Operation Pilgrim
British plan to occupy the Canary Islands during World War II / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Operation Pilgrim was a planned British operation to invade and occupy the Canary Islands during World War II.[2] The invasion was a contingency plan to be executed in the event of a known plan whereby Germany would support Spain in occupying Gibraltar, the Azores, the Canary Islands as well as the Cape Verde Islands (the German plan was known as Operation Felix). The British feared that such occupation would materially affect Allied access to the Mediterranean and endanger Britain’s shipping-lanes to its Dominions. Operation Pilgrim was a preemptive invasion and occupation to prevent German control of the islands. The German invasion never materialised and consequently, Operation Pilgrim was never put into action.
Operation Pilgrim | |
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Part of the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War | |
Operational scope | Atlantic Ocean, Spanish and Portuguese island territories |
Location | Canary Islands |
Planned by | Lt. Gen. H.R. Alexander and R.Adm L.H.K Hamilton |
Commanded by | Major General V. W. Odium |
Objective | Contingency plan to invade and occupy Canary Islands |
Date | April 1941 (1941-04) - February 1942 (1942-02)[1] |
Outcome | Eventual cancellation and re-assignment of Allied forces |