NAVAL BATTLE OFF SPAIN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22345, 8 March 1938, Page 13

NAVAL BATTLE OFF SPAIN

Insurgent Cruiser Sunk TORPEDOED BY LOYALISTS Encounter in Early Morning (TJSITED PHES3 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.* (Received March 7, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 6. The Republican Navy gave battle In the early hours of the morning to the rebel vessels Baleares, Canarias, and Almirante Cervera, 70 miles off Cape Palos, off the Cartagena coast. A torpedo from the Government destroyer Lepanto hit the Baleares, which was second in line of battle, and set her on fire after a great explosion.

Seven Government bombers later sighted her surrounded by seven other vessels. * The bombers proceeded to attack the Baleares, which appeared to be sinking. The Madrid correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" says that according to an official broadcast the rebel cruisers Canarias, Baleares, and Almirante Cervera, which have frequently bombarded Loyalist ports in the last three months, appeared well off the Cartagena coast early yesterday. The Loyalist warships gave a spirited battle, the destroyer Lepanto torpedoing the Baleares in the midst of the rebel convoy. A deafening explosion followed and the vessel developed a list and became out of control. A Loyalist wireless message summoned seven fast bombing aeroplanes, which arrived to find the Baleares in flames. They began ineffectually bombing her, and the rebel warship equally ineffectually replied. The Canarias took off part of the crew of the Baleares, which suffered many casualties. The Baleares was the most modern rebel cruiser, and was not placed in service until shortly after the civil war broke out. A British Admiralty report says that immediately the bombing attack began the flotilla-leaders Boreas" and Kempenfelt left the vicinity. The Kempenfelt had many survivors aboard, who will probably be landed at Palma and Majorca. The "Daily Mail" says that the Boreas and Kempenfelt raced to the rescue under fire and took aboard 100 of the crew of 765 aboard the Baleares. It is reported in London that while the British destroyers Boreas and Kempenfelt were rescuing survivors from the rebel cruiser Bale- -- ares a bomb from a Loyalist aeroplane which was attacking the rebel 1 ships killed one and wounded three of the personnel of the Boreas. The Admiralty states that Loyalist bombing aeroplanes attacked other rebel vessels to which the survivors were being transferred . and that a splinter from a bomb which exploded in the water killed Able Seaman George Long and wounded three of his shipmates. The destroyers were unscathed. [The Baleares, which was launched in 1934, shared with the Canarias the distinction of being the fastest vessel in the Spanish Navy, and was one of the fastest cruisers afloat. It had a Speed of 33 knots, a displacement of 10.000 tons, and an overall length of 636 feet. It was armed with eight 8-inch guns, and eight 4.7 inch guns, carried 12 torpedo tubes, and two aeroplanes.] BRITISH DESTROYERS BOMBED ATTACK BY UNKNOWN AIRCRAFT yESSELS ENGAGED ON PATROL , DUTIES (Received March 8, 2.15 a.m.) LONDON, March 7. Five unidentified aircraft attacked the British destroyers Blanche and Brilliant while they were carrying out Nyon patrol duties off the coast of Spain yesterday. The Admiralty states that several bombs were dropped, but no hits were registered. It is presumed that the aviators mistook the identity of the vessels. MORE TROOPS FOR FRANCO . FRESH CONTINGENTS FROM ITALY (Received March 7, 10 p.m.) -je \ LONDON, March 7. XT Signor Mussolir.i is pouring fresh contingents into Spain, says the Gibraltar correspondent of the "Daily Herald." He reports that there are 2500 Italians aboard the hospital ship Gradisca and 2500 aboard warships. These troops, he says, are going to the Guadalajara front.