Case 302. Documents of the operational department of the 70-th Artillery Regiment: materials of the 70-th Artillery Regiment on firing positions, shelling sectors and a fire plan within the framework of Operation Felix.

Brief Summary of Case 302

Case 302 contains the artillery planning documents of Artillery Regiment 70 (A.R. 70) prepared for Operation Felix, the planned German assault on Gibraltar in December 1940. The file includes fire schedules, target allocation maps, artillery target maps, gun-position plans, and observation-post deployments.

Main Contents

1. Fire-Control Plan

A detailed timetable specifying:

• When artillery fire would be delivered.
• Which targets would be engaged at each stage.
• How artillery support would transition from preparatory bombardment to direct support of the infantry assault.
• Coordination with air attacks, smoke screens, and the advance of Mountain Infantry Regiment 98.

2. Infantry Target Areas (Appendix 2)

Maps divide Gibraltar objectives into target areas A-H.

These areas represent:

• Initial assault targets.
• Intermediate defensive positions.
• Deep objective areas around key fire-control points 611, 615, and 617.
• Separate follow-on targets for later phases of the attack.

The target areas were allocated between:

• Artillery Battalion 526
• Artillery Battalion 536
• II Battalion, Artillery Regiment 58
• Artillery Battalion 634 (general support role)

3. Artillery Target Areas (Appendix 3)

Separate maps identify enemy artillery objectives using Roman numerals:

• Target Area I
• Target Area II

These maps were used for:

• Counter-battery fire.
• Suppression of enemy artillery.
• Coordinated fire shifts between artillery objectives.

4. Deployment of Artillery Units (Appendix 4)

Maps showing:

• Gun-position areas.
• Battalion firing sectors.
• Observation-post (Beobachtungsstellen) locations.
• Map-grid references and battlefield orientation.

Deployment areas were assigned to:

• Artillery Battalion 634 (west)
• Artillery Battalion 526 (centre)
• II Battalion, Artillery Regiment 58 (central corridor)
• Artillery Battalion 536 (east)

Operational Purpose

The documents show a phased artillery plan designed to:

1. Neutralise enemy artillery and anti-aircraft positions.
2. Bombard key Gibraltar targets including:
• North Mole
• Old Mole
• Casemates area
• Seaplane Station
• Defensive positions
• Searchlights and radio installations.

1. Support advancing infantry through successive target areas (A-H).  
2. Shift fire progressively deeper into the objective area, concentrating on key reference points 611 and 615 before the final assault phases.

Overall Assessment

The file represents a complete artillery planning package for Operation Felix, consisting of:

• Fire timetable and mission schedule.
• Infantry target maps.
• Artillery target maps.
• Gun-position plans.
• Observation-post deployments.
• Command instructions for allocating batteries and coordinating bombardment with infantry and air operations.  

In essence, it is a detailed operational blueprint showing how Artillery Regiment 70 intended to support the planned attack on Gibraltar through phased bombardment, counter-battery fire, infantry support, smoke operations, and final assault preparation.