TOBRUK

Small Libyan seaport west of the Egyptian border; scene of fierce fighting during World War II.

Tobruk had been occupied by General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps but fell to British forces under General Archibald Wavell on 22 January 1941 during World War II. In April 1941, Rommel's counter-offensive left Tobruk under siege until December, when it was retaken by the British. Rommel's drive into Egypt in May 1942 led to the surrender of 25,000 troops at Tobruk on 21 June, after a oneday assault. Tobruk remained in German hands until liberated by General Bernard Law Montgomery's Eighth Army, after Britain's successful conclusion to the battle of al-Alamayn in November 1942.

In the 1960s, port facilities in the town were expanded to provide links to nearby oil fields. The population of Tobruk in 2004 was estimated at 157,800.

Bibliography

Pitt, Barrie. The Crucible of War. London: Cassell, 2001.

daniel e. spector

Tobruk ★★ 1966

American GI's endeavor to knock out the guns of Tobruk, to clear the way for a bombing attack on German fuel supply depots of North Africa in this WWII actioner. 110m/C VHS . Rock Hudson, George Peppard, Guy Stockwell, Nigel Green; D: Arthur Hiller.

Tobruk a port on the Mediterranean coast of NE Libya, which was the scene of fierce fighting during the North African campaign in the Second World War.