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. Curators notes the rats of tobruk 1944 on aso australia. May 18, 2011 this short film features memorial historian dr karl james discussing the exhibition rats of tobruk 1941. Grant taylor is the squarejawed lead, chips rafferty adds character, and peter finch is the uppercrust englishman. Axis forces recaptured the port on 21 june 1942, after defeating the eighth army in the battle of gazala. 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.
Australian forces battle german tanks and infantry for an incredible 281 days in order to capture the libyan port tobruk, one of the crucial battles of wwii. The movie stars rock hudson, george peppard and nigel green. Released 1944, the rats of tobruk stars chipsrafferty, granttaylor, peterfinch, georgewallace the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 35 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 dvd grant taylor peter finch. Grant taylor is the squarejawed lead, chips rafferty adds character.
Tobruk rats it was a miracle the enemy didnt break in. I was a tobruk rat, and still am at 94 years of age. I was reunited with my former co in 1944 in dekelia. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime. With grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty, pauline garrick. Extra features the big picture featurette on charles chauvel, his wife elsa, the films and their importance in australian film history 74 mins trailer. I did a bit of research for the game panzer leader on the forces in the na campaign some time ago and came away with the understanding that the australians were among the best troops, if not the best troops, on either side of the conflict. Based on a true incident, this exciting drama follows a convoy of british and germanjewish commandos as they cross 800 miles on libyan desert to blow up a key nazi fortress at tobruk guarded by general rommels best troops. The siege of tobruk was a battle in libya during the north african campaign of world war ii. 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. See the full list of the rats of tobruk cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. Cast grant taylor as bluey donkin peter finch as peter linton chips rafferty as milo trent george wallace as the barber of tobruk pauline garrick as kate carmody mary gay as sister. It is interesting, because it deals with australian point of view about the australian contribution to the battle for tobruk.
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. Tobruk 1967 internet movie firearms database guns in. No quotes approved yet for fighting rats of tobruk. How prezi does project status updates with a distributed workplace. In the course of the fighting, the germans blasted insults as well as artillery at the largely aussie troops, likening them to rats. 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. Free wallpapers download of the rats of tobruk movie, hero, heroine, etc is available in our gallery section. A counterattack is planned, for which the fuel dumps at tobruk are a critical impediment. Australians in tobruk originally posted by byron back to the original thread. The successes of axis forces during the siege of tobruk were largely due to rommels ability to launch effective defenses against british tank forces.
Most of the fighting scenes were in the dark which did not translate well on my dvd version as the scenes looked totally black. Following on the great tradition of forty thousand horsemen, charles chauvels 1944 cinematic account of the battle of rommel. Buy the fighting rats of tobruk the rats of tobruk from amazons movies store. Fighting rats of tobruk movie quotes rotten tomatoes. By 1941, theyre with the 9th division of the australian infantry force, fighting italians and nazis in north africa. The rats of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free. We do not offer to watch the rats of tobruk movie online. 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. Rock hudson and george peppard star in the explosive hardhitting world war ii epic tobruk.
As war breaks out in europe in 1939, three friends droving cattle in australia decide to join up. Siege of tobruk the siege of tobruk took place in the western desert of north africa in 1941 at the height of the second world war. Italy a german ally had occupied libya, right next to egypt where the british were heavily ensconced. 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. The battle started on 11 april 1941, when tobruk was besieged by an italian and nazi german force commanded by lieutenant general erwin rommel. Fully restored and presented in a brand new transfer, the rats of tobruk is a rousing tribute to the many brave the soldiers who served their nation. In order to aid the attack, a group of british commandos and german jews make their way undercover through 800 miles of desert, to destroy the fuel dumps starving the germans of fuel.
In september 1942, the german afrika korps under rommel have successfully pushed the allies back into egypt. 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. The story follows a trio of characters as they head off to fight rommel on north africa. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of.
The film focuses on a joint britishsig special interrogation group raid on the fuel dumps at german controlled port city of tobruk. On march 22, 1944, 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 times. Also featuring george wallace and joe valli, chauvels bold tale of war gives life to the many heroic tales of mateship during wwii. The rats of tobruk is a dated but watchable aussie ww2 movie, of which there arent too many in existence. During the siege of tobruk, which lasted from february to november 1941, during world war ii, german and italian troops, led by general erwin rommel, gained control of the city of tobruk in libya. It began on april 10, 1941, and lasted 242 days until december 7, 1941. Tobruk is a 1967 world war ii adventure film directed by arthur hiller and written by leo gordon. The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk. If you can provide me with his soldier portrait i can do the commemoration for him. The rats of tobruk may not be charles chauvels best movie, but it deserves serious consideration as his best movie about war. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of tobruk.
The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. 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 rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015. Siege of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australianscreen. The siege of tobruk was lifted in december 1941 in the course of operation crusader.
The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 rare movie collector. May 10, 2017 craig h proctor collects headstone photos remember the rats of tobruk fb page, owen carlton of rota victoria is making the database for names and families and joanne klein is doing the photos. The rats of tobruk 1944 directed by charles chauvel. Rats of tobruk, the 1944 stream umbrella entertainment on. Please include his name and service, unit and service number. Three australian friends end up fighting nazis in north africa in a clumsily executed action tale. 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 of tobruk was the first occasion in the war that german panzer units had been stopped. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Bbc ww2 peoples war i was a tobruk rat, and still am at. Keanu reeves kills everybody in breathtakingly violent sequel. 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. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest.
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