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The Rats of Tobruk was the name given to the soldiers of the garrison who held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in World War II. The siege started on 10 April 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of November. Between April and August 1941, around 14,000 Australian soldiers were besieged in Tobruk by a German–Italian army commanded by General Erwin Rommel. The garrison, commanded by Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, consisted of the 9th Australian Division (20th, 24th, and 26th Brigades), the 18th Brigade of the 7th Australian Division, four regiments of British artillery, and some Indian troops. ==Origins of the name== In what proved to be a propaganda mis-step, Lord Haw-Haw derisively referred to the Garrison as ''"poor desert rats of Tobruk"'' during radio broadcasts. This was probably mostly due to two factors: #The Australians tended to counterattack to gather equipment as soon as the enemy was routed. #The defenders dug extensive tunnel networks and shelters to supplement their trenches — and were not afraid to use them when bombarded. The Australians gave themselves the nickname 'the Rats of Tobruk' after Radio Berlin described the Australians as 'caught like rats in a trap'. The old warships that helped the Rats of Tobruk with supplies and evacuation of the wounded were insulted by Radio Berlin, being called a 'pile of scrap iron'. The Australians therefore called them 'The Scrap Iron Flotilla'. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Rats of Tobruk」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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