The following is a list of foreign ships lost or wrecked during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Only one of these vessels lost belonged to a foreign navy - Chasseur 91, a French antisubmarine patrol boat - the remainder being civilian ships from different countries, most of them merchantmen involved in maritime trade with the Spanish Republic.
List of ships[]
Foreign ships sunk, wrecked or lost while involved in shipping along Spain from July 1936 to April 1939.[1]
British flag[]
Name and date of loss | Ship's owner | Type of Incident | Aftermath |
---|---|---|---|
African Mariner, 6,581 ton 22 January 1939 |
African & Continental, London | Air attack at Barcelona | Raised by Nationalist ships on 18 April 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Montjuich |
Alcira, 1,387 ton 4 February 1938 |
J. Bruce & Co., Glasgow | Air attack off Barcelona | Sunk in deep waters |
Arlon, 4,903 ton 27 June 1938 |
Arlon S.S. Co. | Air attack at Valencia | Set ablaze - Towed outside the port and sunk |
Blue Shadow, 34 ton 9 August 1936 |
Eloise Drake | Surface action - Shelled by the Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera at Gijon |
Yacht wrecked, skipper killed. American owner Eloise Drake and two members of the crew wounded, rescued by destroyer HMS Comet.[2][3][nb 1] |
Dellwyn, 1,451 ton 27 July 1938 |
Dillwyn S. S. Co., Swansea | Air attack at Gandia | Raised by Nationalist ships on 10 May 1939, confiscated and renamed Castilla Montesa |
Eleni, 1,138 ton 30 November 1938 |
Inter Levant Co. Ltd. | Air attack at Águilas | Raised by Nationalist ships in 1940, confiscated and renamed Castillo Vera |
Endymion, 887 ton 21 January 1938 |
Verano S.S. Co., Gibraltar | Torpedoed and sunk by the Nationalist submarine General Sanjurjo off Cape Tiñoso |
Sunk in deep waters. Submarine's commander dismissed after British protest |
English Tanker, 5,387 ton 6 June 1938 |
Spanish Republic Campsa-Gentibus, Madrid |
Air attack at Alicante | Raised by Nationalist ships on 26 April 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Almenara |
Farnham, 4,793 ton 27 June 1938 |
Alpha S.S. Co., London | Air attack at Alicante | Raised by Nationalist ships on 27 June 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Montiel |
Foynes, 822 ton 27 June 1937 |
Limerick S.S. Co., Limerick | Air attack at Valencia | Raised by Nationalist ships in 1940, confiscated and renamed Castillo Riaza |
Greatend, 1,495 ton 28 May 1938 |
NewbiginS.S. Co., Newcastle | Air attack at Valencia | Raised by Nationalist ships on 24 November 1938, confiscated and renamed Castillo Noreña |
Isadora, 1,324 9 June 1938 |
Stone & Rolfe, Belfast | Air attack at Castellon | Raised by Nationalist ships in 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Frías |
Jean Weems, 2,349 tons 30 October 1937 |
Thameside Ship Co., London | Air attack off Santander | Sunk in deep waters |
Lake Lugano, 2,120 ton 6 August 1938 |
Strubin & Co., London | Air attack off Palamos | Sunk in deep waters |
Lucky, 1,235 ton 10 February 1938 |
Toussi Ship Co., Gibraltar | Air attack at Valencia | Raised by Nationalist ships on 24 May 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Benisano |
Miocene, 2,153 ton 24 January 1939 |
Spanish Republic Campsa-Gentibus, Madrid |
Air attack at Barcelona | Raised by Nationalist ships in 1940 and confiscated, but eventually scrapped in 1944 |
Penthames, 3,995 ton 31 May 1938 |
D. P. Barnett, London | Air attack off Valencia | Sunk in deep waters |
St. Winifred, 5,683 ton 6 June 1938 |
Barry Shipping Co. Ltd. | Air attack at Alicante | Heavily damaged. Hull sold to an Italian company which rebuilt her as Capo Vita.[5] |
Stanburgh, 1,095 ton 4 November 1938 |
Billmeir, London | Internal explosion off Sète, France, while on passage to Barcelona | Beached and later scrapped |
Stancroft, 1,407 ton 27 December 1938 |
Billmeir, London | Air attack at Barcelona | Raised by Nationalist ships on 24 April 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Almansa |
Standale, 2,456 ton 12 May 1937 |
Billmeir, London | Foundered off Berlengas islands while bound to Cartagena | Sank in deep waters |
Stangrove, 516 ton 23 February 1939 |
Billmeir, London | Surface action - Shelled and seized by the Nationalist gunboat Dato off Cap de Creus[6] | Ran aground in a gale while in custody at Palma de Mallorca. Skipper killed in the wreckage.[7] Raised by Nationalist ships in 1939, confiscated and renamed Castilla del Oro (later Condestable) |
Sunion, 3,054 ton 22 June 1938 |
African & Continental S.S. Co., London | Air attack off Valencia | Sunk in deep waters |
Thorpehall, 1,251 ton 25 May 1938 |
Westcliff S.S., London | Air attack off Valencia | Sunk in deep waters |
