German radio started calling the australians poor desert rats of tobruk, which they took immense pride. 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 on 22 march 1944, the 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 as tobruk house or the rathouse. Together they serve in north africa, fighting against the forces of rommel in what has now become one of australias greatest wartime legendsthe rats of tobruk. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together during world war ii. The film focuses on a joint britishsig special interrogation group raid on the fuel dumps at german controlled port city of tobruk. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of. Captured german and italian weaponry was used throughout filming. There is no sequence like this in any australian film before the rats of tobruk, in terms of the scale of the explosive effects. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 joe valli in the fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of tobruk 1944. 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 siege started on 10 april 1941. The australians gave themselves the nickname the rats of tobruk after radio berlin described the australians as caught like rats in a trap. Watch rats of tobruk trailer film gorillas on dailymotion. For eight months at tobruk in 1941 fifteen thousand australians and eight thousand british and indian troops held a german army seven times their number and in seven time their armour. Rats of tobruk a classic australian world war ii film.
Dec 26, 2018 action packed war epic about a group of british commandos who find themselves trapped behind enemy lines after the german afrika korps smash through the allied defenses in north africa. Aug 18, 2016 also featuring george wallace and joe valli, chauvels bold tale of war gives life to the many heroic tales of mateship during wwii. One of very few australian features made during world war ii, this 1944 film. Winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. The rat patrol s1e1 full episode, ww2 action series classic duration. The seesaw struggle for tobruk would make a great film as the key port city on the north african coast passes from axis to allied hands a few times over the 19401942 period. The battle of tobruk, in which a small british force composing primarily of australians, nicknamed the rats of tobruk, held tobruk while surviving waves of axis forces, is the most significant to australia. Z echorzek, george antoni, polish independent rifle brigade, 30054611, july 2019, 95. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. Months later, it got to my local theater in brooklyn and i saw it again on a doublefeature with 007 in you only live twice, no less. I remember seeing this film on a large screen on broadway in new york city.
Three soldiers interviewed before the film was screened said that they had come along chiefly to see what pretext mr. 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. Richard burton did a fine hollywood based film, desert rats, about the same siege at tobruk and chips rafferty had a featured role in that. An abridged version was released in the united states in 1951 as the fighting rats of tobruk.
Tobruk 1967 in order to slow rommels advance on the suez canal, a group of allied soldiers cross the libyan desert to destroy enemy fuel reserves and stop tanks dead in their tracks. Watch the rats of tobruk now on your favorite device. The 1941 siege of tobruk, birth of the rats of tobruk. The victorian state branch decided to form a pipe band as a living memorial to the soldiers who died at tobruk and to keep alive the proud name the rats of tobruk. Original us theatrical trailer for the fighting rats of tobruk a classic australian world war ii film. Film studies what are the key features of the documentaryreconstruction. Australian rats of tobruk lz click here to view list. The rats of tobruk simple english wikipedia, the free. Tobruk is a 1967 american technicolor drama war film directed by arthur hiller and starring rock hudson and george peppard. Of course the production values were much superior, still the rats of tobruk shows a lot of care about the australian fighting man and his contribution in world war ii from the folks they were defending. To play the downloadable video, you need quicktime 7.
Horsemen is a more entertaining and better constructed film, fully deserving of its place in the. Wartime drama about australian soldiers fighting the german forces of rommel during the north african conflict. Action packed war epic about a group of british commandos who find themselves trapped behind enemy lines after the german afrika korps smash through the. Tobruk concerns a british army group assigned the job of getting through the desert to destroy rommels fuel reserves at tobruk. The germans, understanding machines, but not these men, flung an insult to them in a name the rats of tobruk. The term was later used to describe any soldier of the desert army or men that fought in tobruk, and there is an australian rats of tobruk association, but only men of the 7th armoured division actually wore the jerboa emblem on their uniforms and vehicles. The fighting rats of tobruk is more of a narrated documentry, poorly acted and shot in darkness. A squadron of australian soldiers try to hold off the germanitalian army commanded by general rommel during the 1941 siege of tobruk in world war ii.
