Tobruk: The Birth of a Legend

by Frank Harrison

The siege of Tobruk in 1941 was the first time the British army succeeded in defeating a German army operation in World War II. Despite all the ingenuity of Erwin Rommel, the ‘Desert Fox’ and the bravery of his Afrika Korps, the outnumbered and outgunned British garrison held the port until a relief mission, ‘Operation Battleaxe’ drove back the German and Italian forces. It was during this epic siege that ‘Lord Haw Haw’, the German propaganda broadcaster coined the phrase ‘Desert Rats’. He intended it as an insult, but the soldiers at Tobruk took a perverse pride in the name which became the nickname of the 8th Army in general and the 7th Armoured division in particular.

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[James Klagge · Rating 3 out of 5]

An account of the battles around Tobruk in 1941, by a participant. Read while the 2011 battles in Libya are going on. Tobruk, which is in the far eastern region of Libya is well under rebel control. But in 1941 Tobruk was a significant port for either the Axis or the Allies. While Rommel was sweeping across North Africa from west to east, he was limited by availability of supplies, so the Allies were determined to hold onto this port, as a thorn in his side. The book recounts his attempts to take and then to besiege Tobruk. He not only failed, but the Allies eventually broke out and stalled his advance--forcing him eventually to return west to Tripoli. In 1942 he returned and quickly took Tobruk--but that is another story.