List of foreign ships wrecked or lost in the Spanish Civil War

The following is a list of foreign ships wrecked or lost during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Only one of these vessels lost belonged to a foreign navy - Chasseur 91, a French antisubmarine patrol boat - the remainder being civilian ships from different countries, most of them merchantmen involved in maritime trade with the Spanish Republic.

List of ships

Foreign ships sunk, wrecked or lost while involved in shipping along Spain from July 1936 to April 1939.[1]

British flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
African Mariner, 6,581 ton 22 January 1939	African & Continental, London	Air attack at Barcelona	Raised by Nationalist ships on 18 April 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Montjuich
Alcira, 1,387 ton 4 February 1938	J. Bruce & Co., Glasgow	Air attack off Barcelona	Sunk in deep waters
Arlon, 4,903 ton 27 June 1938	Arlon S.S. Co.	Air attack at Valencia	Set ablaze - Towed outside the port and sunk
Blue Shadow, 34 ton 9 August 1936	Eloise Drake	Surface action - Shelled by the Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera at Gijon	Yacht wrecked, skipper killed. American owner Eloise Drake and two members of the crew wounded, rescued by destroyer HMS Comet.[2][3][nb 1]
Dellwyn, 1,451 ton 27 July 1938	Dillwyn S. S. Co., Swansea	Air attack at Gandia	Raised by Nationalist ships on 10 May 1939, confiscated and renamed Castilla Montesa
Eleni, 1,138 ton 30 November 1938	Inter Levant Co. Ltd.	Air attack at Águilas	Raised by Nationalist ships in 1940, confiscated and renamed Castillo Vera
Endymion, 887 ton 21 January 1938	Verano S.S. Co., Gibraltar	Torpedoed and sunk by the Nationalist submarine General Sanjurjo off Cape Tiñoso	Sunk in deep waters. Submarine's commander dismissed after British protest
English Tanker, 5,387 ton 6 June 1938	Spanish Republic Campsa-Gentibus, Madrid	Air attack at Alicante	Raised by Nationalist ships on 26 April 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Almenara
Farnham, 4,793 ton 27 June 1938	Alpha S.S. Co., London	Air attack at Alicante	Raised by Nationalist ships on 27 June 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Montiel
Foynes, 822 ton 27 June 1937	Limerick S.S. Co., Limerick	Air attack at Valencia	Raised by Nationalist ships in 1940, confiscated and renamed Castillo Riaza
Greatend, 1,495 ton 28 May 1938	NewbiginS.S. Co., Newcastle	Air attack at Valencia	Raised by Nationalist ships on 24 November 1938, confiscated and renamed Castillo Noreña
Isadora, 1,324 9 June 1938	Stone & Rolfe, Belfast	Air attack at Castellon	Raised by Nationalist ships in 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Frías
Jean Weems, 2,349 tons 30 October 1937	Thameside Ship Co., London	Air attack off Santander	Sunk in deep waters
Lake Lugano, 2,120 ton 28 January 1939	Strubin & Co., London	Damaged by air attack on 6 August 1938; abandoned and eventually beached off Palamos Surface action - Shelled and wrecked in situ by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Mar Negro[5][nb 2]	Sunk in shallow waters
Lucky, 1,235 ton 10 February 1938	Toussi Ship Co., Gibraltar	Air attack at Valencia	Raised by Nationalist ships on 24 May 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Benisano
Miocene, 2,153 ton 24 January 1939	Spanish Republic Campsa-Gentibus, Madrid	Air attack at Barcelona	Raised by Nationalist ships in 1940 and confiscated, but eventually scrapped in 1944
Penthames, 3,995 ton 31 May 1938	D. P. Barnett, London	Air attack off Valencia	Sunk in deep waters
St. Winifred, 5,683 ton 6 June 1938	Barry Shipping Co. Ltd.	Air attack at Alicante	Heavily damaged. Hull sold to an Italian company which rebuilt her as Capo Vita.[7]
Stanburgh, 1,095 ton 4 November 1938	Billmeir, London	Internal explosion off Sète, France, while on passage to Barcelona	Beached and later scrapped
Stancroft, 1,407 ton 27 December 1938	Billmeir, London	Air attack at Barcelona	Raised by Nationalist ships on 24 April 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Almansa
Standale, 2,456 ton 12 May 1937	Billmeir, London	Foundered off Berlengas islands while bound to Cartagena	Sank in deep waters
Stangrove, 516 ton 23 February 1939	Billmeir, London	Surface action - Shelled and seized by the Nationalist gunboat Dato off Cap de Creus[8]	Ran aground in a gale while in custody at Palma de Mallorca. Skipper killed in the wreckage.[9] Raised by Nationalist ships in 1939, confiscated and renamed Castilla del Oro (later Condestable)
Sunion, 3,054 ton 22 June 1938	African & Continental S.S. Co., London	Air attack off Valencia	Sunk in deep waters
Thorpehall, 1,251 ton 25 May 1938	Westcliff S.S., London	Air attack off Valencia	Sunk in deep waters
Thorpeheaven, 3,683 ton 10 June 1938	Westcliff S.S. Co., London	Air attack at Alicante	Raised by Nationalist ships on 18 May 1938, confiscated and renamed Castillo Guadalest
Thorpeness, 4,798 ton 21 June 1938	Westcliff S.S. Co., London	Air attack off Valencia	Sunk in deep waters
Ulmus, 2,733 ton 18 January 1939	Reardon Smith, Cardiff	Accidental fire at the Strait of Gibraltar[10]	Abandoned. Salvaged by Nationalist warships, towed to Barcelona.[nb 3]
Woodford, 6,987 ton 1 September 1937	Spanish Republic Cº Primera de Navegación, Ltd.	Torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine Diaspro off Columbretes islands	Sunk in deep waters
Yorkbrook, 1,370 ton 13 October 1938	Angel Sons & Co., Cardiff	Air attack at Barcelona	Raised by Nationalist ships on 16 January 1940, confiscated and renamed Castillo Monteagudo.[nb 4]

French flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Artois, 439 ton 14 August 1938	Marseille Maritime, Marseilles	Hit a mine while en route from Marseilles to Oran	Sank in depth waters
Aunis, 439 ton 15 January 1939	Marseille Maritime, Marseilles	Surface action - Seized by the Nationalist gunboat Dato	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Valldemosa
Azelma, 177 ton 25 January 1939	unknown	Air attack at Sant Feliu de Guíxols	Raised by Nationalist ships in 1940, confiscated and renamed Castillo Javier
Belle Hirondelle 2 May 1937	unknown	Internal explosion off Palma de Mallorca	Sank in deep waters
Brisbane, 4,004 ton 8 June 1938	André Puech, Paris	Air attack off Denia	Beached, total loss
Cap Bear, 212 ton 15 June 1938	G. Ciamoni, Marseilles	Air attack at Valencia	Total loss
Chausser 91 20 October 1938	Marine Nationale	Air attack at Fornells	Total loss
El Djem, 2,575 ton 30 May 1938	Soc. Maritime Nationale, Paris	Air attack off El Grau, Valencia	Total loss
Francois, 3,457 ton 21 December 1937	Soc. Commerciale d'afrettements et Commissiones, Paris	Surface action - Seized by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Mallorca at the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Andrade
Gaulois, 500 tons 15 June 1938	Enterprise Cotière des Transports Maritimes, Marseille	Air attack at Valencia	Raised by Nationalist ships on 28 September 1939, confiscated and renamed Castillo Turégano
Guaruja, 4,282 ton 2 January 1938	Transports Maritimes, Paris	Grounded at Punta Polacra	Total loss
La Corse, 643 ton 4 November 1938	S.A.R. Louis Carlini, Marseilles	Air attack off Cape Matara	Raised by Nationalist ships, confiscated and renamed Castillo Jarandilla
Liberte 6 July 1937	La Peche Française, Fecamp	Surface action - Seized by the Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera	Confiscated and renamed Castillo Almodóvar
Oued Mellah, 2,414 ton 24 October 1937	Cia. de Navigation Paquet, Marseilles	Air attack off Balearic Islands	Sunk in deep waters
Saint Prosper, 4,330 ton 8 March 1939	Soc. Navale de L'Ouest	Hit a mine while bound for Algiers	Sank with all hands
Sydney, 4,937 ton 17 December 1937	Soc. Commerciale d'afrettements et Commissiones, Paris	Surface action - Seized by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Lázaro at the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Simancas
Tregastel, 1,046 ton 28 September 1938	France Navegation, Paris	Grounded at Cadaqués	Total loss
Yolande, 1,733 ton 26 January 1939	R. Gardellá, Paris	Air attack at Barcelona	Total loss