What its about is an allied raid on the fuel bunkers at tobruk that keep rommels panzers going. His experience in pipe bands spans 45 years, having also served as pipe major of the victoria police pipe band from 1980 to 1987, and retiring from that band in 20. The rats of tobruk may not be charles chauvels best movie, but it deserves serious consideration as his best movie about war which is to argue that it is in some ways superior to his more famous and betterloved forty thousand horsemen 1940, made four years earlier. May 12, 2012 the famous story of the rats of tobruk and the ships that supplied them in ww2, as told by the rats themselves. This film turned up very unexpectedly on one of our free view film channels. Phillip noyce is prepping rats of tobruk, a world war ii movie based on experiences his father shared of a band of untrained aussie soldiers. Watch rats of tobruk online vimeo on demand on vimeo. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 2 on aso australias audio. The siege started on the 10th of april 1941 and was finally relieved at the end of november. This film shows how troops spend most of their time. The rats of tobruk film is within the scope of wikiproject australia, which aims to improve wikipedia s coverage of australia and australiarelated topics. Watch the rats of tobruk, the australian classic war film by. Wikimedia commons has media related to rats of tobruk memorial the replica memorial is based on the 1941 memorial in the tobruk war cemetery, built by australian soldiers during the siege, which has since been destroyed. He was probably the most important australian feature film director from the 1930s to the 1950s and, with his wife and cowriter, elsa is responsible for several bonafide australian classics including in the wake of the bounty 1933, 40,000 horsemen 1941, and jedda 1955 the first colour film made in australia and the first to cast.
Tobruk is a 2008 film written and directed by vaclav marhoul and starring jan meduna and petr vanek. He is liberated by an unusual special forces unit of the british army composed of german jews and british soldiers, who work together in an uneasy state of detente. The rats of tobruk is certainly a work of propaganda, and chauvel could never have secured funding and permission for anything else in 1943, but its also a film that tries to tell some truths about the war. The rats of tobruk 1944 clip 1 on aso australianscreen. The major convinces the unit to help him complete his original plan. Incorporated into the memorial is the original inscription stone, the only surviving relic of that memorial, and at one time a front step of the tobruk post. To prepare for that, rommel wasnt receiving the supplies and material he needed. Start this article has been rated as startclass on the projects quality scale. Tobruk is a 1967 world war ii adventure film directed by arthur hiller and written by leo gordon. If you would like to participate, visit the project page. However, one battalion, the 2th battalion remained in tobruk until the british offensive, operation crusader relived the town in december. The famous story of the rats of tobruk and the ships that supplied them in ww2, as told by the rats themselves.
One of very few australian features made during world war ii, the rats of tobruk memorializes a great triumph of the nations troops of defending a libyan port from axis forces three years earlier. Australian troops of the australian 9th division and the 18th brigade of the australian 7th division under lieutenant general leslie morshead made up more. The rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film about the siege, focusing upon the australian defenders. See the full list of the rats of tobruk cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. He was probably the most important australian feature film director from the 1930s to the 1950s and, with his wife and cowriter, elsa is responsible for several bonafide australian classics including in the wake of the bounty 1933, 40,000 horsemen 1941, and jedda 1955 the first colour film made in australia and the first. Apr 22, 2011 a special anzac day ceremony was to have been held this year in the libyan town of tobruk, marking the 70th anniversary of the start of what was to become a key event in australian military history. 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. Tobruk 1967 internet movie firearms database guns in. Rick west, a german veteran of rommel s africa korps who survived the actual 1942 attack, served as a technical adviser on the film.
