Operation Warden: British sabotage planning in the Canary Islands during the Second World War

ABSTRACT

Between 1939 and 1945, the Canary Islands became protagonists in the Second World War. Although Spain was never formally involved in the war, the connivance of the Franco regime allowed ports such as Las Palmas to act as supply points for Axis submarines. In response, the Allied Powers did not hesitate to intervene diplomatically or militarily. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to reveal the most fundamental components of Operation Warden, a British sabotage plan designed in 1941 which, although not ultimately implemented, stipulated the sinking of several German and Italians vessels in Puerto de la Luz (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. On the position of Spain in the war, see: Morales, Historia de la no beligerancia española; Payne and Contreras, España y la Segunda Guerra Mundial; Suárez Fernández, España, Franco y la Segunda Guerra Mundial; and Tusell, Franco, España y la II Guerra Mundial.

2. Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations,” 174. Relations between Spain and Germany during the war have been studied by authors such as: Moreno, Hitler y Franco; Payne, Franco y Hitler: España, Alemania, la Segunda Guerra Mundial; Ruhl, Franco, Falange y Tercer Reich; and Suárez Fernández, Franco y El III Reich. On the Spanish naval assistance to Germany, see: Burdick, “Moro: The Resupply of German Submarines”; Díaz Benítez, “The Etappe Kanaren,” 482; Salgado Rodríguez, Marea Roja, Marea Negra; Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 99–104; and Wingeate Pike, Franco and the Axis Stigma, 149.

3. On the British intelligence organizations during the Second World War and especially, the role played by the SOE, see: Bailey, Forgotten Voices of the Secret War; Foot, SOE: An Outline History of the Special Operations Executive; Jeffery, MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service; Mackenzie, The Secret History of SOE; McLachlan, Room 39: Naval Intelligence in Action 1939–45; Murphy, Security and Special Operations; Seaman, Special Operations Executive; West, MI6: British Secret Intelligence; and Wylie, The Politics and Strategy of Clandestine War. On the British intelligence in Spain, see: Grandío Seoane, A Balancing Act; Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations”; Messenger, “Fighting for Relevance”; Michael, “Operaciones Secretas Inglesas”; and Viñas Martín, Sobornos: de cómo Churchill y March. On the influence of Foreign Office’s veto over Special Operations, see: Viñas Martín, Sobornos; West, Secret war; and Messenger, “Against the Grain.”

4. Operation Pilgrim, Adroit or Tonic, among others. See: Díaz Benítez, “Pilgrim y La Defensa de Gran Canaria”; Canarias Indefensa; “Los Proyectos británicos para ocupar las Islas”; “Anglofilia y Autarquía”; Díaz Benítez, “La Indefensión Naval de Canarias”; and La Armada Española.

5. Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana”; “German Supply Ships”; “The Etappe Kanaren”; “Submarinos en Canarias”; and, “El ataque contra el buque Corrientes.” The role played by Corrientes is also mentioned in: Brooks, Secret Flotillas; González Quevedo and Martínez Milán, Submarinos y Buques de Las Potencias Del Eje; Dinklage and Jürgen Witthöft, Die Deutsche Handelsflotte: 1939–1945; and Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 99–104.

6. Díaz Benítez, “El ataque contra el buque Corrientes,” 1161; Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations,” 177–78; Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 116; Viñas Martín, Sobornos, 343; and Wylie, The Politics and Strategy of Clandestine War, 115–16.

7. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 28–34.

8. Morales, Historia de la no beligerancia española, 270–1.

9. Goda, Tomorrow the World, 113–35; Tusell, “La trayectoria española,” 158–9; and Ros Agudo, La Gran Tentación, 226–68.

10. Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana,” 991.

11. Payne and Contreras, España y la Segunda Guerra Mundial, 193.

12. Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations,” 174.

13. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 98.

14. Díaz Benítez, La Armada Española, 82–3; and Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 97.

15. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 72.

16. On the description of the submarines supplied by German ships, see: Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 99–104; Díaz Benítez, “The Etappe Kanaren,” 482; and Wingeate Pike, Franco and the Axis Stigma, 149.

17. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 104.

18. Ibid., 350; Burdick, “Moro: The Resupply of German Submarines,” 277; and Paterson, Second U-Boat Flotilla, 33.

19. Smyth, Diplomacy, 3; and Payne and Contreras, España y la Segunda Guerra Mundial, 120.

20. Cited in Smyth, Diplomacy, 3.

21. On Spanish-British relations during the war, see: Fernández-Longoria, La diplomacia británica y el primer franquismo; and Moradiellos, Franco frente a Churchill. The bribary campaign is described in Viñas Martín, Sobornos: de cómo Churchill y March, 30–31.

