Page "Battle of Gazala" Paragraph 34

British prisoners leaving TobrukXIII Corps commander Gott had appointed 2nd South African Division's Klopper as commander of the Tobruk garrison.

In addition to the division's two South African brigades, he also had 201st Guards ( Motorised ), 11th Indian Infantry Brigade, 32nd Army Tank and 4th Anti-Aircraft Brigades under command.

Tobruk had previously withstood a siege of nine months before being relieved by Operation Crusader in December 1941, but this time the Royal Navy could not make a commitment to keep the garrison supplied.

Allied leaders expected it to be able to hold out for two months with its supplies.

Auchinleck however viewed the defence of Tobruk as non-essential and had already told Neil Ritchie that he did not intend to hold it at all costs.

Furthermore, it was commonly known that in February 1942 the Army, Navy and Air Force Commanders-in-Chief in Cairo had agreed that Tobruk should not stand another siege.

Given this and the subsequent emphasis on building strength at the Gazala position for an attack ( which had been forestalled by the Axis offensive ) it is likely that the defences at Tobruk had not been maintained in first rate condition.