistakable bravery, determination and passion 2011. Captured italian armato m40 far left and m19 middle and right tanks being used by the australian 6th division cavalry regiment during the capture of tobruk in january 1941.
The victorian state branch decided to form a pipe band as a living memorial to the soldiers who died at tobruk and to keep alive the proud name the rats of tobruk. Stay connected to your students with prezi video, now in microsoft teams. Read this faq about determining if something is pd. The battle of tobruk, in which a small british force composing primarily of australians, nicknamed the rats of tobruk, held tobruk while surviving waves of axis forces, is the most significant to australia. Siege of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
On an armoured patrol into the desert, men of the australian 9th division run into an italian patrol. In poland, france, and belgium, once the tanks got through the soldiers took it for granted that they. A captured veteran of the early european campaigns stated. First, while still only 19, he was involved in a network to help his czechoslovak compatriots flee the 1939 nazi occupation. What you need to know about the siege of tobruk imperial war. Meet queenslands last rat of tobruk queensland times. Rats of tobruk thieves in the night convict creations. Tobruk was of strategic importance to the power that. Americanborn british fascist william joyce better known as lord hawhaw took to the airwaves, deriding the defenders as the poor rats of tobruk. Men of the 24th infantry brigade after their voyage from tobruk. Available on dvd through au following on the great tradition of forty thousand horsemen, charles chauvels 1944. On january 21 1941, the australian 6th division attacked the italian garrison of tobruk.
There were also major oil fields in the middle east that were vital to fuel their tanks, planes and motorised transport. Australian troops of the australian 9th division and the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division under lieutenant general leslie. Tells the story of three menbluey, a tough two fisted drover taylor, milo, a laconic dingo trapper rafferty, and pete, an intellectual english new chum. Richard burton did a fine hollywood based film, desert rats, about the same siege at tobruk and chips rafferty had a featured role in that. The rats of tobruk 1944 directed by charles chauvel. They were very successful in defeating italian troops at benghazi, and vichy french. Three australian friends end up fighting nazis in north africa in a clumsily executed action tale. The rats of tobruk controlling north africa would give the allied forces a base from which to attack occupied europe, across the mediterranean. The rats of tobruk may not be charles chauvels best movie, but it deserves serious consideration as his best movie about war. The siege of tobruk by german forces in 1941, commanded by field marshall erwin rommel, was lifted only after months of desperate fighting. As war breaks out in europe in 1939, three friends droving cattle in australia decide to join up. On 22 march 1944, the original members of the rats of tobruk formed the north bondi subbranch of the returned and services league of australia and it is still known in modern. The rats of tobruk were australian war soldiers that fought in a siege that took place from 11 april 1941 to 27 november 1941.
The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. The siege of tobruk started april 11th 1941 when tobruk was invaded by the italian german army led by general rommel. The conditions in the siege of tobruk war were desert, rubble, rocks and dust repeated ground assaults were coming from bombs and shells that had gone off all around the area during the fight, which subjected the australians to fight in a harsh dusty place were war was taking place. Apr 28, 2019 today, out of 14,000 aussie rats that held tobruk against rommels forces 78 years ago, only around 30 are still alive to tell the story.
The siege started on 11 april 1941 and was relieved on 10 december. Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free lynn m. In april the 9th division, which had arrived in libya in february, were encircled and held under siege in tobruk by a german italian army commanded by general erwin rommel. Grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick, mary gay, george wallace, joe valli, tony villa, joe. The fighting rats of tobruk desert victory, dvd, war, 089218777195. After early successes against the italian army, the army is besieged in tobruk. Following the capture of bardia, the 6th australian division advanced west along the libyan coast to the italian defended port town of tobruk. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime legends the rats of tobruk.