Soviet flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Blagoev, 3,100 ton 3 September 1937	Sovietflot	Torpedoed and sunk off Skyros by the Italian submarine Settembrini	Sunk in deep waters
Katayama, 3,209 ton 17 October 1938	Sovietflot	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist minelayer Vulcano	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Ampudia
Komsomol, 5,109 ton 14 December 1936	Sovietflot	Surface action - Shelled and sunk by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias	Sunk in deep waters[nb 5]
Lensovet, 4,718 ton 19 March 1938	Sovietflot	Surface action - Captured by Nationalist patrol boats at the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Bellver
Max Hoels, 3,472 ton 2 November 1938	Sovietflot	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist minelayer Vulcano	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Montealegre
Potishev, 3,545 ton 31 May 1938	Sovietflot	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Vicente Puchol	Confiscated, renamed Castillo de Olite[nb 6]
Skvortzov Stepanov, 2,152 ton 26 May 1938	Sovietflot	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Maqueda
Smidovich, 2,485 ton 10 January 1937	Sovietflot	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist destroyer Velasco off Bilbao	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Peñafiel
Timiryazev, 2,151 ton 31 August 1937	Sovietflot	Surface action - Torpedoed and sunk by the Italian destroyer Turbine off Tigzirt	Sunk in deep waters
Tsyurupa, 2,081 23 October 1938	Sovietflot	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Villafranca

Greek flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Ellinico Vuono, 3,667 ton 19 May 1938	T. Papadimitrou, Pireus	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias near Cape Passero	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Mombeltrán
Gardelaki, 2,282 ton 28 March 1937	E. Theophilatos, Ithaca	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Uad Kert on the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Tarifa
Lena, 1,735 ton 30 March 1938	Jean Milonas, Paris	Torpedoed by a submarine - apparently the Nationalist General Mola[12]	Towed to Barcelona, and sank there in shallow waters. Raised by Nationalist ships, confiscated, and renamed Castillo Moncada
Loukia, 2,143 ton 4 March 1937	Mavris & Diacon Zadeh, Istanbul	Hit a mine off Cape San Sebastian	Sank in deep waters
Loulis, 330 ton 25 February 1939	unknown	Hit a mine off Cap de Creus	Sank in deep waters
Nagos, 1,926 ton 5 April 1937	J.G. Livanos, Chios	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Maria Teresa at the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated and renamed Castillo Monforte
Nicolau Eleni, 4,528 ton 9 November 1938	Georgios Nicolau, Pireus	Surface action - Captured by Nationalist patrol boat at the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated and renamed Castillo Madrigal
Poli, 2,861 ton 2 April 1937	E. Vintiades, Genoa	Surface action - Shelled and sunk by the Nationalist cruiser Baleares	Sunk in deep waters
Victoria, 6,600 ton 11 November 1938	Georgios Nicolau, London	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Mar Cantábrico	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Oropesa

Panamanian flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Andra, 1,384 ton 6 April 1937	Socdeco, Antwerp	Surface action - Shelled and sunk by the Nationalist armed trawler Galerna off Santoña	Sunk in deep waters
Authorpe, 274 ton 6 January 1939	Marseille Maritime, Marseilles	Air attack at Alicante	Raised by Nationalist ships in 1939, confiscated and renamed Alhucemas
Geo McKnight, 12,442 ton 15 August 1937	Waried Tankschiff (Esso affiliated)	Surface action - Shelled and torpedoed by the Italian destroyer Freccia off Tunis	Ran aground after being abandoned[nb 7]
Hordena, 2,667 ton 16 April 1937	Scotia Corp., Paris	Surface action - Captured by Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera	Confiscated and renamed Castillo la Mota
Janu, 1,347 ton 14 March 1937	Socdeco, Antwerp	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Huelva	Confiscated and renamed Castillo Arévalo y Tarifa
Nausicaa, 5,005 ton 27 May 1938	Veniselos, Pireus	Air attack south of Menorca	Sunk in deep waters
Reina, 1,436 ton 19 October 1937	Scotia Corp., Paris	Air attack at Gijon	Raised by Nationalist ships on 30 June 1938, confiscated and renamed Castillo Olmedo
Wintonia, 168 ton 30 May 1938	C. Calunietti, Ciudad de Panama	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist cruiser squadron	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Rio Seco y Finisterre

