#tobruk

[simon-roy]

An excerpt from "exclusion zone", a little comic about villagers resettling in an abandoned bunker complex - up in color on the patreon next month

[tearsofrefugees]

More than 100 Sudanese refugees dead or missing in shipwrecks off Libya

At least 110 people have died or gone missing after two boats carrying mostly Sudanese refugees sunk off the coast of Tobruk, Libya.

[historynerdj2]

Australian sign post on the road the El Alamein road, September of 1942.

There are potentially multiple reasons for this sign, as well as for the crucifixes.

The first is that it might denote that the area ahead isn’t exactly the most safe.

Just as likely, and potentially more realistic, is that it helps to keep track of who is out on patrol.

For example, during the Tobruk siege, Australian forces would use a system known as “love and kisses” patrols. Essentially, they would leave sticks in either an equals sign (love) or a cross (kisses) to indicate that their section of the perimeter had been patrolled.

So the crosses here might be another way to signify that someone is out on patrols.

That said, this is all conjecture, but it is still interesting.

Source of info: The Patrolling War in Tobruk by Leah Riches, published by the Australian War Memorial

[theworldatwar]

A motorcycle team from the 21st Panzer Division spearheads the German Army’s spring Offensive - Gulf of Bomba, 1942

[carbone14]

Soldats australiens au fusil-mitrailleur Bren sur la ligne de front pendant le siège de Tobrouk – Campagne d'Afrique du Nord – Août 1941

Photographe : George Silk

©Australian War Memorial - 009510

[retrocgads]

UK 1987

[victusinveritas]

[thedesertfox]

"Catch them!"

This photo was taken sometime shortly after Rommel's epic capture of the port of Tobruk, late June 1942. Colonel Fritz Bayerlein (right) and German & Italian staff officers are also present.

The newly-promoted Field Marshal did not celebrate for long. He knew that the British were retreating, but if he didn't capture their veteran divisions and heavy equipment, they would slip away into British-controlled Egypt. This set the stage for the First Battle of El Alamein.