Bombardment of Almería

The Bombardment of Almería was a naval action which took place on 31 May 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. The Kriegsmarine bombed the city of Almería in retaliation for a Republican air attack on the German cruiser Deutschland.In April 1937, the Non-intervention Committee established naval patrols in order to patrol the Spanish coasts and harbors. The naval patrols were furnished by Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy. The Spanish Republican Air Force carried out attacks against the harbor of Mallorca, a known-Nationalist naval base. On 24 May 1937, a Republican air raid hit the Italian cruiser Barletta, killing six Italian sailors and on the morning of 26 May another Republican air raid nearly missed the German torpedo boat Albatros. The commander of the German naval patrol protested, nevertheless Mallorca was a patrol zone assigned to France and the foreign ships were inside Spanish territorial waters. The same day, two Republican bombers piloted by Russian pilots, attacked the German heavy cruizer Deutschland at Ibiza, killing 20–23 German sailors and wounding 73. Hitler wanted to declare war on the Republic, but instead ordered the city of Almeria to be shelled.

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