Battle of Cape Cherchell

Battle of Cape Cherchell
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Republican cruiser Libertad
Date 7 September 1937 Location Mediterranean Sea near Cherchell, French Algeria Result Nationalist victory Republican shipping disrupted in the Mediterranean Sea
Belligerents
Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain
Commanders and leaders
Miguel Buiza Fernández-Palacios	Manuel Vierna Belando
Strength
2 light cruisers 7 destroyers 2 cargo ships	1 heavy cruiser
Casualties and losses
2 cargo ships	1 heavy cruiser seriously damaged

The Battle of Cape Cherchell was a naval battle between the Nationalist heavy cruiser Baleares and the Second Spanish Republic light cruisers Libertad and Méndez Núñez during the Spanish Civil War on 7 September 1937. The battle occurred in the Mediterranean Sea several miles north of the city of Cherchell in French Algeria.

Baleares was patrolling the Mediterranean and engaged the Libertad and Méndez Núñez of the Spanish Republican Navy which were protecting two merchant ships. Baleares was heavily damaged in two exchanges of fire with Libertad and did little damage to the Republican ships, but forced the merchant ships to head to the Algerian coast where one wrecked and one was interned by the French. Miguel Buiza Fernández-Palacios was dismissed as Commander of the Republican Navy as a result of the battle.