Hi everybody
Does anybody of you have good info about Operation Felix, the German plan to invade Gibraltar in early 41?
Thanks
Martin
Operation Felix
i live in gibraltar and operation felix was called off as the OKH felt that the projected casualties would be to high for a piece of land 6kms squared
most of the invading german forces would be mtn troops with an artillery and panzer regiment as support. luftwaffw, italian and vichy air forces would provide air cover. as it happend franco did not allow hitler to march his troops through spain, franco mistrusted both sides during the war.
britain had a budding air strip, several inf regiments and royal engineer units sationed on the rock. furthermore the rock was the base for the RN squadron 'H'. there was also a local raised inf regiment the GDF(still on the british army roster as the Royal Gibraltar Regiment) responsible for AA and inf support.
the first day objective were the remains of the old moorish castle wich commanded a great view over the budding airstrip(later completed for operatioj torch). OKH felt 3 days would have been enough to capture the outside of the rock as the royal engineers had extended a network of 18 and 19 th century tunnels in the rock to cater for the shelyter of the garisson in the event of heay air or artlillery bombardment. they built a city of nissan huts some of which can still be seen today.
check these lnks out:
http://dotcom.gi/mag/stories/operation_felix.htm
http://www.gibnet.com/texts/hitler.htm
hope this is of use :twisted:
most of the invading german forces would be mtn troops with an artillery and panzer regiment as support. luftwaffw, italian and vichy air forces would provide air cover. as it happend franco did not allow hitler to march his troops through spain, franco mistrusted both sides during the war.
britain had a budding air strip, several inf regiments and royal engineer units sationed on the rock. furthermore the rock was the base for the RN squadron 'H'. there was also a local raised inf regiment the GDF(still on the british army roster as the Royal Gibraltar Regiment) responsible for AA and inf support.
the first day objective were the remains of the old moorish castle wich commanded a great view over the budding airstrip(later completed for operatioj torch). OKH felt 3 days would have been enough to capture the outside of the rock as the royal engineers had extended a network of 18 and 19 th century tunnels in the rock to cater for the shelyter of the garisson in the event of heay air or artlillery bombardment. they built a city of nissan huts some of which can still be seen today.
check these lnks out:
http://dotcom.gi/mag/stories/operation_felix.htm
http://www.gibnet.com/texts/hitler.htm
hope this is of use :twisted:
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Stauffenberg II
- Member
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- Joined: 03 Jan 2003, 18:43
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Sorry, don´t know your source but your source fails. Such a guess was never made in view of the strategic importance. In fact high losses were knowingly taken into account! In fact the missing will and cooperation of the Spanish High Command to retake Gibraltar was the only reason.Polynike wrote:i live in gibraltar and operation felix was called off as the OKH felt that the projected casualties would be to high for a piece of land 6kms squared.
Here is a planned OoB for the "Storm Division" from the end of Oct., 1940:
Stab/1. Gebirgsdivision: Lanz Hubert, Gen. Maj. (RDA: 01.11.1940)
Ia: Degen Hans, Obstlt. i. G.
x Gebirgsjägerregiment 98: Picker Egbert, Obst.
x (vst.) Infanterieregiment (mot.) "Großdeutschland": Stockhausen v. Wilhelm, Obst.
x Kdr. d. Pion. XVIII. (Geb.) Armeekorps: Geiger Franz, Obst.
xx 3 Pionierbataillone
x Gebirgsartillerieregiment 79: Winkler Max, Obst.
xx 4 Abteilungen
x 1-2 Nebelwerferabteilungen
Strength: 460 Offiziere, 16.000 Mann. The troops were prepared near Besancon and Le Valdahon. Kaltenegger gives the following attack date: 10.01.1941, as well as a detailed plan for the operations. Air support should have come from Richthofen.
Source: Kaltenegger, Roland (1998): Die deutsche Gebirgstruppe 1935-1945, p. 179 ff.
Regards!
Tell you what it would have been quite an achievement if the Germans had managed to subdue Gibraltar. MY dad used to work for the MOD and ive seen a lot of the tunnels off limits to tourists. They could shelter the whole garisson and the civilian population. Hospitals had been dug in the rock and upto the early 1990's left in situ. I mean you could open a drawer and find ww2 medical equipment inside them. The royal engineers had a workshop carved from the rock thats massive, you have to see it to believe it. Today the tunnels have fallen into disrepair and many of them are dangerous. We took a party of school kids from the school i work in last year and the old submarine nets that guarded the harbour during ww2 are stored there rusting away. there are plenty of anti tank and machine gun emplacements as well as electrical defence stations. the lights were inside the rock and thus safe from aerial attack. would have made a very interesting what if!!