Thorpeheaven, 3,683 ton 10 June 1938 |
Westcliff S.S. Co., London | Air attack at Alicante | Raised by Nationalist ships on 18 May 1938, confiscated and renamed Castillo Guadalest |
Thorpeness, 4,798 ton 21 June 1938 |
Westcliff S.S. Co., London | Air attack off Valencia | Sunk in deep waters |
Ulmus, 2,733 ton 18 January 1939 |
Reardon Smith, Cardiff | Accidental fire at the Strait of Gibraltar[8] | Abandoned. Salvaged by Nationalist warships, towed to Barcelona.[nb 2] |
Woodford, 6,987 ton 1 September 1937 |
Spanish Republic Cº Primera de Navegación, Ltd. |
Torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine Diaspro off Columbretes islands | Sunk in deep waters |
Yorkbrook, 1,370 ton 13 October 1938 |
Angel Sons & Co., Cardiff | Air attack at Barcelona | Raised by Nationalist ships on 16 January 1940, confiscated and renamed Castillo Monteagudo.[nb 3] |
French flag[]
Soviet flag[]
Name and date of loss | Ship's owner | Type of Incident | Aftermath |
---|---|---|---|
Blagoev, 3,100 ton 3 September 1937 |
Sovietflot | Torpedoed and sunk off Skyros by the Italian submarine Settembrini | Sunk in deep waters |
Katayama, 3,209 ton 17 October 1938 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist minelayer Vulcano | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Ampudia |
Komsomol, 5,109 ton 14 December 1936 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Shelled and sunk by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias | Sunk in deep waters[nb 4] |
Lensovet, 4,718 ton 19 March 1938 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Captured by Nationalist patrol boats at the Strait of Gibraltar | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Bellver |
Max Hoels, 3,472 ton 2 November 1938 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist minelayer Vulcano | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Montealegre |
Potishev, 3,545 ton 31 May 1938 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Vicente Puchol | Confiscated, renamed Castillo de Olite[nb 5] |
Skvortzov Stepanov, 2,152 ton 26 May 1938 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Maqueda |
Smidovich, 2,485 ton 10 January 1937 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist destroyer Velasco off Bilbao | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Peñafiel |
Timiryazev, 2,151 ton 31 August 1937 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Torpedoed and sunk by the Italian destroyer Turbine off Tigzirt | Sunk in deep waters |
Tsyurupa, 2,081 23 October 1938 |
Sovietflot | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Villafranca |
Greek flag[]
Name and date of loss | Ship's owner | Type of Incident | Aftermath |
---|---|---|---|
Ellinico Vuono, 3,667 ton 19 May 1938 |
T. Papadimitrou, Pireus | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias near Cape Passero | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Mombeltrán |
Gardelaki, 2,282 ton 28 March 1937 |
E. Theophilatos, Ithaca | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Uad Kert on the Strait of Gibraltar | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Tarifa |
Lena, 1,735 ton 30 March 1938 |
Jean Milonas, Paris | Torpedoed by a submarine - apparently the Nationalist General Mola[10] | Towed to Barcelona, and sank there in shallow waters. Raised by Nationalist ships, confiscated, and renamed Castillo Moncada |
Loukia, 2,143 ton 4 March 1937 |
Mavris & Diacon Zadeh, Istanbul | Hit a mine off Cape San Sebastian | Sank in deep waters |
Loulis, 330 ton 25 February 1939 |
unknown | Hit a mine off Cap de Creus | Sank in deep waters |
Nagos, 1,926 ton 5 April 1937 |
J.G. Livanos, Chios | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Maria Teresa at the Strait of Gibraltar | Confiscated and renamed Castillo Monforte |
Nicolau Eleni, 4,528 ton 9 November 1938 |
Georgios Nicolau, Pireus | Surface action - Captured by Nationalist patrol boat at the Strait of Gibraltar | Confiscated and renamed Castillo Madrigal |
Poli, 2,861 ton 2 April 1937 |
E. Vintiades, Genoa | Surface action - Shelled and sunk by the Nationalist cruiser Baleares | Sunk in deep waters |
Victoria, 6,600 ton 11 November 1938 |
Georgios Nicolau, London | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Mar Cantábrico | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Oropesa |
Panamanian flag[]
Name and date of loss | Ship's owner | Type of Incident | Aftermath |
---|---|---|---|
Andra, 1,384 ton 6 April 1937 |
Socdeco, Antwerp | Surface action - Shelled and sunk by the Nationalist armed trawler Galerna off Santoña | Sunk in deep waters |
Authorpe, 274 ton 6 January 1939 |
Marseille Maritime, Marseilles | Air attack at Alicante | Raised by Nationalist ships in 1939, confiscated and renamed Alhucemas |
