Oscar winner peter finch network stars in this thrilling tale of the soldiers who stopped rommel. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 release info imdb. The rats of tobruk the experiences of australians during ww2. Grant taylor are two aussie infantrymen who are fighting in north africa during world war ii when they meet. This is the films first real encounter in the desert and chauvel emphasises the immediacy and very personal nature of the fighting, as well as the comradeship of. Whittock winning world war one the western front diaries dvd history. 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. Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on my dvd version as the scenes looked totally black. Just another day at the office for the australian desert rats during the long siege of tobruk.
Beleaguered and battle weary the friends fight on, proving to be a. Grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick, mary gay, george wallace, joe valli, tony villa, joe. This battle primarily involved the australian 9th infantry division, as well as british artillery batteries. Tells the story of three menbluey, a tough two fisted drover. Corny, but its a fair enough way to open a movie made during wartime. The siege of tobruk lasted some 241 days from 10 april 1941 until 27 november of the same year. 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. Military books about the siege of tobruk 194142 books.
The old warships that helped the rats of tobruk with supplies and evacuation of the wounded were insulted by radio berlin, being called a pile of scrap iron. This socalled siege of tobruk began on 10th of april 1941 and ended in november of that year. 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. Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free youtube. 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. For what its worth, i would rather watch desert rats desert fox on the same subject matter. The rats of tobruk controlling north africa would give the allied forces a base from which to attack occupied europe, across the mediterranean.
Released as the fighting rats of tobruk, this drama was based on actual incidents. 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. Combined german and italian troops had sealed off all land approaches to tobruk on april 11. Three cattle rustlers from the australian outback are drafted as world war ii begins. German radio started calling the australians poor desert rats of tobruk, which they took immense pride in, calling themselves the rats of tobruk. With grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Erwin rommels legendary afrika korps at the libyan port of tobruk during 1941. This opened with an outflanking movement that brought eighth army to within 30 miles of the tobruk perimeter. Soldiers chips rafferty, grant taylor, peter finch of the australian and new zealand army corps hold off the nazis for months. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 rare movie collector. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Americanborn british fascist william joyce better known as lord hawhaw took to the airwaves, deriding the defenders as the poor rats of tobruk.
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. War books on the australian siege of tobruk 194142. 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. The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. An english writer and two australian cattle drivers encounter danger serving in the anzacs during the 281day stand at the libyan port of tobruk. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of tobruk. This was an adf pr video extolling the values of the australian defence forces. Then, the british 8th armys taking of occupied africa in 1943, from the trouncing of tobruk to the triumph at tripoli, can be relived once more with the oscarwinning documentary desert victory.
Alternetly, this article could be stripped back to a definition of what a rat of tobruk is, with the coverage of the fighting being moved to the seige article. An illustrated life of simpson, the man with the donkey a is for anzac primary school gallipoli book vietnam 50th anniversary cap war campaign ribbons brief history of the third reich by m. The battles played out are not very clear and leaves the viewer guessing what really happened. He was a rat of tobruk until forty five, he was one of the few that came back alive. The rats of tobruk was the name given to the soldiers who held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in world war ii. The only libyan territory still in british hands was the cyrenaican port of tobruk. This special anniversary exhibition is on display in the memorial until 16 november 2011.
Rats of tobruk thieves in the night convict creations. The fighting was intense and it was almost like the trench warfare in ww1 but in this case it was in a barren. Mar 18, 2011 in so doing, they achieved lasting fame as the rats of tobruk. The fighting rats of tobruk desert victory on tcm shop. Apr 28, 2019 the 20yearold sydneysider had arrived in the small mediterranean port of tobruk. 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 black rat by iris clayton he lived in a tin hut with a hard dirt floor. The rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015. Peter finch, chips rafferty, grant taylor, and pauline garrick star in the rugged australian wwii adventure the fighting rats of tobruk. Meet queenslands last rat of tobruk queensland times. It was planned that 70th division would break out from. Australians standing by in a hot section of the front, 400 yards from the enemy. It is a permanent offensive day after day, night after night. To prepare for that, rommel wasnt receiving the supplies and material he needed.
