The Rats of Tobruk (film)

The Rats of Tobruk
The Rats of Tobruk
Directed by	Charles Chauvel
Written by	Charles Chauvel; Elsa Chauvel; Maxwell Dunn (commentary);
Produced by	Charles Chauvel; Charles Munro;
Starring	Grant Taylor; Peter Finch; Chips Rafferty; George Wallace;
Cinematography	George Heath
Edited by	Gus Lowry
Music by	Lindley Evans (musical direction); Charles Mackerras (associate); Willie Redstone (associate);
Production; company	Chamun Productions
Distributed by	RKO (Australia); Umbrella Entertainment;
Release dates	7 December 1944 (Australia); 1949 (UK); 1951 (US);
Running time	95 mins (Aust); 68 minutes;
Country	Australia
Language	English

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.