22. Jeffery, MI6: The History, 401–2; Messenger, “Against the Grain,” 175.

23. Ibid., 568.

24. Grandío Seoane, A Balancing Act, 26; Hastings, The Secret War, 100; and Viñas Martín, Sobornos, 45, 275.

25. Seaman, Special Operations Executive, 159–61.

26. Foot, SOE in France; Stafford, Mission accomplished; and Seaman, Special Operations Executive, among others.

27. Some of the operations against enemy shipping in Norwegian ports were Operation Chaffinch, Mardonius, Bundle or Goldfinch, among others. See: Herrington, Special Operations in Norway; O’Connor, Sabotage in Norway; and Seaman, Special Operations Executive, 36–40.

28. Gilmour, Sweden, the Swastika and Stalin, 137–41.

29. Wylie, Britain, Switzerland, and the Second World War, 184.

30. Messenger, “Against the Grain,” 174.

31. Mackenzie, The Secret History of SOE, 241; Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations,” 175.

32. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 115–16.

33. Ibid., 116.

34. Viñas Martín, Sobornos, 342; and Seaman, Special Operations Executive, 165.

35. Michael, “Operaciones Secretas Inglesas,” 459; Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations,” 175; Grandío Seoane, A Balancing Act, 26. The figure of Hillgarth and his position as Naval Attaché evidences the tendency towards coordination between intelligence agencies in Spain. See: Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations,” 175–8; Smyth, “Screening Torch,” 342. The liaison between the SOE and the NID in Spain was also present in other operations such as Goldeneye, in which agent Ian Fleming acted as an intermediary under the position of Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence (ADNI) and Liaison Commander between the NID and SOE’s Operations and Training Section. See: Lett, Ian Fleming and SOE’s Operation Postmaster, 36–38; and Lycett, Ian Fleming, 99–103.

36. Some of the SOE operations in Spain were Operation Reproach, Operation Relator, Operation Goldeneye, among others. See: Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations,” 176–9; Day, Franco’s friends, 194–5; Viñas Martín, Sobornos, 341–2, Wylie, The Politics and Strategy, 182; Day, Franco’s Friends, 188; Lett, Ian Fleming and SOE’s Operation Postmaster, 36–66; and Simmons, Ian Fleming and Operation Golden Eye.

37. TNA, ADM 223/480, Clandestine Warfare Report, 8 June 1945; Ramírez Copeiro del Villar, Objetivo Africa, 313–21.

38. Ramírez Copeiro del Villar, Objetivo Africa, 313–21.

39. Messenger, “Against the Grain,” 180–1.

40. Ibid., 400; Messenger, “Against the Grain,” 177.

41. Díaz Benítez, “Los Proyectos Británicos,” 2–20.

42. Ibid., 1–20.

43. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 99–104; Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana,” 993.

44. Díaz Benítez, “The Etappe Kanaren,” 477–82.

45. Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana,” 989.

46. The German supply vessels for auxiliary cruisers were the Winnetou, Rekum, Rudolf Albrecht, Eurofeld and Charlotte Schliemann. The main supply vessels for submarines were the Corrientes and Kersten Miles. Díaz-Benítez, “German Supply Ships,” 327.

47. Ibid.

48. Díaz Benítez, “Náufragos en Canarias,” 37.

49. Blair, Hitler’s U-Boat War, 209–22; and Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana,” 992.

50. Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana,” 994.

51. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 102; and Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana,” 992.

52. TNA, ADM 223/480, Culebra- Appendix, n.d. Véase también: Dinklage and Witthöft, Die Deutsche Handelsflotte, 99; and Díaz Benítez, “El Ataque Contra El Buque Corrientes,” 1162.

53. TNA, ADM 223/480, Culebra, n.d.; and Díaz-Benítez, “German Supply Ships and Blockade,” 320.

54. Díaz Benítez, “El Ataque Contra El Buque Corrientes,” 1162.

55. Ibid., 1163.

56. Ibid., 1165–66.

57. Macrae, Winston Churchill’s Toyshop, 13–7.

58. Díaz Benítez, “El Ataque Contra El Buque Corrientes,” 1166.

59. Ibid., 1166; and Alexiades, Target Corinth Canal 1940–1944, Appendix H.

60. Burdick, “‘Moro’: The Resupply of German Submarines,” 283; Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 104; Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana,” 992; and Díaz Benítez, “The Etappe Kanaren,” 479.

