Spanish submarine C-3
Encyclopedia
C-3 was a C-class submarine
of the Spanish Navy
. C-3 was built by Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval
(SECN) in Cartagena, Spain
, launched 20 February 1929, and commissioned on the 4 May 1929. She took part in the Spanish Civil War
on the government side before being sunk by the German submarine U-34 on 12 December 1936.
) Arturo Génova Torrecuellar, this was subsequently installed in all C-class submarines as a portable unit, as well as the subsequent D-class, which used a fixed unit.
) Rafael Viniegra González. He was ordered to sortie from Cartagena in company with submarines B-6, Isaac Peral (C-1), C-4 and C-6, bound for the Gibraltar Strait. In command of the flotilla
was the Capitán de Fragata (Commander
) Francisco Guimerá Bosch, the mission was to blockade the strait and interdict transport of rebel troops from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula
. They took a patrol line along the Andalusia
n coast
Only two days into the operation, on 20 July, the flotilla entered Málaga
harbour, where Guimerá, Viniegra (along with C-3' s executive officer), and the rest of the flotilla's senior officers, with the exception of Isaac Peral (C-1)' s skipper, Capitán de Corbeta Lara, were relieved and transferred to the prison ship Monte Toro because they were considered sympathizers of the rebels.
Next morning, 21 July, C-3, joined by B-6, departed Málaga bound for Tangier
to protect the oil tanker Ophir. On 27 July, all destroyers and submarines in Málaga deployed around Cadiz
to intercept a Nationalist convoy that proved to be a decoy. Then she, C-2, and C-6 received instructions to form a patrol arc in front of Ceuta
harbour to prevent the entrance of the cruiser Almirante Cervera
, which had left Ferrol bound for the Gibraltar Strait.
1 August, at Málaga, C-3 took on remaining anti-aircraft ammunition and torpedoes before C-4 departed for Cartagena for minor repairs
Two weeks later, on 15 August, C-3 sailed for the Cantabric Sea with the C-6, returned to Cartagena with average. She repeated the voyage 25 August, in company with C-4 and C-5, where C-3 and C-6 jointly attempted to locate and sink the battleship España
and Almirante Cervera, without success. She also aided in the search for transports bringing weapons to Bilbao
.
C-3 returned to the Mediterranean Sea
on 2 October, arriving in Málaga 8 October.
On 12 December 1936, C-3 was running surfaced 4 nm (7½ km) southeast of Málaga. In the conning tower was her commander, Alférez de Navío (Ensign
) Antonio Arbona Pastor, and a merchant navy pilot
attached to the Republican Navy. At 14:19, there was a sudden explosion on her starboard bow, and C-3 disappeared. The explosion was observed by the coastguard vessel Xauen, lying two miles (3.7 km) inshore of C-3, and the fishing boats Joven Antonio and Joven Amalia, about the same distance away. Despite their proximity, the only survivors were the pilot, García Viñas, and two of C-3' s sailors, Isidoro de la Orden Ibáñez and Asensio Lidón Jiménez, who had been topside dumping trash and garbage.
According to the Germans, C-3 was torpedoed by U-34, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Harald Grosse, as part of Operation Ursula; the Republican version differs. For this action, Grosse received the "Goldenes Spanienkreuz" (Spanish golden cross).
Over the next few days, Republican authorities attempted to locate C-3, but only found a large oil slick. The position was marked by buoy, but no rescue attempted, and it is likely there were none left alive aboard. Subsequently, when Málaga fell to the Nationalists, C-3 was forgotten. The Nationalists, in an attempt to conceal the acquisition of two Italian Archimede-class
submarines—General Mola (ex-) and General Sanjurjo, ex-)—renamed them C-3 and C-5, claiming C-3 was raised and recommissioned by the Nationalist Navy. This maneuver was unsuccessful; the Italian boats bore distinct structural differences. C-3 was stricken by ministerial order on 31 July 1941.
In October 1998, The Spanish Navy, sent the rescue ship Mar Rojo (A-20 ), with a navy dive team. They identified wreck as "C-3", at the position 36°40′N 4°21′W. They found her hull had broken in two. One section 8 meters from bow was separated from the rest. Both parts remain in a sand plain, separated by a few meters, the biggest upright, the smaller inverted.
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
of the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
. C-3 was built by Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval
Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval
From 1909 up until the Spanish Civil War, the naval construction in Spain was monopolized by the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval - also Spanish Society for Naval Construction was largely owned by the British , and therefore almost all ships were designed after Royal Navy vessels...
(SECN) in Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
, launched 20 February 1929, and commissioned on the 4 May 1929. She took part in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
on the government side before being sunk by the German submarine U-34 on 12 December 1936.
Pre-war
On 14 September 1931, C-3 successfully tested the Génova submarine rescue chamber (similar to the McCann Submarine Rescue Chamber) in Escombreras inlet. Invented by Capitán de Corbeta (Lieutenant CommanderLieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
) Arturo Génova Torrecuellar, this was subsequently installed in all C-class submarines as a portable unit, as well as the subsequent D-class, which used a fixed unit.
