Battle of Cape Machichaco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Cape Machichaco |
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| Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||
 Cape Machichaco |
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 Nationalist Navy |
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1 heavy cruiser | ||||||
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| 4 civilians killed | |||||||
The Battle of Cape Machichaco was a naval battle during the Spanish Civil War. It happened on March 5, 1937, near Bermeo, Spain. The battle was between a large Nationalist warship, the heavy cruiser Canarias, and four smaller armed ships called trawlers from the Basque Auxiliary Navy. These trawlers were protecting a transport ship named Galdames. The Galdames was carrying 173 passengers and important supplies to Bilbao.
Contents
What Happened Before the Battle
The Mission to Protect Galdames
On March 4, 1937, four armed trawlers from the Basque Auxiliary Navy left Bayonne, France. Their names were Bizcaya, Gipuzkoa, Donostia, and Nabarra. Their main job was to protect the transport ship Galdames. The Galdames was carrying mail, passengers, machinery, weapons, and 500 tons of nickel coins for the Basque Government.
Meanwhile, a powerful Nationalist warship, the heavy cruiser Canarias, sailed from Ferrol. Its captain was Salvador Moreno. The Canarias had orders to stop the Galdames at all costs. The Galdames was trying to sneak past by keeping its lights and radio off. The trawlers Bizcaya and Gipuzkoa were faster and went ahead of it.
Getting Ready for Battle
The next morning, all the Basque trawlers were on the lookout for the Canarias. Soon, the Galdames caught up with them. The captains of the Basque trawlers were Alejo Bilbao for Bizcaya, Enrique Moreno Plaza for Nabarra, Manuel Galdós for Gipuzkoa, and Francisco Elortegi for Donostia.
The Battle Begins
First Shots Fired
The first Basque trawler to spot the Canarias was the Gipuzkoa. It was about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Bilbao. The Canarias fired first, hitting the Gipuzkoa's bridge and front gun. The Gipuzkoa fired back, and its shots hit the Canarias, killing one sailor and wounding another.
The Gipuzkoa had five sailors killed and 20 wounded. Even with heavy damage, it managed to get close to the coast. Shore batteries (guns on land) then fired at the Canarias, forcing it to move away.
Nabarra Fights Bravely
After the Gipuzkoa was hit, the Nabarra and Donostia tried to stop the Canarias from finding the Galdames. They bravely attacked the much larger cruiser. The Donostia eventually pulled back from the fight after being fired upon.
However, the Nabarra continued to fight the Canarias for almost two hours. It was a very unequal fight. The Nabarra was finally hit in its boiler, which made it stop moving. Twenty men managed to leave the sinking trawler. Sadly, 29 other sailors, including their brave captain, Enrique Moreno Plaza, were lost with the ship.
The Fate of Galdames
The transport ship Galdames was also hit by the Canarias. Four passengers on board were killed. The Galdames was eventually captured by the Nationalist cruiser.
After the battle, the Gipuzkoa arrived at Portugalete with serious damage. The Bizcaya went to Bermeo. There, it helped an Estonian merchant ship called Yorbrook. This ship was carrying ammunition and 42 Japanese mountain guns. The Canarias had previously captured this ship but then released it. The Donostia found safety in a French port.
After the Battle
Survivors of Nabarra
The 20 sailors who survived the sinking of the Nabarra were rescued by the Nationalists. They were taken aboard the Canarias. Surprisingly, they were treated well and given medical help. The commander of the Canarias, Salvador Moreno, and Captain Manuel Calderón even spoke to General Franco on their behalf.
These Basque sailors had been sentenced to death. This was because two crew members from another armed trawler, the Virgen del Carmen, had been shot. That ship had been captured by Republican supporters in December 1936. But thanks to the efforts of Moreno and Calderón, the Nabarra survivors were eventually found not guilty and set free in 1938.
A Different Outcome
However, one of the passengers on the captured Galdames had a different fate. This was Manuel Carrasco Formiguera, a politician from Catalonia. He was imprisoned and died in prison on April 9, 1938.
See also
{{gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed" widths="300px" heights="300px" Kids robot.svg|In Spanish: Batalla del cabo Machichaco para niños }}
- List of classes of Spanish Nationalist ships of the Spanish Civil War
- Spanish Civil War Republican ship classes
- War in the North