61. Díaz Benítez, “Colaboración Naval Hispano-Alemana,” 992.

62. TNA, ADM 223/480, Culebra, n.d.

63. Ibid.

64. Ibid.

65. García Cabrera and Díaz Benítez, “Organización y contenidos de la propaganda,” 523–524.

66. TNA, FO 371/26929, Message from British Consul at Las Palmas, 30 May 2012 July and 15 July 1941.

67. TNA, FO 371/26929, From Admiralty to FO, 30 July 1941.

68. Miller, Canary Saga: Miller Family, Book cover. The personal bulletins written by William Miller emphasize the work provided by Gerald and Basil in the control of the German activities in Puerto de la Luz. See: Bulletins Forward, Miller History News, issues 31, 39, and 41, among others. According to indications sent by the Head of SOE Mission in Lisbon, Miller had arrived in Lisbon to take a boat to Great Britain a few days later. However, J. G. Beevor asked Alan Hillgarth about the possibility of training Basil Miller and returning him to the consulate of Las Palmas with a fake medical certificate that disqualified him from joining the naval forces. Nonetheless, his own memoirs and the documentation consulted by the family indicate how Basil finally arrived in England on a merchant ship. See: TNA, HS 6/912, Notes on Canaries, 29 May 1941; TNA, HS 6/912, Report from H.A. to H., 28 May 1941.

69. TNA, HS 6/912, Notes on Canaries, 29 May 1941.

70. TNA, AIR 20/3971, Informe «Canary Islands», julio de 1941, cited in Díaz Benítez, Anglofilia y Autarquía, 444–45.

71. Ibid.

72. Ibid.

73. Ibid.

74. Ibid.

75. Ibid.

76. Ibid. The Schliemann was an oil tanker that had arrived in Las Palmas on 19 September 1939 from Germany. It had already been refuelling other ships such as the oil tanker Winnetou since January 1940, and the Gedania in October. During the nights of 29 May and 12 July 1941, the Schliemann sent fuel using a barge to the cargo ship Corrientes, while the latter was anchored in the outermost section of the port. Additionally, on 9 July, the Schliemann supplied fuel to the Kersten Miles – a cargo ship docked in Las Palmas since 22 April 1941. This situation contributed to some informants paying attention to the Schliemann’s loss of oil and height, and to considering it as a possible protagonist of operations. See: TNA, FO 371/26929, Message from British Consul at Las Palmas, 30 May 2012 July and 15 July 1941.

77. TNA, FO 371/26929, From Admiralty to FO, 30 July 1941.

78. TNA, HS 6/931, Warden Project, 15 July 1941.

79. Messenger, “Against the Grain: Special Operations,” 177.

80. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 116.

81. Stirling et al., Intelligence co-operation between Poland and Great Britain, 151–4.

82. The German ships mentioned were the SS Corrientes, the TS Charlotte Schliemann and the MV Kersten Miles. The Italian vessels were the SS Orata, the SS Chercha and the SS Trovatore; and the Danish vessel was the SS Linda. TNA, HS 6/931, Warden Project, 15 July 1941.

83. TNA, ADM 223/480, Warden, n.d.

84. TNA, HS 6/931, Warden Project, 5 August 1941.

85. TNA, ADM 223/480, Information supplied by MR. T. Basil Miller, 10 July 1941.

86. Ibid. The beach was at the bottom of a large drop, which meant that the authorities did not have a direct view of the people who entered and left the buildings.

87. TNA, ADM 223/480, Information supplied by MR. T. Basil Miller, 10 July 1941.

88. TNA, HS 6/931, Warden Project, 15 July 1941.

89. TNA, HS 6/931, Notes on meeting held on the 24th July to discuss the general outline of this operation, 25 July 1941.

