Everything about Operation Felix totally explained
"Felix" was the proposed name for a German/Spanish seizure of
Gibraltar. It was scheduled for
10 January,
1941 but never executed. This plan was discussed at a meeting held between
Francisco Franco and
Adolf Hitler in late October 1940, in Hitler's railroad car at
Hendaye, at the border of German-occupied France with Spain.
Franco's material demands for joining the Axis powers included:
- 400,000-700,000 tons of grain
- All the fuel required for the Spanish Army
- All lacking equipment for the Spanish Army
- Artillery, aircraft, and special troops for the conquest of Gibraltar
In addition, Franco wanted Germany to hand over the French African territories of
Morocco and
Oran, and to "help [Spain] get a border revision in the west of
Río de Oro" (in
Spanish Sahara).
In
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,
William L. Shirer quotes
Ciano's Diplomatic Papers as reporting that Hitler later said he'd rather have three teeth extracted than meet with Franco again.
It is a subject of historical debate whether Franco overplayed his hand, demanding too much from Hitler for Spanish entry into the war, or whether he deliberately stymied the German dictator by setting the price unrealistically high. Also,
Wilhelm Canaris, who secretly relayed information to Franco about the German plans, might have convinced Franco not to agree to Hitler's demands.
In any case, the operation itself wouldn't have been straightforward. German estimates were for as many as 30,000 troops to be involved in the assault. Use of
airborne forces wasn't an option due to the small amount of level ground around the Rock and the perilous air currents. Supporting the assault with heavy
siege artillery would have been difficult as the Spanish railway system wouldn't support the movement of such large guns within range of Gibraltar. In addition the actual assault would have go across the exposed runway of the airfield, which runs parallel to the entire land border with Spain. Recognizing this fact, the British defenders had mounted rapid fire
Bofors 40 mm guns in tunnel openings facing north and downwards onto the airfield to specifically deal with this threat.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Operation Felix'.
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