The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. Erwin rommel, in a letter to his wife, lucie, wrote, today may well see the end of the battle of tobruk. Grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick, mary gay, george wallace. Leah riches, the patrolling war in tobruk australian war memorial 1 tobruk is not a siege, nor a defence. Original us theatrical trailer for the fighting rats of tobruk a classic australian world war ii film. This short film features memorial historian dr karl james discussing the exhibition rats of tobruk 1941. The rats who returned to melbourne formed as association which has branches in every state as well as in the united kingdom. Battered and scarred he fought for this land, and on his return they all shook his hand. His story, and that of thousands of other australian soldiers fighting against the germans in. The fighting rats of tobruk trailer 1944 video detective. In the course of the fighting, the germans blasted insults as well as artillery at the largely aussie troops, likening them to rats. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australias audio and.
The siege started on the 10th of april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free by lynn m. The goal is to hold tobruk for at least two months. They were called the rats of tobruk as there attitude and the way the australians fought made them live like rats and they scurried around the war collecting food and weapons stealthily which made them seem like rats. 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. There were also major oil fields in the middle east that were vital to fuel their tanks, planes and motorised transport. May 12, 2012 the famous story of the rats of tobruk and the ships that supplied them in ww2, as told by the rats themselves. 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. Adolf hitler had prepared for war by socially engineering his followers into the perfect fighting machines.
Rat of tobruk dennis davis on surviving war, heartbreak and finding love again when dennis davis was fighting on the battlefield of tobruk, he. The rats of tobruk 1944 directed by charles chauvel. The rat holes are caves in the walls of the escarpment in the inner perimeter of tobruk, varying from 8 to 11 miles from what is left of the town. During world war 2, more than 14,000 australians fought at tobruk libya, during the historic 242 day siege. Simpson and duffy ww1 australian hero gallipoli childrens book not only a hero. Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on. The name the rats of tobruk refers to the troops, mostly australian, who held out against german gen. The capture of tobruk was followed up by the british 7th armoured division and the 6th division. Dec 26, 2018 action packed war epic about a group of british commandos who find themselves trapped behind enemy lines after the german afrika korps smash through the allied defenses in north africa. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of. With the attack now over, the sergeant major took the roll and found that only one of his man had been killed in the short, sharp action. I believe if you want to see just how far directors have progressed from the early days of film making to what we expect today, then this film is worth. Available on dvd through au following on the great tradition of forty thousand horsemen, charles chauvels 1944 cinematic account. The rats of tobruk were soldiers of the mainly australian garrison that held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during and after the siege of tobruk in world war ii.
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. As war breaks out in europe in 1939, three friends droving cattle in australia decide to join up. Lego wwii north africa siege of tobruk brick fiesta 2018 duration. Nominal roll certificate for leslie emanuel andersen. Using this as a rallying cry, the rats of tobruk defended the city for 250 days, winning an important battle against the germans and helping to turn the tide of wwii. The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk. See the original fighting in benghazi in this hardhitting double feature from the darkest days of world war ii. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. For relief, the australian soldiers get to go sightseeing in down town tobruk or whats left of it. The fighting rats of tobruk is more of a narrated documentry, poorly acted and shot in darkness. The rats of tobruk is a rousing tribute to the many brave the soldiers who. The rats of tobruk was the name given to the soldiers of the garrison who held the port of tobruk in libya against the german afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in ww2. By 1941, theyre with the 9th division of the australian infantry force, fighting italians and nazis in north africa. 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.
Watch the fighting rats of tobruk full free lynn m. Following on the great tradition of forty thousand horsemen, charles chauvels 1944 cinematic account of the battle of rommel. It is also surrounded by steep escarpments, which make it easy to fortify against attack from the land there were some 14,000 australian troops and 12,000 british and indian troops in tobruk. Queenslands last rat of tobruk vernon hansen made the journey to meet up with the dwindling numbers of the rats of tobruk association. The australians gave themselves the nickname the rats of tobruk after radio berlin described the australians as caught like rats in a trap. Curators notes the rats of tobruk 1944 on aso australia.
These actions and campaigns were fought in the middle east and the mediterranean where the three australian services were continuously. There are about 20,000 men british, indian and australian scattered along a semicircle of 52 miles from mediterranean to mediterranean. A lot of the fighting is done at night and it is very difficult to see what is going on because the film has gotten darker over the years. Rats of tobruk is a twoplayer operationaltactical game that simulates rommels easter day attack on tobruk in april 1941. 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. The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was relieved on 10 december. Also they lived in very dirty conditions and were always dirty and muddy like a rat. Tobruk is the most important port in northern africa, because its deep water allows large ships to dock there. 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.
The siege started on 11 april 1941 and was relieved on 10 december. 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. Identifying with authority, they obeyed rather than thought. Men of the 2th battalion going out through the wire in tobruk, 30 april 1941 awm 007.
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