Danish flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Bodil, 844 ton 29 July 1938	J. Lauritzen A/S, Copenhagen	Air attack at Palamos	Sunk in deep waters
Edith, 1,566 ton 13 August 1938	J. Lauritzen, Copenhaguen	Air attack off Balearic Islands	Sunk in deep waters
Jan, 1,739 ton 26 May 1938	Holm & Wonsild, Copenhaguen	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Iñasi	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Coca

Norwegian flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Alix, 1,115 ton 30 March 1938	A.S. Salvesen, Oslo	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist patrol boat Huelva off Gibraltar	Grounded and lost off Santoña
Gulnes, 1,195 ton 7 December 1936	H. Storaas, Bergen	Bombed by Republican aircraft at Seville[15]	Broken up in Vado Ligure, Italy, in May 1937
Skottland, 736 ton 1 January 1938	A.S. Skottland, Norddbo	Struck a reef off Santander	Total loss
Skulda, 1,105 ton 21 July 1938	W. Hanseu, Bergen	Surface action - Captured by Nationalist patrol boats at the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Daroca

Dutch flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Hanna, 3,730 ton 11 November 1938	F.W. Vittenbogaart, Rotterdam	Torpedoed and sunk by the Nationalist submarine General Mola off Cape San Antonio	Sunk in deep waters
Jonge Jacobus, 1,757 ton 27 January 1937	Midelansch Zeevart, Rotterdam	Foundered off Berlengas Islands	Sank in deep waters

Estonian flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Juss, 1,187 ton 22 January 1938	unknown	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Mallorca at the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Gibralfaro
Pomaron, 1,743 ton 21 January 1938	Strubin & Co., London	Surface action - Captured by the Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Vicente Puchol at the Strait of Gibraltar	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Butrón

German flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Luise Leonhardt, 4,475 ton 3 January 1938	Leonhardt & Blumberg, Hamburg	Foundered at Melilla	Total loss
Süd IV, 248 ton 12 April 1938	Walfang-Kontor, Hamburg	Stranded at Cape Gando	Total loss

Belgian flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Arctic, 147 ton 30 January 1938	Brunet & Co., Ostend	Grounded near Corunna	Total loss

Italian flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Iolanda, 1,243 ton 1 March 1937	unknown	Foundered off Cadiz	Sank in deep waters

Latvian flag

Name and date of loss	Ship's owner	Type of Incident	Aftermath
Everards, 3,075 ton 19 November 1938	F. Grauds, Riga	Surface action - Captured by Nationalist patrol boats off Gibraltar	Confiscated, renamed Castillo Fuensaldaña

Footnotes

The owner later salvaged the hull, which remained docked at England in 1939, after Ms. Drake purchased another yacht in 1938.[4]
Republican sources claim that Lake Lugano was shelled by the heavy cruiser Canarias, but the only naval bombardment on a British freighter at Palamós recorded by Nationalist reports on this date was actually carried out by Mar Negro.[6]
Seized by Italian authorities while being rebuilt at Savona in a shipyard on 10 June 1940, when Italy entered World War II
Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias off Bilbao, rescued and forcibly taken to Bermeo by the Basque naval trawler Bizcaia on 4 March 1937. Captured again by Nationalist armed trawlers and minelayer Júpiter on 5 October 1938. Released 20 November
Scuttled per Soviet sources[11]
Sunk in March 1939 by Republican coastal batteries at Cartagena during a landing attempt
While some authors[1][13] assess this tanker as a total loss, she actually served under British flag during World War II[14]

