Battle of Cape Palos

Date	March 5–6, 1938
Location	Near Cartagena, Spain, Mediterranean Sea
Result	Republican victory

Belligerents

Spanish Republic

Nationalist Spain

Commanders and leaders

Luis González de Ubieta

Manuel de Vierna y Belando †

Strength

2 light cruisers
5 destroyers

2 heavy cruisers
1 light cruiser

Casualties and losses

None

1 heavy cruiser sunk
765 dead

The Battle of Cape Palos, also known as the Second Battle of Cape Palos, was the biggest naval battle of the Spanish Civil War, fought on the night of March 5–6, 1938, east of Cape Palos near Cartagena, Spain.

On March 5, 1938 the two Nationalist heavy cruisers, Canarias and Baleares, sortied from the naval base at Palma de Mallorca, in company with the light cruiser Almirante Cervera, and three destroyers. The squadron acted as a distant escort of a convoy bearing war equipment from Italy.

On the same day, forces of the Spanish Republican Navy, led by Admiral Luis González de Ubieta and consisting of two light cruisers (the new Libertad and the older Méndez Núñez) and five destroyers, sailed from Cartagena. At night, the Nationalist destroyers returned to base, while the cruisers remained on course.

The squadrons, going in opposite directions, met by chance in the dead of night of 5–6 March 1938. A Republican destroyer fired torpedoes but missed, and both fleets passed each other by. Nationalist Rear Admiral de Vierna preferred to wait until dawn, which would enable him to use his ships' superior artillery, but Republican Vice Admiral de Ubieta decided to turn and pursue the enemy.

The forces met again at about 02:15. the Nationalist cruisers commenced fire on Libertad from a range of about 5,000 m (5,500 yd) and the Republican cruisers returned fire. As the cruisers duelled, three Republican destroyers, probably unseen by the Nationalists, detached from escorting Libertad. At about 3,000 m (3,300 yd), Sanchéz Barcáiztegui, Lepanto, and Almirante Antequera each fired four torpedoes. Two or three torpedoes hit Baleares between 'A' and 'B' turrets and detonated her forward magazine. The sinking is generally credited to Lepanto, but also to the destroyer Almirante Antequera by some authors.

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