British capture of Tobruk

British capture of Tobruk
Part of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War
Men of the Australian 2/11th Battalion, 6th Australian Division after the capture of Tobruk
Date 6–22 January 1941 Location Tobruk, Libya 32°4′34″N 23°57′41″E / 32.07611°N 23.96139°E / 32.07611; 23.96139 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Italy	United Kingdom  Australia
Commanders and leaders
Rodolfo Graziani Giuseppe Tellera Enrico Pitassi Mannella (POW)	Henry Wilson Richard O'Connor Iven Mackay
Strength
22,000 troops
Casualties and losses
3,048 killed or wounded 20,000 POW 1 cruiser scuttled	400 killed or wounded

The British capture of Tobruk was a battle fought between 21 and 22 January 1941, as part of Operation Compass, the first offensive of the Western Desert Force (WDF) in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. After defeating the Italians in the Battle of Bardia (3–5 January 1941), the 6th Australian Division and the 7th Armoured Division pressed on and made contact with the Italian garrison in Tobruk on 6 January.

The Italians had fortified Tobruk, their only naval base in Eastern Cyrenaica, before the war but after being routed at the Attack on Nibeiwa, the Battle of Sidi Barrani and the Battle of Bardia the Italian 10th Army had lost eight of its nine divisions and had only the 61st Infantry Division "Sirte" and stragglers to defend the port.

The Tobruk garrison suffered 2,048 casualties and 20,000 men were taken prisoner for 400 Australian and British casualties. The WDF continued its westwards advance towards Derna and Mechili.