Atlas of Battles

siege, major, interwar and Second World War

Siege of Tobruk

Siege of Tobruk was a siege conducted on 10 April 1941 at Tobruk, in what is now Libya; it lasted 8 months. It was part of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II, which ran from 1940 to 1945. The recorded result: Allied victory. Recorded strength: 27,000 against 35,000.

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IWM caption : Australian troops occupy a front line position at Tobruk. Between April and December 1941 the Tobruk garrison, comprising British, Australian and Polish troops, was besieged by Rommel's
IWM caption : Australian troops occupy a front line position at Tobruk. Between April and December 1941 the Tobruk garrison, comprising British, Australian and Polish troops, was besieged by Rommel's . Smith, N (Lt), No 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought10 April 1941lasted 8 months
WhereTobruk, Libya32.076N, 23.961E
OutcomeAllied victory
BelligerentsAustralia; United Kingdom; British Raj; Dominion of New Zealand; Libyan Arab Force; Poland; CzechoslovakiaagainstGermany; Italy
Casualties and losses5,989and12,296; 74–150 aircraft
Part ofMediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II1940 to 1945

Where it sits in the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II

Battle of the Espero Convoy, 1940Battle of Cape Spada, 1940Battle of Cape Passero, 1940Battle of Sidi Barrani, 1940Siege of Giarabub, 1940Battle of Kufra, 1941Operation Sonnenblume, 1941Battle of Cape Matapan, 1941Siege of Tobruk, 1941Battle of the Tarigo Convoy, 1941Battle of the Duisburg Convoy, 1941Battle of Cape Bon, 1941First Battle of Sirte, 1941Raid on Alexandria, 1941Second Battle of Sirte, 1942Battle of Gazala, 1942Battle of Bir Hakeim, 1942Axis capture of Tobruk, 1942Battle of Mersa Matruh, 1942Battle of Alam el Halfa, 1942Battle of Skerki Bank, 1942Battle of the Gulf of Gabes, 1943Battle of the Cigno Convoy, 1943Battle of Enfidaville, 1943Battle of the Campobasso Convoy, 1943Battle of Rhodes, 1943Battle of Leros, 1943Battle of Kos, 1943Action of 1 November 1944, 1944Battle of Ist, 1944Raid on Santorini, 1944Battle of Port Cros, 1944Battle of La Ciotat, 1944Battle of the Ligurian Sea, 194519401945Siege of Tobruk, 1941
34 placed engagements of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date10 April 1941
to 27 November 1941
PlaceTobruk, Libya
32.076N, 23.961E
KindSiege, interwar and Second World War
Strength27,00035,000
Casualties and losses5,98912,296; 74–150 aircraft
Commanders
  • Leslie Morshead
  • Ronald Scobie
Siege of TobrukSiege of TobrukBattle of TobrukBritish capture of TobrukPoint 175Battle of GazalaSecond Battle of Bir el GubiPoint 175Battle of GazalaSecond Battle of Bir el GubiDarnah100 km32.076N, 23.961E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Siege of Tobruk
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Siege of Tobruk today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-10-11. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 4 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -2 to 146 m, 148 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 55% built-up, 21% bare ground, 10% water.

built-up: 55%bare ground: 21%water: 10%grassland: 9%cropland: 2%built-up 55%bare ground 21%water 10%grassland 9%cropland 2%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 76 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 103 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 3 times between 1911 and 1941.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1941

Siege of Tobruk is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 57 in present-day Libya.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q611089, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Tobruk, revision 1383353859, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.