Russian-German project

Russian-German project - Digitization of German Documents
(Russian Federation)

Introduction

Among the most significant documents relating to the history of Gibraltar during the Second World War are the German military planning files for Operation Felix, the proposed Axis assault on Gibraltar prepared in late 1940. Although the operation was never carried out, the surviving documents provide a remarkable insight into the scale and detail of German planning for the capture of the Fortress.

The collection contains operational orders, intelligence assessments, reconnaissance reports, artillery plans, communications diagrams, logistics studies and command directives produced by the German Army, Luftwaffe and Abwehr. Together they reveal how German planners examined every aspect of a potential attack, including troop movements through Spain, supply requirements, artillery bombardment schedules, air operations, communications networks and the final assault on Gibraltar's defences.

Particularly notable are the detailed artillery documents, which identify hundreds of individual targets across Gibraltar, including the Landport defences, Charles V Wall, military installations, harbour facilities, galleries, barracks and observation posts. The plans show how German heavy artillery was to conduct an intensive bombardment lasting several days before supporting an infantry assault led by the elite Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland and formations of the 1st Mountain Division.

The records also provide valuable evidence of German assessments of Gibraltar's military strength and of the extensive defensive improvements being undertaken by the British garrison during 1940. Reconnaissance reports completed by German officers following visits to southern Spain describe the fortress, neighbouring terrain, road networks, logistics infrastructure and the difficulties that an attacking force would face.

Equally revealing are the communications and supply studies prepared for the operation. These document the creation of a vast command, transport and supply network stretching from France, through Spain, to the Gibraltar frontier, involving tens of thousands of troops, thousands of vehicles, large ammunition reserves and extensive telephone, teleprinter and radio systems.

Preserved today in the Russian military archives and now translated into English, these documents represent one of the most comprehensive surviving collections relating to the planned German attack on Gibraltar. They provide historians and the public alike with an unparalleled opportunity to understand both the strategic importance of Gibraltar during the Second World War and the extent of the preparations made for an operation that, while never executed, remains one of the most fascinating "what-if" episodes in Gibraltar's history.