1937 PHOTO GERMAN NAVY KRIEGSMARINE SAILOR FUNERAL GIBRALTAR CRUISER DEUTSCHLAND

Description: Original 1937 photograph. 4 inches x 3 inches. See images for condition. During the Spanish civil war on 24 May 1937, the German heavy cruiser (pocket battleship) Deutschland was docked in the port of Palma on the island of Majorca, along with several other neutral warships, including vessels from the British and Italian navies. The port was attacked by Republican aircraft, though anti-aircraft fire from the warships drove them off. Torpedo boats escorted Deutschland to the island of Ibiza on 26 May. While moored in port there, she was again attacked on 29 May by Republican bombers; a pair of Soviet-built SB-2 bombers, secretly flown by Soviet Air Force pilots, bombed the ship. At the same time four Republican destroyers shelled the port with inaccurate fire. Two bombs struck the ship; the first penetrated the upper deck near the bridge and exploded above the main armoured deck while the second hit near the third starboard 15 cm gun. Splinters from this hit perforated the seaplane fuel tanks and set it on fire, the burning fuel igniting the munitions for the starboard 15 cm guns. The first hit caused serious fires below decks. The attack killed 31 German sailors and wounded 74. Deutschland quickly weighed anchor and left port. She rendezvoused with Admiral Scheer to take on additional doctors before proceeding to Gibraltar where the dead were buried with full military honours. Ten days later, however, Hitler ordered the men be exhumed and returned for burial in Germany. The ship's wounded men were also evacuated in Gibraltar for treatment. Hitler, furious over the attack, ordered Admiral Scheer to bombard the port of Almería in retaliation for the so-called "Deutschland incident"

Price: 20 GBP

Location: York

End Time: 2025-01-20T13:19:53.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5 GBP