The film was written by leo gordon who also acted in the film and released through universal pictures. Rats of tobruk is a twoplayer operationaltactical game that simulates rommels easter day attack on tobruk in april 1941. It is clear that chauvel received a great deal of assistance from the australian defence forces, in both materiel and men, which indicates the importance the government placed on the propaganda value of the film. Sep 04, 2008 tobruk is certainly no private ryan or pearl harbour, neither budgetwise nor funwise, but it sure looks and feels damn good, especially the music and sounds divx is a poor option, must see in decent dolby movie theatre. Tobruk was an allied defensive operation in an attempt to maintain a foothold on the north african coast. The rats who returned to melbourne formed as association which has branches in every state as well as in the united kingdom. Identifying with authority, they obeyed rather than thought. A special anzac day ceremony was to have been held this year in the libyan town of tobruk, marking the 70th anniversary of the start of what was to become a key event in australian military history. Movie about australian rats of tobruk ww2 rats of tobruk. The siege started on 10 april 1941 and was relieved at the end of november when australian forces were withdrawn. It contains most of the elements that you expect from a world war 2 film. 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. Tobruk is a 1967 american war film starring rock hudson in his final film for universal pictures and george peppard that was directed by arthur hiller. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the australian army together.
The fighting rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel starring grant taylor, peter finch, chips rafferty and george wallace. 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. But if youre looking for a factional account of that story, this aint it. The battles played out are not very clear and leaves the viewer guessing what really happened. The rats of tobruk was the name of a group of soldiers, primarily existing out of australians, that held the libyan port of tobruk against erwin rommels afrika corps, during and after the siege of tobruk in world war ii. The rats of tobruk was the name given to the soldiers of the garrison who held the libyan. The defenders of tobruk and their besiegers were at a stalemate. It is an adaptation of the classic american civil war novel the red badge of courage by stephen crane, but transfers the action to north africa during world war ii. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. This battle primarily involved the australian 9th infantry division, as well as british. The rats of tobruk was the name given to the soldiers of the garrison who held the port of tobruk in libya against the german afrika corps, during the siege of tobruk in ww2. They endured the deserts searing heat, the bitterly cold nights, and hellish dust storms. The rats of tobruk the fighting rats of tobruk 2015. This was an adf pr video extolling the values of the australian defence forces.
For eight long months, surrounded by german and italian forces, the men of the tobruk garrison, mostly australians, withstood tank attacks, artillery barrages, and daily bombings. The pivotal role of the hurricane in the defence of tobruk januaryjune. Curators notes the rats of tobruk 1944 on aso australia. Italy a german ally had occupied libya, right next to egypt where the british were heavily ensconced.
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. As libya forges ahead with a very modern struggle, 6. Phillip noyce to helm wwii drama rats of tobruk backed. Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer a lash at the enemy from the feature film the rats of tobruk as a high quality video download. The rats of tobruk part 1 the famous story of the rats of tobruk and the ships that supplied them in ww2, as told by the rats themselves.
The siege of tobruk lasted 240 days but from august the australian were gradually relieved being evacuated by ship to alexandria. Charles chavel is a legend in australian cinema history. The spirit and tone are more rueful than four years earlier, and far less romantic. In fact, the real mission was a fiasco but did a little damage. The siege started on 10 april 1941, when tobruk was attacked by an italogerman force under lieutenant general erwin rommel and continued for 241 days up to 27 november 1941, when it was relieved by the allied 8th army during operation crusader. The fighting rats of tobruk 1944 the fighting rats of. This site is dedicated to the famous rats of tobruk who were members of the allied forces who fought at.
Adolf hitler had prepared for war by socially engineering his followers into the perfect fighting machines. An armed forces major is assigned to take a special unit of ninety men across the desert of libya to destroy military supplies in tobruk during the second world war. Most of the authentic rats were amazed by the realness of the desert which was, in fact, merely the sand country near cronulla. Low this article has been rated as lowimportance on the projects importance scale. Tobruk is certainly no private ryan or pearl harbour, neither budgetwise nor funwise, but it sure looks and feels damn good, especially the music and sounds divx is a poor option, must see in decent dolby movie theatre. David is currently the pipe major of the band having joined the rats of tobruk in 2003.
The rats of tobruk were soldiers of the garrison that held the libyan port of tobruk against the afrika corps, during and after the siege of tobruk in world war ii. Rats of tobruk home tribute is a tribute to the rats of tobruk, who fought in tobruk, during the siege of tobruk, of 241 days from april 10 to december 1941. The movie stars rock hudson, george peppard and nigel green. The rats of tobruk film the rats of tobruk is a 1944 australian film directed by charles chauvel. The army provided advisers who had served in tobruk.
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