The Spanish Civil War at Sea: Dark and Dangerous WatersThe Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 underlined the importance of the sea as the supply route to both General Franco's insurgents and the Spanish Republic. There were attempted blockades by Franco as well as attacks by his Italian and German allies against legitimate neutral, largely British, merchant shipping bound for Spanish Republican ports and challenges to the Royal Navy, which was obliged to maintain a heavy presence in the area. The conflict provoked splits in British public opinion. Events at sea both created and reflected the international tensions of the latter 1930s, when the policy of appeasement of Germany and Italy dissuaded Britain from taking action against those countries’ activities in Spain, except to participate in a largely ineffective naval patrol to try to prevent the supply of war material to both sides. The book is based on original documentary sources in both Britain and Spain and is intended for the general reader as well as students and academics interested in the history of the 1930s, in naval matters and in the Spanish Civil War. |
Contents
Tangiers and Gibraltar Franco Crosses the Strait | |
Reorganisation | |
Off the Northern Coast | |
War Material Comes from Abroad The Insurgents Try to Block Merchant Traffic | |
The War Against Traffic Continues as the Russians Send War Material to the Republic | |
The Naval Campaign in the Cantabrian | |
NonIntervention and the International Patrol | |
Two Spanish Navies in Contrast | |
1938 Testing the Limits of British Tolerance | |
Surrender Evacuation and Flight | |
Conclusion | |
Technical Details of Spanish Warships | |
Winter and Spring 1937 in the Mediterranean | |
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Common terms and phrases
Admiral Admiralty aircraft Algeciras Alicante anchor arms army artillery attack August Balboa Baleares Barcelona Basque Bilbao blockade bombing Britain British destroyer Buiza Cádiz Canarias Cantabrian Sea Captain cargo ships Cartagena Cerezo Ceuta chief of staff coast Committee Condor Legion crew cruiser destroyer El Ferrol escort España Ferrándiz Ferrol fire flotilla forces Foreign Franco freighters French German González de Ubieta harbour Ibid Insurgent Insurgent cruisers Insurgent navy Insurgent warships Italy José Luis Díez July Kuznetsov Lieutenant Commander London Madrid Málaga Mediterranean merchant ships Miguel de Cervantes Minister Moreno Morocco mutiny naval base naval officers Non-Intervention Non-Intervention Committee November Palma patrol petty officers Prieto radio Republic Republican destroyers Republican fleet Republican navy Republican ships Republican warships Royal Navy Russian sailed sailors shell SHEMA Soviet Spanish Civil Spanish Civil War Spanish Insurgent Spanish navy Spanish Republican Strait of Gibraltar submarines territorial waters trawlers uprising Valencia vessels