The Rats of Tobruk (film)

The Rats of Tobruk
Directed byCharles Chauvel
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGeorge Heath
Edited byGus Lowry
Music by
Production
company
Chamun Productions
Distributed by
  • RKO (Australia)
  • Umbrella Entertainment
Release dates
  • 7 December 1944 (1944-12-07) (Australia)
  • 1949 (1949) (UK)
  • 1951 (1951) (US)
Running time
  • 95 mins (Aust)
  • 68 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

The Rats of Tobruk is a 1944 Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel. An abridged version was released in the United States in 1951 as The Fighting Rats of Tobruk. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the Australian Army together during World War II. Their story is based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps. The partly Australian defenders held the city for 250 days before being relieved by British forces.