90. TNA, ADM 223/480, Warden, 27 August 1941.

91. TNA, ADM 223/480, Notes extra, 15 July 1941.

92. TNA, HS 6/931, Warden. Report on visit to S.T.S. 21 and 24, 19 July 1941.

93. TNA, HS 6/931, Warden Project, 15 July 1941.

94. See note 91 above.

95. Special Operations Executive (TNA Secret History Files), How to Be a Spy, 3.

96. See note 92 above.

97. Ibid.; HS 6/931, Warden Project, 5 August 1941; Diagram of the system in TNA, HS 6/931, n.d.

98. See note 92 above.

99. Ibid.

100. Ibid.; and TNA, HS 6/931, Warden Project, 5 August 1941.

101. The meeting was attended by Charles Hambro (AD/A), the figure of liaison with the Royal Navy (D/Navy), the Shipping Section (D/Z), the Operations Section (MO), the Staff Officer of the Czech-Polish Section (MX) and the MPO section. See: TNA, HS 6/931, Notes on meeting held on the 24th July, 25 July 1941.

102. See note 92 above.

103. TNA, HS 6/931, From DS/R (Director of Scientific Research Section) to D/X (Research and Development of equipment Section), 1 August 1941.

104. See note 83 above.

105. See note 92 above.

106. Díaz Benítez, “Pilgrim y La Defensa de Gran Canaria,” 350–4.

107. TNA, ADM 223/480, Minute Sheet and notes, from 29 to 31 August 1941.

108. Viñas Martín, Sobornos, 343; West, Secret war, 60, 100; and Messenger, “Against the Grain,” 175.

109. Viñas Martín, Sobornos, 276–7.

110. Messenger, “Against the Grain,” 176.

111. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 100–102.

112. TNA, ADM 223/480, Operation Warden, notes from Gladwyn Jebb, 2 September 1941.

113. TNA, ADM 223/480, Telegrama de Samuel Hoare, 25 August 1941.

114. United States, Department of State, Documents on German Foreign Policy, Series D, Vol. XIII The War years, 168–9, memorandum 18 July 1941, cited in Díaz Benítez, La Armada Española, 103–4.

115. See note 112 above.

116. TNA, ADM 223/480, from Roger Makins to Charles Hambro, 2 September 1941.

117. TNA, ADM 223/480, From Admiral Holdbrook NID17 to DNI, 1 September 1941.

118. Ibid.

119. Richards, Secret Flotillas, 91, 135–136.

120. Ibid.; TNA, ADM 223/480, Operation Warden, notes from Gladwyn Jebb, 2 September 1941; Ramírez Copeiro del Villar, Objetivo Africa, 313–21.

121. See note 117 above.

122. TNA, ADM 223/480, Handwritten note, 3 September 1941.

123. Harrison, David (15 June 2005). “Empire Simba”. WW2 People’s War: An archive of World War Two memories. BBC. Retrieved 10 February 2019; Port Arrivals/Departures, Arnold Hague’s Ports Database. Convoy Web. Retrieved 10 February 2019).

124. TNA, ADM 223/480, Operation Warden, notes from Gladwyn Jebb, 2 September 1941, also cited in Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 108.

125. TNA, FO 371/26929, Note from British Embassy to Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4 September 1941.

126. TNA, FO 371/26929, Note from Consulate at Las Palmas, 17 September 1941; Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 107–9; Díaz Benítez, “The Etappe Kanaren,” 483; TNA, FO 371/26929, Note from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 24 September 1941.

127. United States, Department of State, Documents on German Foreign Policy, Series D, Vol. XIII The War years, 628–9; 647–8, cited in Díaz Benítez, La Armada Española, 105.

128. Díaz Benítez, “Náufragos en Canarias,” 43.

129. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 116.

130. TNA, ADM 223/490, Memorandum by Hillgarth to NID, 18 February 1943.

131. Ibid.

132. TNA, ADM 223/490, Memorandum by Hillgarth to NID, 18 February 1943, cited in Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 116.

133. Ibid.

134. Ros Agudo, La Guerra Secreta de Franco, 116.

135. See note 132 above.

136. TNA, ADM 223/490, Rushbrooke to Hillgarth, 31 March 1943.

137. Messenger, The Commandos, 53.

138. Lett, The Small Scale Raiding Force, 13–4.

139. Díaz Benítez, “Los Proyectos Británicos,” 19.

140. See note 92 above.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been funded by the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (ACIISI) and the European Social Fund (ESF) under the grant Ayuda a la formación del personal investigador del Gobierno de Canarias- Programa Operativo Integrado de Canarias 2014-2020.

Notes on contributors

Marta García Cabrera

Marta García Cabrera, PhD student and researcher at University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, studying British propaganda and intelligence in Spain during the First and the Second World War. BA, History (History Degree), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (2013). MA Teaching in Secondary Levels, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (2014). MA War, media and society, University of Kent, UK (2016).