Word: gibraltarism
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Last fortnight Elliott read in a Gibraltar newspaper that the Navy's Lieut. (j.g.) Franklin Roosevelt was in a Philadelphia hospital, "recovering from something that happened around North Africa." Other Roosevelts in action: Lieut. Colonel James, who took part in the Marine raid on Makin, now on duty in California; Lieut. John, on Navy duty in San Diego...
Franco's actions told the world what his words meant in military terms. He mobilized his forces-not on his northern borders, where the Germans might enter Spain, but in the south, where Gibraltar and the Allies in North Africa may be attacked from the rear...
Against an Axis attempt to take Gibraltar, seal the western Mediterranean and thus neutralize many of the benefits of the North African invasion, the Allies could do very little in advance. Gibraltar and its harbor are already chock-full of defenders. But, at the cost of resources sorely needed in Tunisia, they had to prepare to offset the loss of Gibraltar...
Answer to Franco. Engineers labored to perfect airdromes and dock facilities at Casablanca and Dakar, to provide alternate points of entry for planes, men and equipment in case Gibraltar falls and the Mediterranean ports of Algeria are immobilized. Gibraltar is now the principal way station for bombers flown from Britain to North Africa, and perhaps for long-range U.S. fighters. Casablanca (1,200 miles from southern Britain) can serve as a substitute, and as a depot for planes flown from the U.S. via Natal and Dakar; men and equipment can be hauled by rail from Casablanca to upper Morocco, Algeria...
Spain lay in the cross fire of war. About 140,000 German troops including three Panzer divisions were near Spain's borders. Dictator Francisco Franco refused Adolf Hitler's request for permission to send German troops through to Gibraltar, announced that Spain would defend herself against any attacks from either side. He mobilized an army of some 1,350,000, declared that in the event of any attack on Spain or its possessions, he would seek aid from the enemies of the attacker...