Ships of the Nationalist and Republican Navies during the Spanish Civil War: Armed Merchant Cruisers (Part 2)

Ciudad de Palma

Ciudad de Palma.

Ship’s characteristics:

• Displacement: 4,085 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 332’ 4” (101.3m)
• Beam: 48’ 10” (14.9m)
• Draught: 21’ 4” (6.5m)
• Speed: 17 knots
• Armament: 2 x 4.7” (120mm) (2 x 1); 2 x 3” (76mm) (2 x 1)

Converted into an Armed Merchant Cruiser in Italy in 1936. She assisted the minelayer Jupiter in the capture of the British cargo ship Candlestone Castle in the Bay of Biscay on 17th July 1937.

Ciudad de Valencia

Ciudad de Valencia.

Ship’s characteristics:

• Displacement: 2,496 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 266 ’9” (81.3m)
• Beam: 40’ 8” (12.4m)
• Draught: 8’ 2” (2.5m)
• Speed: 16 knots
• Armament: 1 x 4.7” (120mm) (1 x 1); 2 x 4.1” (105mm) (2 x 1); 2 x 1.8” (47mm) (2 x 1)

After conversion she operated in the North Sea, where she sank the Republican merchantman SS Cantabria off Cromer, Norfolk, on 2nd November 1938.

Domine

Domine.

Ship’s characteristics:

• Displacement: 6915 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 408’ 2” (124.4m)
• Beam: 53’ 9” (16.4m)
• Draught: -
• Speed:16 knots
• Armament: 4 x 4” (102mm) (4 x 1)

She was used as an Armed Merchant Cruiser in the Bay of Biscay from September to December 1936. She was then converted into a fast transport and later used as supply ship.