A submarine designed to pass outward through Gibraltar still needed somewhere to operate once it reached the Atlantic. Spain is suggested as the base Italy expected to use before German occupation of France created another possibility. The account connects Franco's neutrality with a warning from Admiral Canaris about the likely course of the war. Spanish dependence on Allied food and fuel is offered as an additional constraint, with the details recalled tentatively. The discussion also recounts Franco's later assistance to Canaris's family.
Notable Point · 2:51:55-2:53:10
Spanish neutrality limits Italian submarine basing plans
Italian submarines able to leave the Mediterranean still needed Atlantic bases, and expected access to Spain depended on Franco's decision to remain neutral.