Of course the production values were much superior, still the rats of tobruk shows a lot of care about the australian fighting man and his contribution in world war ii from the folks they were defending. Italy a german ally had occupied libya, right next to egypt where the british were heavily ensconced. On 22 january 1941, a joint force of british, australian, and indian troops captured the libyan port city of tobruk making it the only alliedheld city in axiscontrolled territory. It is a permanent offensive day after day, night after night. Tells the story of three menbluey, a tough two fisted drover. Siege of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free. The defenders, nicknamed the rats of tobruk, would hold out for eight months. Leah riches, the patrolling war in tobruk australian war memorial 1 tobruk is not a siege, nor a defence. Found these quotes about the 9th australian infantry division who defended tobruk for 242 days in 1941. Rats of tobruk memorial canberra the soil of tobruk must be forever australian. Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer a lash at the enemy from the feature film the rats of tobruk as a high quality video download. Tobruk was an allied defensive operation in an attempt to maintain a foothold on the north african coast. Jun 26, 2015 together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime legends the rats of tobruk.
Tobruk was the only deep water port in eastern libya and as a consequence it had been heavily fortified by its former italian garrison. Their story is based on the siege of the libyan city of tobruk in north africa by rommels afrika korps. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest. With grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick. Tobruk was an allied defensive operation in an attempt to maintain a. Buy the fighting rats of tobruk desert victory dvd at. To play the downloadable video, you need quicktime 7.
Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime legendsthe rats of tobruk. It is the capital of the butnan district formerly tobruk district and has a population of 120,000 2011. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime. By february 1941, the italian tenth army surrendered and libyan cyrenaica fell to the british. Fighting rats of tobruk 1951 soldiers chips rafferty, grant taylor, peter finch of the australian and new zealand army corps hold off the nazis for months. The siege lasted eight months and involved 14000 australian soldiers including the men of the 2th battalion, together with british and indian troops. Today, out of 14,000 aussie rats that held tobruk against rommels forces 78 years ago, only around 30 are still alive to tell the story. Grant taylor bluey donkin, peter finch peter linton, chips rafferty milo trent, pauline garrick kate carmody, mary gay sister mary ellis, george wallace barber of tobruk, joe valli northumberland fusilier. Remembering the rats of tobruk harry ross sutherland, from the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division, recounts his experience while deployed in the libyan port of tobruk in 1941. The 17 th saw yet another attack, with italian tanks making it almost a mile into the perimeter before the arrival of some of tobruk tanks cruisers ended the incursion. Over the centuries, tobruk also served as a waystation along the coastal caravan route. It was vital that the allies held tobruk, because otherwise the axis would have an easier job invading egypt. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of tobruk. The rats of tobruk may not be charles chauvels best movie, but it deserves serious consideration as his best movie about war which is to argue that it is in some ways superior to his more famous and betterloved forty thousand horsemen 1940, made four years earlier.
The allies marching and singing were off to see the wizard was neat as was the german announcer naming the allies the fighting rats of tobruk, which was deemed a badge of honor by the allies. Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on. The german afrika corps under the command of general erwin rommel had commenced the offensive which drove the british forces eastwards across the desert to the egyptian frontier. The town fell 2 days later, with the australians fighting superbly, with excellent support. View map of north africa this is a large file and may take some time to download. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 opens on a pastoral scene lowing herds roaming over the gently rolling hills of australia, whips cracking, and on the background soundtrack a male chorus singing an outback song. The war in north africa, the mediterranean and the middle east. The germans called them the rats of tobruk always digging in the ground and urged them to come out and fight. Tough australian soldiers bluey and milo, along with a stuffy englishman named peter, are charged with protecting the libyan city of tobruk from invading german forces that threaten to overwhelm them. For 8 months at tobruk in 1941, 15,000 australians and 8,000 british and indian troops held a german army 7 times their number and 7 times their armor. This battle was fought in the north part of africa and it was important because it was home of an important harbor, the countries involved were australia, united kingdom, india, poland, czechoslovakia, germany and italy.
As the australian and british pursued the retreating italians a tank battle took. The rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015. Tobruk was the site of an ancient greek colony and, later, of a roman fortress guarding the frontier of cyrenaica. They tend to be overlooked in britain at least so here is what the germans thought of them. Grant taylor is the squarejawed lead, chips rafferty adds character. This brought about a weeks pause in the fighting as the axis licked their wounds, and the defenders continued to improve their positions. The port continued to be held by the allies until its surrender on 21 june 1942. The siege of tobruk was a battle in libya during the north african campaign of world war ii. Combined german and italian troops had sealed off all land approaches to tobruk on april 11.
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