Battle of Tobruk

Discussion in 'World War 2' started by avbodder, Jul 9, 2014.

  1. avbodder

    avbodder New Member

    As an Australian, I have a particular interest in the Battle of Tobruk. Holding Tobruk as long as the Australians did probably didn't have an impact on the war nearly as much as any individual battle on the Eastern Front, but if Rommel had been able to push through and take Alexandria there's a good chance that the British war effort would've been badly impacted.

    What would have happened if Rommel had taken Tobruk and pushed on and taken Alexandria to seize the Suez Canal?
     
  2. Diptangshu

    Diptangshu Active Member

    " Give me two Australian dvsns, I'll conquer the world. "
    " If I'd had one Maori dvsn, I would have taken the Canal within a week. If I'd had three, I'd have taken Baghdad. "
    If he able to manage to push upto the East coast of Egypt, then the Allies couldn't have any port to disembark logistics which eventfully been used to charge Rommel's right flank.
    I'm also thinking for the 14th Army, struggling in India against the formidable Mutaguchi's 15th Army, hardly they could proved any counter stroke to the Africa Corps!
     
  3. aghart

    aghart Former Tank Commander Moderator

    Had Tobruk fallen then Rommel's supply problems would have been much reduced, and "if" Rommel had captured Alexandria and the Suez Canal then it is unlikely that any reinforcement of Singapore or the Far East in general during 1941 would have taken place, the British would have to withdraw to the Indian frontier when Japan attacked ( which is what happened anyway) and British formations in the UK would have been sent up the east coast of Africa into Palestine/Syria/Iraq (instead of to India) to hold the oilfields and then attack to recapture the canal from there. With the attack on Russia in full swing, don't expect much in the way of help for Rommel from Germany, North Africa even in this scenario would be sideshow to Hitler and the German Command Staff who would be concentrating on Russia. Expect Rommel to go on the defensive and await the British attack. By the way, the only regiment to remain in Tobruk for the entire siege (from start to finish) was 1st Royal Tank Regiment (my former regiment). 9th Australian Division who held Tobruk for 2/3rds of the siege covered themselves in glory and remained in North Africa until after the Battle of El Alamein before withdrawing east to lock horns with Japan. On the morning of D Day 6th June 1944 it is claimed that one of Montgomery's staff said to him " I wish we had 9th Australian with us today" a fine tribute to a fine Division.
     

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