o the Egyptian border, leaving Tobruk isolated and under siege. The defenders of the fortress consisted of the Australian 9th Division, theAustralian 18th Brigade and some British tanks and artillery. They were later reinforced and replaced by the British 70th Infantry Division, Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade, aCzechoslovak battalion and a British tank brigade. The siege lasted until December, when Operation Crusader pushed the DAK and Italians back out of Cyrenaica.
Capture of Tobruk
Rommel's second offensive took place in May and June 1942. Tobruk was taken in a surprise attack on 21 June 1942. The following units were deployed in Tobruk on 20 June 1942, and most of them were captured by the Axis forces:
? 2nd South African Infantry Division
? 4th Royal Tank Regiment
? 7th Royal Tank Regiment
? 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards
? 1st Bn Sherwood Foresters
? 1st Bn Worcestershire Regiment
? 2nd Bn Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
? 2/5 Mahratta Light Infantry
? 2/7 Gurkha Rifles
? 67 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
? 68 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
? 25th Field Regiment, Royal Engineers
Tobruk remained in Axis hands until 11 November 1942, when the Allies captured it after the Second Battle of El Alamein. It remained in Allied hands
