Convoy de la victoria

Destroyer Alcalá Galiano in her sea trial without weapons

Date	5 August 1936
Location	Mediterranean Sea, near Punta Carnero
Result	Nationalist victory

Belligerents

Spanish Republic

Nationalist Spain

Commanders and leaders

José María Sánchez Ferragut

Manuel Súnico Castedo

Strength

1 destroyer

1 gunboat
1 coastguard ship
1 torpedo boat

Casualties and losses

none

The Convoy de la victoria (English: "convoy of victory") is the name given by the Spanish Nationalists to a naval battle which took place on 5 August 1936 in the Strait of Gibraltar during the Spanish Civil War between the escort of a Nationalist convoy and the Republican destroyer Alcalá Galiano.

At the end of July 1936, the Spanish rebel forces were in dire straits. The Republic held two-thirds of the country, the capital city, the gold reserves, the major urban centers and most of the industries. Furthermore, the main shock force of the rebels, the Spanish Army of Africa, was isolated in Spanish Morocco, the Republic held most of the Navy, and from 19 July Spanish Republican Navy warships were patrolling the waters between Morocco and the mainland. Nevertheless, with the assistance of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, the Nationalists managed to airlift their troops from Africa to Andalusia.

The Nationalists requested and received transport aircraft from Germany and Italy in order to transport their troops, establishing the first airlift of troops in history. Germany sent 20 Junkers Ju-52 and, between 29 July and 5 August, the Nationalists carried 1,500 men of the Spanish Army of Africa across the Strait by air, and another 15,000 between 5 and 15 August (according to historian Hugh Thomas, 12,000 men were flown between August and September). Hitler said that: "Franco ought to erect a monument to the glory of the Junkers-52". This success was a major psychological blow (the news of the arrival of the Moors spread terror among the Republicans), but the Republican Navy still controlled the Straits and the Republican battleship Jaime I threatened the transport aircraft with her heavy anti-aircraft fire.

...
Wikipedia