Civil War
At the start of the Civil War, 18 July 1936, C-3 was in Cartagena harbour, under command of Teniente de Navío (LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
) Rafael Viniegra González. He was ordered to sortie from Cartagena in company with submarines B-6, Isaac Peral (C-1), C-4 and C-6, bound for the Gibraltar Strait. In command of the flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
was the Capitán de Fragata (Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
) Francisco Guimerá Bosch, the mission was to blockade the strait and interdict transport of rebel troops from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. They took a patrol line along the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n coast
Only two days into the operation, on 20 July, the flotilla entered Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
harbour, where Guimerá, Viniegra (along with C-3
Next morning, 21 July, C-3, joined by B-6, departed Málaga bound for Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
to protect the oil tanker Ophir. On 27 July, all destroyers and submarines in Málaga deployed around Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
to intercept a Nationalist convoy that proved to be a decoy. Then she, C-2, and C-6 received instructions to form a patrol arc in front of Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
harbour to prevent the entrance of the cruiser Almirante Cervera
Spanish cruiser Almirante Cervera
Almirante Cervera was a light cruiser of the Cervera class of the Spanish Navy. She was named after the Spanish admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, commander of the Spanish naval forces in Cuba during the Spanish-American War...
, which had left Ferrol bound for the Gibraltar Strait.
1 August, at Málaga, C-3 took on remaining anti-aircraft ammunition and torpedoes before C-4 departed for Cartagena for minor repairs
Two weeks later, on 15 August, C-3 sailed for the Cantabric Sea with the C-6, returned to Cartagena with average. She repeated the voyage 25 August, in company with C-4 and C-5, where C-3 and C-6 jointly attempted to locate and sink the battleship España
Spanish battleship Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII was an España-class dreadnought battleship of the Spanish Navy which served in the Spanish fleet from 1915 to 1937. She was renamed España in 1931 for her sister ship, an earlier battleship España that served in the Spanish fleet from 1913 to 1923.-Technical...
and Almirante Cervera, without success. She also aided in the search for transports bringing weapons to Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
.
C-3 returned to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
on 2 October, arriving in Málaga 8 October.
On 12 December 1936, C-3 was running surfaced 4 nm (7½ km) southeast of Málaga. In the conning tower was her commander, Alférez de Navío (Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
) Antonio Arbona Pastor, and a merchant navy pilot
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
attached to the Republican Navy. At 14:19, there was a sudden explosion on her starboard bow, and C-3 disappeared. The explosion was observed by the coastguard vessel Xauen, lying two miles (3.7 km) inshore of C-3, and the fishing boats Joven Antonio and Joven Amalia, about the same distance away. Despite their proximity, the only survivors were the pilot, García Viñas, and two of C-3
According to the Germans, C-3 was torpedoed by U-34, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Harald Grosse, as part of Operation Ursula; the Republican version differs. For this action, Grosse received the "Goldenes Spanienkreuz" (Spanish golden cross).
Over the next few days, Republican authorities attempted to locate C-3, but only found a large oil slick. The position was marked by buoy, but no rescue attempted, and it is likely there were none left alive aboard. Subsequently, when Málaga fell to the Nationalists, C-3 was forgotten. The Nationalists, in an attempt to conceal the acquisition of two Italian Archimede-class
Archimede class submarine
The Archimede class were a group of submarines built for the Italian Navy in the early 1930s. The boats fought in the Spanish Civil War and in World War II...
submarines—General Mola (ex-) and General Sanjurjo, ex-)—renamed them C-3 and C-5, claiming C-3 was raised and recommissioned by the Nationalist Navy. This maneuver was unsuccessful; the Italian boats bore distinct structural differences. C-3 was stricken by ministerial order on 31 July 1941.
Locating the wreck
In 1997, Malaga lawyer Antonio Checa discovered the remains of a shipwreck, He sensed it was C-3. Despite several dives by an ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) with video camera, it proved impossible to positively identify the wreck, owing to bad visibility.In October 1998, The Spanish Navy, sent the rescue ship Mar Rojo (A-20 ), with a navy dive team. They identified wreck as "C-3", at the position 36°40′N 4°21′W. They found her hull had broken in two. One section 8 meters from bow was separated from the rest. Both parts remain in a sand plain, separated by a few meters, the biggest upright, the smaller inverted.
Commanders
Rank |
Name |
From |
To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitán de Corbeta | Felipe J. Abárzuza Oliva | 4 May 1929 | 27 April 1931 |
| Capitán de Corbeta | Rafael Fernández de Bobadilla | 27 April 1931 | 3 June 1933 |
| Capitán de Corbeta | Claudio Alvar González Sánchez | 3 June 1933 | 15 July 1935 |
| Capitán de Corbeta | Javier de Salas Pinto | 15 July 1935 | 18 July 1936 |
| Teniente de Navío | Rafael Viniegra González | 18 July 1936 | 20 July 1936 |
| Alférez de Navío | Antonio Arbona Pastor | 20 July 1936 | 12 December 1936 |