Bob Larkin's biography of Chips Rafferty gives a full account of the making of this film, including the somewhat hostile it received in Australia. Hollywood traditionally has not shown much respect or care towards Australian culture and history over the years (cf English films like The Overlanders) - I suppose they figured we'd be grateful they'd even notice at that at all.
Anyway, for the first third of this I was thinking "that judgement's a bit harsh" - yes it was annoying that Richard Burton played an English officer looking after Australian troops, but I guess the film needed a star and you'd rather Burton acted in English than attempt an Aussie accent (they try to take the sting out of it by commenting on the oddness of the fact twice - once, a digger asks "what's an Englishman doing being an officer to Australian troops anyway" or something [no one answers], and James Mason as Rommell remarks on it).
And it is irritating that they use it to create some lame artificial conflict between Burton and the Aussies - it feels "writerly" as if the writer has gone "hey we can use this because drama is conflict" which it is but the conflict is boring; and there's an awful scene where one of the diggers even contemplates shooting Burton until Rafferty stops it (which happens every now and then I'm sure but Burton hasn't given them enough reason - just said he'll court martial Bud Tingwell).
OK, having said all that, the film is well directed by Robert Wise and also looks terrific - the visuals of Tobruk, the bare landscapes streaked by fire, the advancing troops, the incoming tanks... it's all just like the newsreels and the filmmakers deserve credit for it. So they do, too, for their portrayl of the initial German tanks with Gen Morshead (never named but quite a decent sized role played by Robert Douglas) allowing the Germans in to cut them off.
The middle section is less good - it has the Aussies and Burton go out on patrol to strike at the Germans, which they definitely did (Chips Rafferty does look a bit silly in black pajamas, like a ninja), though were they so successful? And then Burton is conveniently captured and escapes so he can have a quick scene with an overacting James Mason making a cameo as Rommell (apparently Mason didn't want to do the film, so his performance is harsh and nasty).
The last act is perhaps the weakest - Burton and his troops have to hold out a forward position, which sounds exciting, but we don't see any battles, just them sitting there being shelled, which must have been terrifying but having passive leads isn't that compelling to watch.
The Robert Newton subplot is OK, a bit tired but Burton's consideration for his former teacher is touching and the two work well together. Chips Rafferty and Bud Tingwell have decent support roles and work very well in them, easily holding their own. The Tobruk siege story is problematic for film treatments - too much lying down in the desert, the Germans eventually won - but could have done better than this.
Bob Larkin's biography of Chips Rafferty gives a full account of the making of this film, including the somewhat hostile it received in Australia. Hollywood traditionally has not shown much respect or care towards Australian culture and history over the years (cf English films like The Overlanders) - I suppose they figured we'd be grateful they'd even notice at that at all. 
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