The eight month long siege of Tobruk in 1941, which saw the name 'Rats of Tobruk' (first coined by Radio Berlin as a contemptuous one) take a proud place in Australian history was one of the greatest stories of bravery and endurance against overwhelming odds in the history of modern warfare.

It began on 23 May, the same day Crete fell to the Germans, when the enemy, under the command of Erwin Rommel attacked the British forces at Libya. A garrison seriously weakened by the removal of ANZAC and British forces when they were hastily despatched to Greece to counter the Nazi offensive there.

As the British withdrew back to Egypt, the Australian troops at that time in Benghazi, were forced to make a hasty retreat. Along the way the Aussie diggers side stepped the withdrawal to Egypt and entered the port city of Tobruk. There it was that they dug in to face Rommel's all conquering Afrika Corps. Rommel detached a small force to deal with the Tobruk defenders and continued to harass the British back to Egypt. At the beginning he thought that the small garrison at Tobruk would not be a problem and would easily be overthrown. However he was soon to realise how wrong he was.

The Australians and other allied troops resisted all attempts to dislodge them no matter what he threw at them. The Story of the "Rats of Tobruk" has become part of Australian folklore, but not quite as well known is tale of the unique naval battle of Tobruk............

'The courageous seamen in their old, battered ships that kept the 'Rats' fighting!