Rich Rostrom wrote:
> faolan@... wrote:
>
> > Rich Rostrom wrote:
> >>Gibraltar is neutralized pretty quickly. There was much
> >>discussion at the time of how hard it would be to take
> >>Gibraltar. I think this was based on image, not reality.
> >>Within a short time, every above ground position on "the
> >>Rock" would be suppressed by artillery from the
> >>surrounding areas. Neither ships nor aircraft could get
> >>in or out. The remaining firing positions would be
> >>probed, a few would be knocked out by bombing or heavy
> >>shells. Eventually a weak spot would be found, combat
> >>engineers would get in and take out other positions,
> >>and step by step the whole place would fall.
> >
> >This I have to disagree with however. The British did not just hold
> >'The Rock'. They held, and still hold, a fairly significant piece of
> >land all around it. The port in Gibralter is also big enough to handle
> >any kind of importation of war supplies necessary.
>
> Have you ever looked at a map of Gibraltar? Here's one.
>
> http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&country=GI&addtohistory=&city=Gibr
>
> The British enclave at Gibraltar is 1,500 meters wide
> by about 5,000 meters long, about twice the size of
> Central Park in New York City. Most of that is "the Rock".
>
> >All or most of the BEF that had just run out of Dunkirk
> >would land with both feet on Gibralter...
>
> The British took 338,000 men off Dunkirk. If landed at
> Gibraltar... The border between Gibraltar and Spain is
> about 1,000 meters long. The "BEF", formed up shoulder
> to shoulder along that border would be standing about
> 200 ranks deep.
>
> Fortunately for this maneuver, most of them would have
> no equipment taking up extra space. They were, as a
> rule, taken off the beach with their clothes and little
> more. Some brought their rifles. Vehicles and heavy
> weapons were all discarded. Likewise tents, stoves,
> radios...
> --
> | He had a shorter, more scraggly, and even less |
> | flattering beard than Yassir Arafat, and Escalante |
> | never conceived that such a thing was possible. |
> | -- William Goldman, _Heat_ |
Several months back I had a go to with a fantastically unaware military
type on Gibraltar and the Brits. IIRC, and I'll dig for it if I have
to, there were contingencies to reach out to the adjoining province of
Andalucia for more territory, and a defensive position. The current
population of Gib is about 28,000 suggesting there is room for 50k or
so troops..
Portugal feared any Spanish action against Gib would bring British
troops into to Portugal, certainly the Spanish islands would be
occupied and aviation assets made available for use against whatever
the Spanish tried to do. The Germans wanted to use their forces the
Spanish did not want an excess of foreigners in their country. There is
also a rumor that Franco did not like the second German plan called
Isabella if only for the implications the name carried.
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