References

González Etchegaray, Rafael (1977). La Marina Mercante y el tráfico marítimo en la Guerra Civil. Ed. San Martín, Appendix two. ISBN 84-7140-150-9 (in Spanish)
Gretton, Peter (1984). El Factor Olvidado: La Marina Británica y la Guerra Civil Española. Editorial San Martín, p. 98. ISBN 84-7140-224-6. (in Spanish)
Evening Post, 11 August 1936
The Palm Beach Post, 9 Aug 1939, pp. 1-2
de Trijueque, Pere (17 September 2006). "Un pobre vaixell anomenat "Lake Lugano"" (PDF) (in Catalan). Retrieved 14 April 2016.
Moreno de Alborán y de Reyna, Salvador (1998). La guerra silenciosa y silenciada: historia de la campaña naval durante la guerra de 1936-39, Volume 4, Part 2, p. 2725. Ed. Alborán. ISBN 84-923691-0-8 (in Spanish)
Heaton, Paul (1985).Welsh Blockade Runners in the Spanish Civil War. Starling press, Appendix 2. ISBN 0-9507714-5-7
Moreno de Alborán y de Reyna, Salvador (1998). La guerra silenciosa y silenciada: historia de la campaña naval durante la guerra de 1936-39, Volume 4, Part 2. Ed. Alborán, p. 3064. ISBN 84-923691-0-8 (in Spanish)
House of Commons, Parliamentary debate of 20 March 1939
Besly, Edward (2004). For those in peril: civil decorations and lifesaving awards at the National Museums & Galleries of Wales. National Museum Wales, p. 74. ISBN 0-7200-0546-9
Alpert, Michael (2008). La guerra civil española en el mar. Editorial Critica, p. 210,. ISBN 84-8432-975-5 (in Spanish)
General Mola by Daniel Prieto (in Spanish)
Gretton, Peter (1984). El Factor Olvidado: La Marina Británica y la Guerra Civil Española. Editorial San Martín, p. 308. ISBN 84-7140-224-6. (in Spanish)
Wynn, Kenneth (1997). U-boat Operations of the Second World War: Career histories, U1-U510. Chatham, p. 47. ISBN 1-86176-024-8
"Gulnes (1091361)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

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[5] The owner later salvaged the hull, which remained docked at England in 1939, after Ms. Drake purchased another yacht in 1938.[4]

[8] Republican sources claim that Lake Lugano was shelled by the heavy cruiser Canarias, but the only naval bombardment on a British freighter at Palamós recorded by Nationalist reports on this date was actually carried out by Mar Negro.[6]

[13] Seized by Italian authorities while being rebuilt at Savona in a shipyard on 10 June 1940, when Italy entered World War II

[14] Captured by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias off Bilbao, rescued and forcibly taken to Bermeo by the Basque naval trawler Bizcaia on 4 March 1937. Captured again by Nationalist armed trawlers and minelayer Júpiter on 5 October 1938. Released 20 November

[16] Scuttled per Soviet sources[11]

[17] Sunk in March 1939 by Republican coastal batteries at Cartagena during a landing attempt

[21] While some authors[1][13] assess this tanker as a total loss, she actually served under British flag during World War II[14]

[raf-1] González Etchegaray, Rafael (1977). La Marina Mercante y el tráfico marítimo en la Guerra Civil. Ed. San Martín, Appendix two. ISBN 84-7140-150-9 (in Spanish)

[2] Gretton, Peter (1984). El Factor Olvidado: La Marina Británica y la Guerra Civil Española. Editorial San Martín, p. 98. ISBN 84-7140-224-6. (in Spanish)

[3] Evening Post, 11 August 1936

[4] The Palm Beach Post, 9 Aug 1939, pp. 1-2

[6] Trijueque, Pere (17 September 2006). "Un pobre vaixell anomenat "Lake Lugano"" (PDF) (in Catalan). Retrieved 14 April 2016.

[7] Moreno de Alborán y de Reyna, Salvador (1998). La guerra silenciosa y silenciada: historia de la campaña naval durante la guerra de 1936-39, Volume 4, Part 2, p. 2725. Ed. Alborán. ISBN 84-923691-0-8 (in Spanish)

[9] Heaton, Paul (1985).Welsh Blockade Runners in the Spanish Civil War. Starling press, Appendix 2. ISBN 0-9507714-5-7

[10] Moreno de Alborán y de Reyna, Salvador (1998). La guerra silenciosa y silenciada: historia de la campaña naval durante la guerra de 1936-39, Volume 4, Part 2. Ed. Alborán, p. 3064. ISBN 84-923691-0-8 (in Spanish)

[11] House of Commons, Parliamentary debate of 20 March 1939

[12] Besly, Edward (2004). For those in peril: civil decorations and lifesaving awards at the National Museums & Galleries of Wales. National Museum Wales, p. 74. ISBN 0-7200-0546-9

[15] Alpert, Michael (2008). La guerra civil española en el mar. Editorial Critica, p. 210,. ISBN 84-8432-975-5 (in Spanish)

[18] General Mola by Daniel Prieto (in Spanish)

[19] Gretton, Peter (1984). El Factor Olvidado: La Marina Británica y la Guerra Civil Española. Editorial San Martín, p. 308. ISBN 84-7140-224-6. (in Spanish)

[20] Wynn, Kenneth (1997). U-boat Operations of the Second World War: Career histories, U1-U510. Chatham, p. 47. ISBN 1-86176-024-8

[22] "Gulnes (1091361)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 17 March 2012.