Remember the "Desert Rats of
Tobruk", who halted the Nazi blitzkrieg of Rommel Afrika Korps during
World War II, on this military
pure silver
dollar!
The Battle of Tobruk, during the North African Campaign of the World
War II, stared in April 1941, when Tobruk was attacked by an
Italian-German force under German General Erwin "The Desert Fox"
Rommel. It continued for 8 months. The siege was only a couple of
months old when the traitorous renegade Lord Haw Haw, broadcasting from
Berlin, said the Allies were "caught like rats in a trap". The Allied
soldiers accepted the title and became the renowned "Rats of Tobruk".
The Allied troops endured intense bombing raids but held their ground,
defying the seemingly unstoppable blitzkrieg of the German war machine.
The coin’s obverse portrays an Australian soldier
wearing wearing Second World War Western Desert Campaign military
issue. The color image depicts the troops under siege in a desert
trench.
Talisman Coins and
the Perth Mint are honored to present the new
Famous
Battles in Australian History Series. Following on the heels
of the tremendously well received
Famous
Battles of History and
Famous
Naval Battles programs, the
Famous
Battles in Australian History Series comprises legal tender,
Australian,
pure
silver
dollars
commemorating five important conflicts that loom large in the
consciousness of all Australians. All remember the heroic
mettle
and stalwart resolve of the Aussie soldiers, often against long
odds.
Please
note that the mintage limit for coins in this program is only 5,000,
not
the customary 7,500 typical of Australian legal tender proof silver
dollars!
The "Desert Rats" vs. The
"Desert Fox"
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240
days (8
months) between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during
the
Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The siege started on
11 April 1941, when Tobruk was attacked by an Italian–German
force under Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel and his vaunted (and
hitherto undefeated) Afrika Korps, and continued until December, when
it was relieved by the Allied Eighth Army during Operation Crusader.
For much of the siege, Tobruk was defended by the
reinforced
Australian 9th Division under Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead.
General Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief of British Middle East
Command, instructed Morshead to hold the fortress for eight weeks, but
the 9th Australian Division held it for over five months before being
gradually withdrawn during September! The Aussie 9th was replaced by
the British 70th Infantry Division, the Polish Carpathian Brigade and
Czechoslovak 11th Infantry Battalion (East) under the overall command
of Major-General Ronald Scobie. The fresh defenders continued to hold
Tobruk until they were able to link with the advancing Eighth Army at
the end of November during Operation Crusader.
The "Tobruk Ferry Service", made up of Royal Navy and Royal Australian
Navy warships, played an important role in Tobruk's defense, providing
gunfire support, supplies, fresh troops, and ferrying out the wounded.
Maintaining control of Tobruk was crucial to the Allied war effort.
Tobruk was home to the only other major port on the African coast
between Tripoli and Alexandria (besides Benghazi). Had the Allies lost
it, the German and Italian supply lines would have been drastically
shortened. Moreover, Rommel was in no position to attack across the
Egyptian border towards Cairo and Alexandria while the Tobruk garrison
threatened the supply lines of his front-line units.
Tobruk marked the first time that an advance of German Panzers had been
brought to a halt. Following Operation Crusader the siege of Tobruk was
lifted in December, 1941.
Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC)
ANZAC
army formations and units include both Australian and New Zealand
troops. The term
ANZAC
originated as an acronym for the
Australian
and
New
Zealand
Army
Corps,
an army group of Australian and New Zealand troops who fought against
the Ottoman Turks in 1915 at the Battle of Gallipoli during World War
I. This Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was disbanded in 1916 and
other ANZAC formations were then formed and fought during that war in
the Middle East and on the Western Front. The term ANZAC was used again
during the Second World War and the Vietnam War as part of the name of
battalions composed of Australian and New Zealand troops.
ANZAC Day
Within Australasia, ANZAC came to stand not just for the troops in
World War I, but for Australian and New Zealand soldiers in time of war
more generally. ANZAC Day is observed annually in memory of
those
soldiers who died in war. It is celebrated each year by both countries
on April 25th, the date of the first landing at Gallipoli in
1915,
on a beach known as ANZAC Cove.
ANZAC
Day now more broadly
commemorates all those who died and served in military operations. As
such, it is very similar to days such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day,
Armistice Day, Remembrance Day and V-E Day that are celebrated in the
United States, Canada, and other western countries.
The Siege
of Tobruk Silver Proof is the second in the ongoing
Famous
Battles in Australian History Series, to be released by the
Perth Mint.
Coins commemorating the following battles are planned:
Gallipoli
Campaign, 1915 AD - World War I
Siege
of Tobruk, 1941 AD - World War II
Kokoda
Track Campaign, 1942 AD - World War II
Battle of Kapyong, 1951 AD - Korean War
Battle of Long Tan, 1966 AD - Vietnam War
Technology Note
The Perth Mint of Australia employs its own proprietary
colorization technology, in which the color is actually sealed on the
coin. The vibrant hues and precise execution of the technology create a
stunning, full-color portrait on each coin.
Obverse
The coin’s obverse portrays an Australian soldier
wearing wearing Second World War Western Desert Campaign military
issue. The color image depicts the troops under siege in a desert
trench. The legend TOBRUK 1941 defines the theme. The Perth
Mint's "P" mint mark is
near 8:00 on the edge.
Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in crowned profile facing
right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl
earrings, was executed by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. The legend
QUEEN ELIZABETH II and denomination also appear.
Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside a handsome taupe leatherette,
clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin,
and protected by a full-color outer box. An individually-numbered
certificate of authenticity is included.
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