The Gibraltar garrison on September 3 1939 consisted of:

• 3rd Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery, consisting of the 4th, 26th, 27th heavy batteries, with 7x 9.2", 6x 6", 6x 6 pdr guns.
• 1st and 32 nd Fortress Companies Royal Engineers.
• 9th and 19th AA batteries Royal Artillery, with 4x 3.7", 4x 3" and 2x 40mm antiaircraft guns.

Reinforcements by September 1940:

• No. 34 Company Pioneer Corps 1/ 12/40;
• 18 Defense Regiment Royal Artillery, with 973, 974th, 975th batteries, one each of field guns, anti-tank guns, and medium guns, 10/3/41;
• 13th Heavy AA Regiment formed in Gibraltar;
• 228h Heavy AA, 114" and 126" Light AA batteries arrive with 8x 3.7 and 12x 40mm;
• An additional heavy AA battery was formed from the Gibraltar Defense Force.
• During this period the CD artillery was augmented by 1x 9.2", 2x 6", and 4x 4" guns.

(The Gibraltar Defense Force served with the coastal artillery, AA forces, engineers, signals, medical, and admin. units. Total strength approx. 400.)

Given these artillery assets, does Gibraltar deserve a CD level for the "Operation Felix" and "Invasion of Spain" scenarios in FWtBT? The scenario OB does not assign any intrinsic CD rating to the improved fortress-port, unlike other ports/fortresses in the WWII scenarios.

When I play the WW II scenarios in FWtBT, I give Gibraltar 6 levels of CD, 2 for the Major Port and 4 for the Improved Fortress. One could argue for a point either way, but 6 levels of CD:

(1) ensures that Gibraltar will always be able to fire some CD regardless of the hits it has taken that player turn, and

(2) gives Gibraltar 3 strength points of artillery, for combat purposes, helping out some if the TFs are chased away before the big reinforcements arrive.

Since this value is comparable to Wilhelmshaven and Helgoland, other important naval fortresses of the day, I don't think it overstates the CD at Gibraltar. (Note that this is based on Axis Mediterranean CD values, and if you consider Gibraltar to be an Atlantic port, bump it to a seven. If you have reason to believe it was one of the best defended naval fortresses in the world, deserving special attention, bump it to eight.) Six, 7 or 8, it doesn't matter very much since the only use for CD in the WW II scenarios is if you are using the optional CD as artillery rule, but a few extra defense factors never hurt. Once there is a game wherein naval matters at that end of the Med enter into play, I'm sure the usual suspects will fill in all the gaps.

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