The most famous and active of the ships of the Spanish Civil War entered in service in September 1936, with 102 mm guns instead of the 120 mm AA guns, and a director for land guns. As the ship was quickly commissioned and her crew (for the most part made up of young volunteers) mostly untrained, the Canarias was not used in the Bay of Biscay against the Republican fleet. The Canarias was instead sent with Almirante Cervera to the strait of Gibraltar after the bulk of the Republican fleet headed North. On 29 September, the cruisers spotted two Republican destroyers blocking the strait (Almirante Ferrándiz and Gravina). The Canarias opened fire against the Ferrándiz at 20000 mt. and scored a fatal hit with the third salvo, sinking the destroyer in a few minutes. The Gravina could manage to escape unscathed to Casablanca. In only a handful of minutes the Nationalists were able to wrest the control of the strait from the Republicans. Moving the Republican fleet to the Bay of Biscay turned out to be a major strategic mistake.
In the following months (almost always with the Cervera) she alternated operations in the Bay of Biscay with those in the Mediterranean sea, bombarding the Catalan coast, and supporting the seize of Malaga. In October, the cruisers attempted to intercept the Republican fleet returning to the Mediterranean: the two squadrons crossed their paths at night without founding each other. On 12 December, Canarias sank the Soviet cargo ship Konsomol off Oran. The sinking spurred an international incident, and since then the Soviets would be much less willing to sacrifice their merchant ships to support the Republicans.
In February 1937 the Canarias collided with a Greek freighter and she had to be repaired in Cadiz. Baleares then joined her and both cruisers were transferred to their new homeport in Mallorca. In March, she fought in the Bay of Biscay seizing several cargo ships. On April 25, Canarias and Baleares, after bombarding Malaga, entered the harbor of Cartagena and harassed the Republican fleet. After a short skirmish without consequences on either side, the Nationalist cruisers left before enemy shore guns (380 mm-15'') were able to join the fray. They then attempted to intercept the Jaime I which had run aground the previous day but could find shelter in time at Almeria.
The Canarias, with the others cruisers, escorted convoys coming from Italy. The night of 23 September, somewhere off Calella (Menorca) the cruiser seized two transports bound for the island, after the three escorting destroyers had fled. In October 1937, after the fall of the northern front, the Nationalist fleet operated in the Mediterranean sea. In January 1938 the Canarias bombarded Barcelona, and in February the Nationalist cruisers bombarded various ports on the Republican controlled coast besides escorting several convoys.
On 6 March 1938 the Baleares was sunk while on escort duty. The Canarias, astern in the line formation, took command and proceeded with her escort duty, leaving sailors from the unfortunate ship in the water. They were rescued by British destroyers and when Canarias and Cervera returned after the mission to recover the Nationalist sailors, they were met by a Republican air raid that fortunately didn't score any hit.
The Republican Navy wasn't able to take advantage their victory, and cruisers Canarias, Cervera and Navarra, continued with their relentless job of blockading, escorting and bombarding.
On 27 August, the Canarias intercepted enemy destroyer José Luis Díez sorting from Le Havre and bound for Cartagena. The Canarias was able to cripple the destroyer with a single hit but the hapless José Luis Díez could escape to Gibraltar. Until the end of the war, the only action worth of notice is the blockade of Cartagena in the last days of the war.
After the war the Canarias underwent various modifications until she was withdrawn from service in 1975.
She was the most active and effective of the Republican ships. Flagship of the fleet during nearly all the war, she was involved in all of the most noteworthy actions. Originally she was named after the heir of the Crown (Príncipe Alfonso.)
At the beginning of the war the Libertad was in Ferrol, and with the Jaime I and Miguel de Cervantes she received the order to head for Cadiz. The officers were uncertain over which faction they wanted to side with. While underway the crew mutinied and took over the ships, arresting the officers. Already clearly on the side of the Republic, and following orders from the government, the fleet regrouped in Tangier. On July 20, the Libertad and several destroyers bombarded Ceuta, and on July 22, with the help of the Cervantes, Algeciras and La Linea.
Eventually the International Committee ordered the Republican fleet to leave Tangier. From then on they would be homported in Malaga, and they would maintain the blockade of the strait. On August 5, the Nationalists succeded in forcing a convoy trough the strait. On August 7, the Jaime I and Libertad bombarded Algeciras and Cadiz.
Near the end of August, the Libertad took part in the unsuccessful attempt at seizing Mallorca. On September 26, together with the Cervantes, Jaime I and five destroyers, the cruiser crossed the strait of Gibraltar heading North to help the isolated Republican-held territories in northern Spain. The strategic mistake was to have significant consequences. On September 29 , the Nationalist cruisers swept across the destroyers guarding the strait and had them flee. From that moment on the Nationalists would move Morocco-based troops onto the peninsula without hindrance. Over the following month the Republican fleet only carried on shore bombardments in the Bay of Biscay. They were then ordered back to the Mediterranean. While underway the fleet crossed enemy cruisers Canarias and Cervera at might without being spotted.
The Republican Navy was later moved to Cartagena. On 23 April 1938, the Libertad, Jaime I, Méndez Núñez and some destroyers bombarded Malaga. On their way back to the Cartagena harbor they were met and harassed by the Nationalist cruisers. On May 20 the Republican fleet encountered the Baleares in thick fog, which escaped after trading salvos with two destroyers .
On September 7, the Libertad, Méndez Núnez and seven destroyers, while escorting a convoy off cape Cherchell again spotted the Baleares . (see Baleares). While withdrawing to Cartagena, the Republicans were attacked by Nationalist and Italian airplanes.
At the beginning of March 1938, the Republicans studied a possible operation using MTB's against the enemy cruisers, which were then in port at Palma de Mallorca. Cruisers Libertad and Méndez Núnez and destroyers Sanchez-Barcáiztegui, Almirante Antequera, Lepanto, Gravina and Lazaga would distant cover to the mission. Bad weather prevented the use of MTB's and the battle of Cape Palos would briefly ensue (see Baleares). The Libertad, was again the flagship of the Republican fleet. This time the destroyers were used aggressively and succeded in coordinating their attack and were able to sink an enemy heavy cruiser. Having expended all their torpedoes and being the weather foul, the Republicans decided to head back to Cartagena. After that victory, the Republican cruisers did not accomplish much else.
The Republican area of control was again divided in two in April 1938, but their navy was able to maintain communication between zones by using submarines and destroyers. The cruisers were kept at Cartagena until March 1939, when, following the fateful events at the end of the war, they were transferred to Bizerta (Algeria).
After the war, the ship was renamed Galicia. Together with the Cervantes, she would be refitted and see service until the 60's.
