Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell

But then, those silly Brits and their silly Australian friends decided that Tobruk would not only not be abandoned, it would be defended and defended well.

General Wavell would make the decision that Tobruk had to be held instead of abandoned as positions further to the west had been.

There were really good reasons for this decision, all revolving around supplies.

Just like the Germans, the British also needed the port of Tobruk to support their forces as they had advanced across Libya, just in the opposite way that the Germans were.

The British had also spent the previous months building up the number of supplies at Tobruk, with Wavell citing this as one of the reasons for holding the port city.

"...saying, quote, I decided that it was essential to hold Tobruk in order to secure the large reserves of supplies there and to prevent the enemy obtaining the use of the port and water supply for his further advance," end quote.

The defense of Tobruk was entrusted to General Morshead and his 9th Australian Division.

Wavell would actually be in Tobruk on April 8th, just days before the German forces arrived, and would inform Morshead that he needed to hang on for two months.

But anyway, be that as it may, as soon as Churchill knew what was happening, he ordered food supplies, large food supplies to be sent to India.

And the viceroy... later Lord Wavell, General Wavell, immediately used the army and army supplies to relieve starvation in Bengal.

So the idea that the British authorities either did nothing or indeed aggravated it, I think Well, I would say can be disproved.

Of course, you know, there is a problem.