Operation Felix - Why was it abandonned?

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Liang Jieming
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Operation Felix - Why was it abandonned?

#1

Post by Liang Jieming » 08 Jun 2006, 11:42

Mid 1940, plans were drawn up for Operation Felix, the seizing of Gilbraltar. Admiral Wilhelm Canaris of the Abwehr personally lead an intelligence team to Spain to study "The Rock". He was accompanied by his top aide, Colonel Hans Piekenbrock and Commander Wilhelm Leissner, the Abwehr chief in Spain (who was under deep cover as Gustav Lenz, a Madrid businessman).

With such a high-studded intelligence team, Operation Felix was obviously of high priority to the Third Reich, and by the end of 1940, the entire Gibraltar are had been charted in detail and the defenses mapped down to the machine-gun posts and minefields.

However, Hitler never gave the go ahead for the Operation and Gilbraltar remains to this day uncaptured and still a British Crown colony. Why?

Jon G.
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#2

Post by Jon G. » 08 Jun 2006, 11:49

Also refer to these threads:

Operation Felix
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=16833
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=239

Gibraltar defenses 1/1941
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=55677

Why was Gibraltar never taken?
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 14&start=0


I'm not locking this topic because you are approaching the question from a more biographic angle, but the above threads may help illuminate your question.


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Liang Jieming
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#3

Post by Liang Jieming » 08 Jun 2006, 12:51

Thank you. So it was Franco who "blocked" the Operation? From the high interest the Abwehr placed on scouting out Gibraltar, it would seemed that it was a high priority target.

Canaris took it upon himself as some sort of personal pet project.

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