Almirante Cervera class cruiser

The Cervera or Alfonso class were three light cruisers built for the Spanish Navy in the 1920s. The ships were built by Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval in Ferrol which had strong British links and were designed by Sir Philip Watts. The design was based on the British Emerald class cruiser, but had all boilers grouped together reducing the number of funnels to two. The main armament comprised Vickers pattern 6 inch guns with single mountings in A and Y positions and Twin turrets in B,Q and X positions. The programme was initially authorised in 1915 but was delayed by World War I with construction of the first ship starting in 1917

The Galicia and Cervantes had substantial refits in the 1940s. The 6 inch turret in Q position was replaced by a catapult for a seaplane and the single 6 inch mountings were replaced by twins to retain an 8 gun broadside. Extra AA guns were fitted in all three ships.

Ships

• The Principe Alfonso conveyed King Alfonso XIII on several foreign tours in the late 1920s and in 1931 conveyed him to exile in Italy. During the Spanish Civil War she served in the Republican Navy and was interned in Bizerte at the end of the conflict. Returned to Spain in 1939 and renamed Galicia.
• The Miguel de Cervantes (named after poet Miguel de Cervantes) was also part the Republican fleet during the civil war and was torpedoed by the nationalist submarine General Mola in 1936. The ship was interned in Bizerte and returned to Spain. She was badly damaged by fire in 1943 and repaired. Represented Spain in the Coronation Fleet Review in 1953.
• The Almirante Cervera (named after Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete) served on the Nationalist side in the civil war and was present in most of the major battles.

References

• Whitley MJ. Cruisers of World War 2 an International Encyclopedia
• Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946

External links

• Buques De Guerra, a Spanish website about warships (Spanish)