An aerial photo of Gibraltar after take-off from the Rock, looking north-west towards San Roque. Photo: Steve – Flickr: Gibraltar / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.
Operation Tracer was a secret military operation during World War II in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory and military base. The operation was the brainchild of Rear Admiral John Henry Godfrey, the Director of the Naval Intelligence Division of the Admiralty. Ian Fleming, who later gained fame as the author of the James Bond series, served as Godfrey’s personal assistant and played a key role in this operation.
Background
The impetus for Operation Tracer was a 1940 scheme by Germany to capture Gibraltar, code-named Operation Felix (German: Unternehmen Felix). This plan was part of a larger scheme, entitled the Peripheral Strategy, in which Germany planned to cut Great Britain off from the rest of the British Empire.
Operation Felix did not occur chiefly because of Franco’s reluctance to enter the war due to influence of British intelligence. As early as June 1940, before the armistice with France had been signed, General Heinz Guderian argued for seizing Britain’s strategically important naval base of Gibraltar. Guderian even urged Hitler to postpone the armistice so that he could rush on through Spain with two Panzer divisions, take Gibraltar and invade French North Africa. However, the operation never got beyond the staff study stage, even though planning continued into 1944.
Gibraltar played a significant role during World War II due to its strategic location and well-defended harbor. It controlled virtually all naval traffic into and out of the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. Inside the Rock of Gibraltar itself, miles of tunnels were excavated from the limestone. Barracks, offices, and a fully equipped hospital were constructed in huge man-made caverns.
The Plan
In 1941, Godfrey decided to establish a covert observation post at Gibraltar that would remain operational even if Gibraltar fell to the Axis powers. Movements of enemy vessels would be reported to the United Kingdom. Godfrey requested assistance from several distinguished consultants including Ian Fleming to bring this plan to fruition The plan was so secret that Godfrey held meetings with his consultants at his private residence rather than at Whitehall.
The decision was made to construct the post using the tunnel system for Lord Airey’s Shelter, the underground military headquarters just north of Lord Airey’s Battery. The artillery battery was located at the upper ridge of the Rock of Gibraltar, near the southern end of what is now the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.
Construction began in late 1941 and was complete by late summer 1942. The chambers of the Stay Behind Cave (known as Braithwaite’s Cave at the time it was constructed) served as a dual observation post, with an observation slit overlooking the Bay of Gibraltar and a larger aperture over the Mediterranean Sea.
Six men were selected for the operation: an executive officer as leader, two physicians, and three wireless operators. These men had volunteered to be sealed inside the cave should Gibraltar fall to the Axis. They understood that they would remain sealed in the cave for about a year, although it could be much longer. Provisions for a seven-year stay were stored.
Abandonment and Discovery
The plan was aborted, and the Director of Naval Intelligence ordered that the provisions in the complex be distributed, and the cave sealed. Rumors of a secret complex circulated for decades in Gibraltar until discovery of the chambers in 1997 by the Gibraltar Caving Group.
Operation Tracer stands as one of the most unique operations of World War II. It showcased extreme measures taken by nations during times of war. The operation remains a testament to human resilience and strategic planning.
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