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Why did the garrison at Tobruk hold out against Rommel’s forces?

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Map showing the British and Axis military campaigns in North Africa during World War II, with labeled troop movements, key battles, and shifting front lines from Egypt across Libya to Tunisia along the Mediterranean coast. The map includes arrows and dates marking advances and retreats by both sides, and highlights major turning points and defensive lines. — North Africa campaigns Military drives, defensive lines, and key battles during the North Africa campaigns of World War II, 1940–43.

The garrison at Tobruk held out against Erwin Rommel’s forces for nearly eight months in 1941 due to the tenacity of its defenders and critical logistical support. The garrison, composed of Australian, British, Indian, and Polish troops, maintained their position despite constant shelling and aerial bombardment by conducting effective night-time guerrilla warfare against the attackers.1

A decisive factor in their endurance was the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, which utilized British control of the Mediterranean to ferry vital supplies to the port and to rotate battle-worn units. This defiance served as a significant morale boost for the Allied forces during a difficult period of World War II. While the garrison successfully resisted the initial siege, it was eventually captured by Rommel in June 1942 following the collapse of the British position at the Gazala line.123