The Battle of Cape Cherchell was a naval battle between the

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval T ...

and the

Spanish Republican Navy The Spanish Republican Navy was the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939. History In the same manner as the other two branches of the Spanish Republi ...

light cruisers and in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

, several miles north of the Algerian city of Cherchell. In the early morning hours of 7 September 1937, ''Baleares'' unexpectedly met a Republican

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

consisting of two merchant ships escorted by Republican cruisers and destroyers. ''Baleares'' was beaten off and badly damaged in the engagement, but the merchantmen were lost when they tried to slip away along the Algerine shoreline. The biggest danger for the convoy was not ''Baleares'' itself, but Nationalist shore-based aircraft that might have appeared when the Nationalist cruiser had radioed the convoy's location. Because of this, the four destroyers quickly broke off the engagement and continued to escort the merchant convoy. While these ships steamed ahead, Republican cruisers ''Libertad'' and ''Méndez Núñez'' engaged ''Baleares''. A crashing volley from ''Libertad'' smashed ''Baleares electronics, temporarily disabling the cruiser's main guns. But the Nationalists repaired the damage and ''Baleares'' renewed her pursuit. The warships met again in the afternoon, ''Libertad'' scoring two more hits on critical areas of ''Baleares''. ''Baleares'' then limped off to wait for her sister ship . The retreating Republican ships were later attacked, ineffectively, by several Nationalist warplanes, most of them

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an air ...

s from the '' Aviación Legionaria'', a squadron of the Regia Aeronautica which fought in Spain under

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

's orders. During the engagement the captains of the two freighters escorted by the Republican fleet had panicked and changed course to the south to seek shelter in Algerine waters. One of the steamers ran aground in Cherchell, while the remaining ship eventually reached Bona, where she was

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

by French authorities. The Republican fleet commander Miguel Buiza was demoted after this battle.Thomas, p. 758

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Combate Naval Del Cabo Cherchel
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 1937 in Spain Cape Cherchell Maritime incidents in 1937 Cape Cherchell Cape Cherchell September 1937 events

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