 Gibraltar was a very tempting target for the Italians , who saw it as a refuge for British warships and allied merchant shipping . The Italian frogmen originally used a Spanish villa ( Villa Carmela ) located two miles ( 3 km ) from Gibraltar owned by an Italian officer who had married a Spanish woman named Conchita Ramognino . Their base was shifted later to the Italian tanker SS Olterra , interned in Algeciras . 
 Gibraltar was a very tempting target for the Italians , <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>who</mark></a>saw it as a refuge for British warships and allied merchant shipping . The Italian frogmen originally used a Spanish villa ( Villa Carmela ) located two miles ( 3 km ) from Gibraltar owned by an Italian officer <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> married a Spanish woman named Conchita Ramognino . Their base was shifted later to the Italian tanker SS Olterra , interned in Algeciras . 
Gibraltar was a very tempting target for the Italians , saw it as a refuge for British warships and allied merchant shipping . The Italian frogmen originally used a Spanish villa ( Villa Carmela ) located two miles ( 3 km ) from Gibraltar owned by an Italian officer done married a Spanish woman named Conchita Ramognino . Their base was shifted later to the Italian tanker SS Olterra , interned in Algeciras .