Allies (United Kingdom)Objective
The Allied objective was to hold or recapture the port to protect supply lines and threaten the Axis flank in Libya.
TobrukAlliesTanks
Tobruk was a major Libyan port and fortress fought over during the North African campaign.
Axis (German Army)Objective
The Axis objective was to seize Tobruk, remove the Allied port base, and support the advance toward Egypt.
Control of Tobruk shaped the tempo of the desert war, with its sieges and captures affecting supply, morale, and the fight for Egypt.