Geo McKnight, 12,442 ton 15 August 1937 |
Waried Tankschiff (Esso affiliated) |
Surface attack - Shelled and torpedoed by the Italian destroyer Freccia off Tunis | Ran aground after being abandoned[nb 6] |
Hordena, 2,667 ton 16 April 1937 |
Scotia Corp., Paris | Surface action - Captured by Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera | Confiscated and renamed Castillo la Mota |
Janu, 1,347 ton 14 March 1937 |
Socdeco, Antwerp | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Huelva | Confiscated and renamed Castillo Arévalo y Tarifa |
Nausicaa, 5,005 ton 27 May 1938 |
Veniselos, Pireus | Air attack south of Minorca | Sunk in deep waters |
Reina, 1,436 ton 19 October 1937 |
Scotia Corp., Paris | Air attack at Gijon | Raised by Nationalist ships on 30 June 1938, confiscated and renamed Castillo Olmedo |
Wintonia, 168 ton 30 May 1938 |
C. Calunietti, Ciudad de Panama | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist cruiser squadron | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Rio Seco y Finisterre |
Danish flag[]
Norwegian flag[]
Name and date of loss | Ship's owner | Type of Incident | Aftermath |
---|---|---|---|
Alix, 1,115 ton 30 March 1938 |
A.S. Salvesen, Oslo | Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Huelva off Gibraltar | Grounded and lost off Santoña |
Gulnes, 1,195 ton 7 December 1936 |
H. Storaas, Bergen | Bombed by Republican aircraft at Seville[13] | Broken up in Vado Ligure, Italy, in May 1937 |
Skottland, 736 ton 1 January 1938 |
A.S. Skottland, Norddbo | Struck a reef off Santander | Total loss |
Skulda, 1,105 ton 21 July 1938 |
W. Hanseu, Bergen | Surface action - Captured by Nationalist patrol boats at the Strait of Gibraltar | Confiscated, renamed Castillo Daroca |
Dutch flag[]
Estonian flag[]
German flag[]
Belgian flag[]
Name and date of loss | Ship's owner | Type of Incident | Aftermath |
---|---|---|---|
Arctic, 147 ton 30 January 1938 |
Brunet & Co., Ostend | Grounded near Corunna | Total loss |
Italian flag[]
Name and date of loss | Ship's owner | Type of Incident | Aftermath |
---|---|---|---|
Iolanda, 1,243 ton 1 March 1937 |
unknown | Foundered off Cadiz | Sank in deep waters |
Latvian flag[]
Footnotes[]
- ↑ The owner later salvaged the hull, which remained docked at England in 1939, after Ms. Drake purchased another yacht in 1938.[4]
- ↑ Seized by Italian authorities while being rebuilt at Savona in a shipyard on 10 June 1940, when Italy entered World War II
- ↑ Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias off Bilbao, rescued and forcibly taken to Bermeo by the Basque naval trawler Bizcaia on 4 March 1937. Captured again by Nationalist armed trawlers and minelayer Júpiter on 5 October 1938. Released 20 November
- ↑ Scuttled per Soviet sources[9]
- ↑ Sunk in March 1939 by Republican coastal batteries at Cartagena during a landing attempt
- ↑ While some authors[1][11] assess this tanker as a total loss, she actually served under British flag during World War II[12]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 González Etchegaray,Rafael (1977). La Marina Mercante y el tráfico marítimo en la Guerra Civil. Ed. San Martín, Appendix two. ISBN 84-7140-150-9 (Spanish)
- ↑ Gretton, Peter (1984). El Factor Olvidado: La Marina Británica y la Guerra Civil Española. Editorial San Martín, p. 98. ISBN 84-7140-224-6. (Spanish)
- ↑ Evening Post, 11 August 1936
- ↑ The Palm Beach Post, 9 Aug 1939, pp. 1-2
- ↑ Heaton, Paul (1985).Welsh Blockade Runners in the Spanish Civil War. Starling press, Appendix 2. ISBN 0-9507714-5-7
- ↑ Moreno de Alborán y de Reyna, Salvador (1998). La guerra silenciosa y silenciada: historia de la campaña naval durante la guerra de 1936-39, Volume 4, Part 2. Ed. Alborán, p. 3064. ISBN 84-923691-0-8 (Spanish)
- ↑ House of Commons, Parlamentary debate of 20 March 1939
- ↑ Besly, Edward (2004). For those in peril: civil decorations and lifesaving awards at the National Museums & Galleries of Wales. National Museum Wales, p. 74. ISBN 0-7200-0546-9
- ↑ Alpert, Michael (2008). La guerra civil española en el mar. Editorial Critica, p. 210,. ISBN 84-8432-975-5 (Spanish)
- ↑ General Mola by Daniel Prieto (Spanish)
- ↑ Gretton, Peter (1984). El Factor Olvidado: La Marina Británica y la Guerra Civil Española. Editorial San Martín, p. 308. ISBN 84-7140-224-6. (Spanish)
- ↑ Wynn, Kenneth (1997). U-boat Operations of the Second World War: Career histories, U1-U510. Chatham, p. 47. ISBN 1-86176-024-8
- ↑ "Gulnes (1091361)". Miramar Ship Index. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz. Retrieved 17 March 2012. (subscription required)
The original article can be found at List of foreign ships wrecked or lost in the Spanish Civil War and the edit history here.