What if Spain joined the Axis in World War Two?

one of my AH/scenario books dealing with WW2 has this scenario, IIRC, Germany adopts a 'Mediterranean' strategy that requires getting Spain involved. From what I remember, Gibraltar falls, but the Spanish navy is sunk in an afternoon...
 
a successful Nationalist coup in 1936 (in which treasury is not looted by Soviets) might have Spain develop delusions of empire (redux) and join Axis.

IF Spain joined Axis one could assume u-boats would move (moving) to Canaries and Equatorial Guinea prior? not sure GB would want or need to occupy them immediately or how easy to do so?

OTL seizing the islands had priority should the Axis threaten them.

The US also studied occupying them as a nuetral, similar to the Icelandic occupation.

Moving the U-boats up to the Canaries and Equitorial Guinea prior suggests Franco has planned to join the war for some time, not as a spur of the moment decision to take advantage of the sudden and unexpected collapse of France. However, if it was then the Spanish would have made these places capable of holding out for longer in the event of the inevitable (but not necessarily immediate) British invasion. In any event as the Germans didn't have that many U-boats at this point they would have moved up to Cadiz and Ferrol as they're better placed for operations in the North Atlantic.

had in mind that the Azores might have been prior to Canaries ... and all of this speculation was under scenario of no or greatly reduced Spanish Civil War allowing for much stronger Axis Spain. (not sure how to read Portugal situation, occupying Azores relieve or infuriate them?)

Spanish Guinea (Equatorial Guinea) probably involved with Vichy stronghold in French Equatorial Africa? (ITTL) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gabon
 
... (not sure how to read Portugal situation, occupying Azores relieve or infuriate them?) ...

The Portuguse war strategy was to move the government to the Azores where they would be under British protection. Their army could not defend Lisboa, & their navy could not defend the Azores. Having a neutral like the US step in has more pros than cons.
 
This is the OTL Garrison of Gibraltar from September 1939 to the end of 1940
Infantry

3 at the outbreak of war battalions as follows:
1st Battalion The Welsh Guard, but on 7th November 1939 the battalion embarked for France and joined the BEF.
2nd Battalion King's Regiment
2nd Somerset Light Infantry​

4th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment arrived on 31st May 1940 bringing increasing the garrison to 3 infantry battalion
4th Battalion the Black Watch arrived on 17th July 1940

There were no more additions until 30th June 1942 when the 7th Battalion The King's Own Royal Regiment arrived.​

Royal Engineers
2 fortress companies (1st and 32nd) for the duration of the war.​

Coast Artillery
3rd Heavy Regiment, RA (4th, 26th and 27th Heavy Batteries) manning
seven 9.2-inch guns
six 6-inch guns
six 6-pdr guns​

On 27th July 1940 the Mobile Battery was formed within 3rd Heavy Regiment. On 1st December 1940 it was expanded into the Mobile Coast Defence Regt, of 3 batteries (973rd Field, 974th Medium and 975th Anti-Tank).

Anti-Aircraft Artillery

According to Martin Farndale there was only one HAA battery (19th) in Gibraltar on 3rd September 1939. HAA batteries normally had eight 3.7-inch AA guns. I don't know what happed to it after that because it doesn't appear in any of my other sources. However, if it was still there on 10th June 1940 that means Gibraltar's anti-aircraft defences consisted of eight 3.7-inch HAA guns.

82nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment with 3 HAA batteries (156, 193 and 256) arrived from the UK on 1st July 1940. There were no more additions until March 1941 when 13th HAA Regiment with 4 batteries (228 HAA, 9 LAA, 114 LAA and 3 S/L) was formed on the island. LAA batteries normally had 12 Bofors 40mm guns and searchlight batteries normally had 24 searchlights. If 19 HAA Battery was still there then the AA defences of Gibraltar would have consisted of 32 HAA guns in July 1940 which had increased to 40 HAA guns, 24 LAA guns and 24 searchlights.
 
We likely would be seeing the restoration of the Spanish Republic once the war is over, should Spain get involved.
 
One idea I always loved was that if Spain joins the war, Latin America gangs up on them and march all over their former oppressor.
 

Deleted member 1487

One idea I always loved was that if Spain joins the war, Latin America gangs up on them and march all over their former oppressor.
They really didn't look at Spain like that. In fact Spain was Germany's link to Latin America through most of the war.
 
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