Gibraltar's Secret Wars

During World War II, whilst most of Europe suffered under the Nazi jackboot, a tiny speck on the map, Gibraltar, stood defiant. While Spain played a precarious game of neutrality, this formidable British rock became the linchpin for Allied victory. It wasn't just a fortress; it was a lifeline, pumping supplies to British forces in North Africa, Malta, Crete and beyond to the Far East. The Rock became a sanctuary for thousands fleeing Nazi oppression.

As the tide turned, Gibraltar transformed into a launchpad, poised to strike back. Hundreds of brave men and women were taken by night in small boats to be infiltrated behind enemy lines. But Hitler wouldn't let it stand. He, along with Mussolini's Italy, devised a web of covert operations to cripple the Rock.

These articles delve into the untold stories – the clandestine missions, the whispers exchanged in the dead of night, the battles fought not on land or sea, but in the shadows. It was a time when sabotage and intrigue were a way of life for some. Prepare to be surprised by the lengths to which both sides went, as the fate of Gibraltar, and perhaps the war itself, hung in the balance.

1: Defending Gibraltar in WWII

Britain's Plans to Defend Gibraltar in WWII In 1940, Gibraltar stood alone in Europe. Franco wanted Gibraltar for Spain. Germany wanted Gibraltar for its strategic Read the article >>

2: Operation Felix - Hitler's Plan to Capture Gibraltar

Gibraltar's Finest Hour: Franco's Gamble and the Demise of Operation Felix Operation Felix was Germany's ambitious plan to transport Hitler's troops through Spain and capture Gibraltar. Despite H Read the article >>

3: Operation Tracer - the Stay Behind Chamber

Operation Tracer - The Stay Behind Chamber on Gibraltar during WW II Operation Tracer was so secret that only rumour persisted after the war and it was not until the discovery of a chamber Read the article >>

4: The WW II Evacuation of Gibraltar

The WW II Evacuation of Gibraltar: A Family's Ordeal Discover the dramatic story of Gibraltar's WWII evacuation. Thousands flee, only to face hardship and uncertainty. Read Read the article >>

5: Gateway to Freedom for Escapers and Evaders

Gibraltar: Gateway to Freedom during WW II Gibraltar was the gateway to freedom for thousands of escapers and evaders who had made their way out of occupied France Read the article >>

6: Gibraltar's Secret Flotilla during WW II

Gibraltar's Secret Flotilla: Their mission - covert operations in southern France and north Africa World War II: A covert flotilla of fishing boats and a Q-ship operating from Gibraltar played a vital role for the Allie Read the article >>

7: Covert Missions to France and North Africa

Gibraltar's Secret Flotilla Missions to France and North Africa During 1942 and 1943, hundreds of allied agents were landed in France and thousands of escapers and evaders were picked Read the article >>

8: Letter from the Front - Personal Recollections

Letter from the Front - Personal Recollections from HMS Minna Peter Walker was the ASDIC operator on HMS Minna during 1942. These are his recollections of his time on the ship, a per Read the article >>

9: Operation Relator - SOE create mayhem in Gib

Operation Relator - Plans to delay the German advance if they invaded Spain Operation Relator was a plan to use Special Forces to delay the enemy advance if Axis forces invaded Spain during WWII. Read the article >>

10: Operation Ursa Major - Prelude

Prelude to Operation Ursa Major. The Raids of the Decima Flottiglia MAS in Gibraltar Bay During World War II In 1940 and 1941, Italian divers from Decima Flottiglia MAS infiltrated the defences at Gibraltar and carried out a seri Read the article >>

11: Operation Ursa Major - The Olterra

Operation Ursa Major - Transforming the Olterra The incredible tale of Italian frogmen who transformed a moored merchant ship into a covert base for launching WWII atta Read the article >>

12: Operation Ursa Major - Execution

Operation Ursa Major begins in earnest Inspired by successful attacks on Allied shipping moored at Gibraltar launched from the Italian submarine Scire, Decima Read the article >>

13: Operation Falaise - Zap a Nazi Spy Nest

Operation Falaise - an Operation to Destroy a Nazi Spy Nest in Tangier In 1941, German agents built a spy nest in Tangier to detect allied shipping in the Gibraltar Straits. Operation Falaise Read the article >>

14: UK Policy towards Spain - Spanish Civil War

UK Policy towards Spain during the Spanish Civil War 1936 – 1939 A combination of overt economic and diplomatic measures alongside covert intelligence operations, deception, and bribery Read the article >>

15: UK Policy towards Spain - 1940-1942

UK Policy towards Spain - Non-Belligerence 1940-1942 In the early years of World War II, Britain used economic incentives, diplomatic connections, and bribery to influence S Read the article >>

16: UK Policy towards Spain 1942 - 1945

UK Policy towards Spain - From Non-belligerence to Neutrality, 1942-1945 As the tide of war turned against the Axis powers, Britain adopted a more forceful stance with Spain. In 1943, with the Read the article >>

17: Abwehr Operations - Gibraltar WWII

Abwehr Operations in Gibraltar during World War II This is an account of the operations launched by the Abwehr against Gibraltar during World War II. While Italian actions Read the article >>

18: Counter Espionage - Gibraltar WWII

Double Agents and Double Cross on Gibraltar during WWII The Rock of Gibraltar was a stage on which one of World War II's most absorbing intelligence battle of wits was played o Read the article >>

19: Operation Algeciras - 1982

Operation Algeciras: An Audacious Argentinian Plan to attack Gibraltar In 1982, during the tense Falklands War between Argentina and Britain, Argentina conceived a clandestine operation known Read the article >>

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