Tobruk - The Desert Rats

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by spidge, Aug 18, 2006.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    1.
    [​IMG]
    PoW's at Tobruk.

    2.
    [​IMG]
    Germans adavnce into Tobruk, possibly Rommel's SdKfz 250/3

    3.
    [​IMG]
    British PoW's marching out of Tobruk.

    4.
    [​IMG]
    Heading for the docks.

    5.
    [​IMG]
    Rommel and Bayerlein
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    6.
    [​IMG]
    Down at the harbour.

    7.
    [​IMG]

    8.
    [​IMG]
    PoW's in Tobruk.

    9.
    [​IMG]
    Road out of Tobruk.

    10.
    [​IMG]
    German officers saluting down at the Harbour.
     
  3. A-58

    A-58 Not so senior Member

    So, was the Tobruk garrison cut off from the rest of the 8th Army by the DAK push, or was it part of the plan to hold the harbor as a springboard for future operations? I was never clear on that part.
     
  4. Fuchs

    Fuchs Member

    @Drew, I don't think those are British soldiers. During the fall of Tobruk in June 1942 it was garissonned by South-Africans and a handfull of Brits from what I know.

    @A-58, Tobruk was to hold out longer because it's harbour was vital for supplies and stuff and not just for the Commonwealth forces but Rommel could also use it very well. In early 1942 it became clear that Tobruk couldn't hold out forever and they started to build up a force consisting of South-Africans. I don't know what they planned to do with them but before it happened the Germans attacked and Tobruk fell.
     
  5. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

     
  6. A-58

    A-58 Not so senior Member

    Fuchs, Spidge, thanks for the help.

    Did the Germans ever make good use of the harbor facilities after taking it in 1942? It seems to me that Tobruk would be very vulnerable to Commonwealth air attacks, and to Axis shipping to and from. Even so, and if my assumption was correct, it still would probably be better than having that long logistical haul from Tripoli.
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  8. -tmm-

    -tmm- Senior Member

    This thread got me thinking about something I had been wondering for a while. A bit off topic, but Tobruk related. Does anyone know of any RAF bases close to Tobruk. My grandfather mentioned to my mum once that he was stationed for a while about 30 miles from Tobruk, but his service record doesnt detail excact locations.

    Looking at google earth, I found what looked to be an airport approx 30 miles away, but even if this was the one, I have no clue as to what the name of the base was.

    Bearing in mind that this would have been in 1944 or 1945 (i'll probably start a new thread if no one has any obvious clues)
     
  9. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    The airbase was -and is- 'El Adem', about 30kms south of Tobruk
     
    -tmm- likes this.
  10. -tmm-

    -tmm- Senior Member

    Excellent, thanks.
     
  11. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    This thread got me thinking about something I had been wondering for a while. A bit off topic, but Tobruk related. Does anyone know of any RAF bases close to Tobruk. My grandfather mentioned to my mum once that he was stationed for a while about 30 miles from Tobruk, but his service record doesnt detail excact locations.

    Looking at google earth, I found what looked to be an airport approx 30 miles away, but even if this was the one, I have no clue as to what the name of the base was.

    Bearing in mind that this would have been in 1944 or 1945 (i'll probably start a new thread if no one has any obvious clues)

    There was one at Tobruk TS12??

    There was one at 15 miles south at Al Adem and one at 30 miles south at Bir el Gobi. Whether they were the actual names of the fields is another question.
    Map_of_siege_of_Tobruk_1942.jpg
     
    -tmm- likes this.
  12. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Hi Kuno,

    Bir el Gobi was at approx 30 miles (48kms) did that have another name?
     
  13. -tmm-

    -tmm- Senior Member

    Thanks spidge, that sounds like a more probably location. My granddad died before I was born, but my mum is sure that he said he was 30 miles from Tobruk. Probably the best bet I have is if Kuno knows the correct name for the airfield at the time, I can compare which units were based there and see if anything correlated with my granddads service records.
     
  14. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    I misstook miles for kilometres. Sorry for that. Will check for the LGs and come back.
     
  15. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    Ooooook; we can choose. Did not take exact measurement but in the range of 30 - 35 miles we have the following possibilities:

    To the South (as already stated) Bir el-Gobi
    To the East: Gambut
    To the West: Gazalah
     
  16. pondfield

    pondfield Junior Member

    Drew,

    I want to use some photo's to illustrate an article I am doing for an online magazine (Family Tree Forum) and wonder if you know whether the German Pictures of Tobruk above are copywrite protected or can anyone use them ?

    Simon
     
  17. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    The ownership is with the Bundesarchiv.
     
  18. pondfield

    pondfield Junior Member

    The ownership is with the Bundesarchiv.

    Thanks Kuno. I searched Bundesarchiv and it seems that with effect from December 2008 the photo's at Tobruk and a lot of other material was put on the Common Wikimedia and are presumably now usable by the public.

    Commons:Bundesarchiv - Wikimedia Commons

    Simon
     

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