Why did Hitler not take Gibraltar

[Ironmachine]

What you say and the article say is the same - that Rommel [sic] could only be supplied through Suez

No, what pugsville is saying is that in OTL the Eighth Army was only supplied through Suez, so taking Gibraltar will not make any difference in that regard.

With the taking of Gibraltar, the med would have been a German lake, this would have radically changed the north-African theatre and prevented via Italy

It's really difficult to understand how with the taking of Gibraltar the Med would have been a German lake if the British still hold Alexandria and Suez (and even Malta).

The German army almost took Moscow in four months, the taking of Gibraltar was not a big deal at all, most likely they wouldn't even have faced any resistance what so ever through the whole of Spain

The whole Gibraltar issue has been debated many times in this forum, but every once in a while some posters will resurrect the matter because it is so obvious to them that taking Gibraltar was the way to go for the Germans to win the war. However, it seems that it was not so obvious to the Germans, after all!

[Literalman]

What if the Germans had taken Gibraltar in cooperation with Spain? Germany could have promised to occupy Gibraltar only until the Allies were defeated and then would hand it over to Spain.

[Ironmachine]

Actually, the fifth article of the secret protocol signed by Spain and Germany after the Hendaya meeeting recognised the handing over of Gibraltar to Spain after the defeat of Great Britain. It was still not enough to move Spain to join the war.

[steverodgers801]

Taking Gibraltar would not end the war. Admiral Canaris a member of the resistance in secret, warned Franco before his talks with Hitler that things were not a good as seemed for Germany. The main reason Spain did not join in is that the country had been devastated by the civil war and was in no condition to fight. Britain also made it clear to Franco that joining the Axis would result in an embargo that would devastate Spain even more and Hitler could not come up with what the Spanish would need to survive the embargo.

[pugsville]

Supping a large army through 1 railway line limits the sort of force the German could deploy in a Spanish campaign. Ilf only the narrow strip on non-vichy France is used the German force would be limited to around 10 divisions. (the more air force and tanks means less overall troops)
2 months to assemble the force near the pyrenees build up supplies and construct airstrips. Thats sept 1940. The Spanish army is 12 regular divisions plus support troops. Given the mountainous Pyrenees limited attack routes, good defensive terrain it's not as easy as all that. Spanish air force 400+ aircraft a real mix mostly obsolete but 34 me109, 41 he111, 61 sm 79, 41 sm 81. Yes the German could easily deploy enough aircraft to over whelm this but thats more supplies and fuel be railed in , more airstrips.

Once the Germans start building up forces in southern France it would be blinding obvious what they were doing. The Allies could supply Franco with arms and equipment and ready forces to intervene.

10 divisions is not a lot to occupy a route though to southern Spain and defend the flanks, and the further the force goes the longer the truck route the more fuel that needs to be railed in on the one railway one and then trucked. 10 divisions is not enough to occupy all of Spain, and defending a 1000 km long corridor is problematic at best. Only a small force could be supplied at the End of it. Getting bogged down south of Madrid with huge flanks fighting Spanish forces while a British forces halts the spearhead is quite possible.

The Germans could occupy Vichy France and break the armistice, but that is likely throw with the french fleet and colonial France to the Allies, giving the Allies much greater forces in the med naval battle, lots of useful bases and a large free french army (as well as freeing up a lot of troops that were used to mop up the Vichy colonial areas) most likely quickly leading the complete conquest of Italian North Africa.

[Ironmachine]

The Spanish army is 12 regular divisions plus support troops

Actually, in 1940 the Spanish Army was 16 infantry divisions, 3 mountain divisions and 1 cavalry division plus support troops in the Peninsula (one infantry and one mountain division were made up of "Serie 100" units as the original "Serie 00" divisions had been moved to Spanish Morocco in August-September 1940)

[Rob Stuart]

Actually, in 1940 the Spanish Army was 16 infantry divisions, 3 mountain divisions and 1 cavalry division plus support troops in the Peninsula (one infantry and one mountain division were made up of "Serie 100" units as the original "Serie 00" divisions had been moved to Spanish Morocco in August-September 1940)

This was the regular army? How many divisions would be available if the army had time to mobilize?

[Ironmachine]

Those were the units of the "Serie 00" that corresponded to the units that existed in peacetime. In case of war, there was a mobilization plan by which through the addition of reservists and new recruits the units (battalion/regiment) would be duplicated, and new divisions formed by grouping those new units of all arms and services; those would be the "Serie 100" units. Eventually, through the addition of more men it was planned to form the "Serie 200" units and even the "Serie 300". However, it should have been almost impossible to equip the "Serie 200" and "Serie 300" units should a full mobilization be ordered, as even the "regular" Army was lacking weaponry to fulfill the official TO&Es. During the war there was only a partial mobilization of the "Serie 100".

[pugsville]

Equipment would be a serious problem. The Allies could supply equipment and weapons but remember in the late 1940 period Britain had serious equipment shortfalls itself, recovering from Dunkirk. But even limited amounts, particularly AT guns and AA guns could help with defence if supplied quickly enough.

[Sheldrake]

Hitler did think about taking Gibraltar - but with Franco as an ally. But:-

1. He could not satisfy the conflicting demands of the Italians and Spanish at the expense of the Vichy French

2. He was in a hurry and wanted to get on with the Next Big Thing which was OP Barbarossa and had neither the patience nor the passion to deal with Britian.

3. He did not get on with Franco. He was quoted as saying that he would prefer an afternoon of dental treatment without anaesthetic to negotiating with Franco.

[doogal]

And Hitler had no love for any Mediterranean strategy, was it not Gross Admiral Raeder who was a proponent of it. In Hitlers mind defeating the Soviet Union would have the desired effect on British assets in the med and North Africa.

[mescal]

Supping a large army through 1 railway line limits the sort of force the German could deploy in a Spanish campaign

Interestingly, while France uses the Standard gauge, Spain (& Portugal) have a wider gauge ...
Lots of added logistic headache ...

[Ironmachine]

And Führer Directive 18 stated: "In view of the low capacity of Spanish railways the Army will detail chiefly motorised formations for this operation [the capture of Gibraltar], so that the railways are available for supplies."

[Barzini]

Here are details about Operation Felix - the plan that was drawn up to take Gibraltar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Felix

[john2]

In regards to the original post it was a matter of priorities. Hitler would have liked Gibraltar but he didn't want to spend time on large scale operations there. As soon as France fell his main focus was on Russia. Although he wound up invading the Balkans he only did that because he was forced to. Maybe had Russia been defeated Hitler would have taken another look but not before.