Gibraltar is a small peninsula off the southern coast of Spain that points directly south to the Strait of Gibraltar. A British Overseas Territory since 1713, it's home to a fascinating history that spans centuries of global conflicts for its strategic positioning at the mouth of the Mediterranean, including most recently, the Second World War.
A lesser-known part of World War II's European Theater was its Mediterranean conflicts. The rock of Gibraltar, under the control of the British, stood as a major impediment to Hitler's expansionist plans. Operation Felix was created to conquer the rocky peninsula and force the British to leave.
The British and their allies worked to create a plan to counter this offensive: Operation Tracer. Hewn within thick rock was a secret chamber called the "Stay Behind Cave," where six dedicated soldiers would hide to continue surveying the harbor, with enough supplies to last them a year.
While Hitler didn't go through with Operation Felix, the cave has been a place of interest since the public learned of it. In 1997, a group of explorers found the secret chamber.
Today, the chamber is a historic reminder of the threat of the Second World War and can be explored on select Atlas Ocean Voyages' Mediterranean voyages.
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