5. Goldeneye was an essential component of Operation Torch in 1942
Operation Torch was the invasion of North Africa in 1942, in which the United States and Great Britain assaulted beaches defended by mostly French colonial troops. There was considerable uncertainty if the French would resist (they did, with varying degrees of enthusiasm) in the weeks leading up to the invasion. During the build-up to Torch, Goldeneye was used to assess the situation in French Morocco and Algiers. It was through Goldeneye, which was coordinated by Fleming in Madrid, the Allies learned of the plan to use Italian divers to launch attacks from wrecked ships on Allied shipping entering the Mediterranean.
Fleming long remembered basing covert operations in wrecked ships, and would resort to the tactic several times in his novels. Frogmen and limpet mines, which the Italians successfully deployed many times in the Mediterranean theater, were featured in many of his stories as well. With the Allies in control of North Africa in 1943, and Spain’s clear intention to remain neutral apparent, Goldeneye was shut down in the late summer. Fleming had by then resumed operations in the Admiralty in London. He also shut down a companion operation to Goldeneye, which had been created by Godfrey, called Operation Tracer.