The Ministry for Heritage is pleased to announce the publication of a significant collection of German military documents relating to Gibraltar during the Second World War. The documents, sourced from the Russian archival project containing captured German military records, have been translated into English and are now available for download through the Ministry for Heritage website.

The collection relates primarily to Operation Felix, the planned German assault on Gibraltar in 1940, and provides an unprecedented insight into how Nazi Germany studied, mapped, assessed and prepared for a possible attack on the Fortress during the Second World War. The documents were compiled by German military headquarters, intelligence services, artillery commands, engineering units and logistical planners between 1940 and early 1941.

It will be recalled that Gibraltarian journalist and editor Joe Garcia MBE wrote and published a book about Operation Felix in 1979, followed by an extended edition with new material in 2008. The availability of these latest documents in English will add to the research content available.

The newly available material includes:

• Intelligence reports describing Gibraltar's fortifications, artillery batteries, anti-aircraft defences, tunnel systems, communications infrastructure, water supplies, fuel storage facilities and military installations.
• Detailed assessments of the British garrison, including troop strengths, defensive positions and the continuous expansion of Gibraltar's wartime defences.
• Operational plans showing how German forces intended to conduct an assault on Gibraltar, including artillery bombardments, infantry attacks, engineer breaching operations and the seizure of key military objectives.
• Extensive artillery fire plans allocating hundreds of targets across Gibraltar, including fortress walls, batteries, barracks, tunnels, harbour installations and communications facilities.
• Reconnaissance reports detailing German inspections of routes through Spain that were intended to support the movement of troops, artillery and supplies towards Gibraltar.
• Reports by Admiral Wilhelm Canaris concerning discussions with senior Spanish officials and preparations connected to the proposed operation.
• Comprehensive logistical plans covering ammunition stocks, supply depots, fuel requirements, transport arrangements, communications networks and medical support for the planned campaign.

Particularly noteworthy are documents that demonstrate the extraordinary level of detail achieved by German intelligence. These include studies of Gibraltar's tunnel networks, maps of underground galleries, analyses of utilities and infrastructure, and detailed descriptions of defensive systems around the northern frontier, lagoon, airfield and Rock itself.

The collection also includes operational orders issued to formations such as the Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland, Mountain Infantry Regiment 98 and the 620th Mountain Engineer Regiment, setting out their intended roles in the attack on Gibraltar.

Minister for Heritage, The Hon Prof John Cortes, said: "These documents offer a remarkable perspective on Gibraltar's role during the Second World War and the strategic importance attached to the Fortress by the German High Command. They reveal in considerable detail the extent of military planning undertaken for a proposed attack that, fortunately, never took place. Making these translations publicly available will provide an invaluable resource for historians, researchers, students and anyone interested in Gibraltar's wartime history."

The translated documents are now available for download from the Ministry for Heritage website: https://www.ministryforheritage.gi/russian-german-project