Battle of Cape Palos

5–6 March 1938, East of Cape Palos, near Cartagena

Republican victory; Baleares sunk

The biggest naval battle of the war. The Nationalist cruisers were covering a convoy from Italy when they met a Republican squadron out of Cartagena by chance in the dark. A first torpedo attack missed and the fleets lost each other. Admiral González de Ubieta turned to pursue, and at about 02:15 the cruisers met again. While they exchanged fire, Sánchez Barcáiztegui, Lepanto and Almirante Antequera closed to 3,000 m and fired torpedoes. Two or three hit Baleares and set off her forward magazine. British destroyers Kempenfelt and Boreas picked up most of the survivors, but more than 750 died, among them Admiral Vierna. It was the Republican navy's greatest success of the war.