The real ‘James Bond’ as Britain prepared to defend Gibraltar

The real 'Goldeneye' came into existence "to meet the possibility of Spain resisting an almost certain German invasion," says a British document marked 'Most Secret'.

Two plans, known as "Blackthorn" and "Sapphic" had been prepared, involving military landings and operations in Southern Spain and Spanish Morocco.
'Goldeneye' was then activated as a joint naval, military and air delegation to assist in preparing for operations in and liaison with Spain in the event of an invitation from Spain for help.

Under the codename 'XY1, personnel, stores and operation orders were prepared for the carrying out of demolitions at Cadiz, Malaga, Huelva, Seville, Lisbon, Cartagena and Alicante, and either Balearics, or Valencia, Oporto or Almeria as circumstances dictated.

'XY' demolitions for operations in Northern Spain were being planned and "will be carried out from England, and are outside the scope of Goldeneye", which was Gibraltar-based.

It was envisaged that the Germans could, at any time, and as fast as they liked, enter and cross Spain, whether or not there was resistance.

Questions were being asked about the possible destruction, by surprise, in any circumstances, of the long range guns in the vicinity of the Strait. Such an operation would have to be put into effect and completed within 12 to 24 hours of a German invasion of Spain.

The question was being asked if "Force H can support any or all of the above operations by naval or fleet air bombardment of such aerodromes as those at Cadiz, Huelva, Malaga, Tetuan, Tangier, Melilla etc, and/or of shore batteries such as those at Camorro, Tarifa or Ceuta."

Within a week, meetings had taken place at the Joint Intelligence Centre in Gibraltar. A memorandum was drawn up Copies were sent of Spanish and Portuguese translations received from the British embassies in Madrid and Lisbon of the dormant messages that would be sent out to Spanish and Portuguese merchant ships.

The memorandum said that the whole aspect of 'Goldeneye' had been discussed and that it was essential for arrangements to be made at once for the orders 'Stand by' and 'Go' for demolition parties to be promulgated when the time came. Sea-borne parties would leave Gibraltar on the word 'Stand by', and the order 'Go' would be communicated to them at sea. Interpreters should be detailed from available civil personnel at Gibraltar.

If Hitler had not been distracted by the Russian adventure, and if Franco had joined the Germans in the planned invasion of Gibraltar, it is possible that when the Spanish preparations for war were observed by Britain, she would have anticipated Spain and declared war first.

For one reason or another, Operation Felix did not materialise. Speaking in Nuremberg Prison to British diplomat Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick, Hermann Goering spoke of Hitler's mistakes. Of these, he said, the gravest and the one most damaging to German fortunes was Hitler's failure to seize Spain and North Africa in 1940. Goering said that Germany should have resolved immediately after the fall of France to march through Spain, with or without Franco's assent, capture Gibraltar and spill into Africa. This could very easily have been done and it would have altered the whole course of the war.
In February 1945, with his war dream turning into a nightmare, Hitler admitted: "...we ought to have attacked Gibraltar in the summer of 1940...”

Fortunately for the Allies, the attack never came and Gibraltar was able to play a leading role in November 1942 when General Eisenhower installed his headquarters in Gibraltar for Operation Torch, the North African campaign - the first large-scale Anglo-American operation in the struggle against Adolf Hitler.

28-01-22 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR