Canarias

After signing the Washington Naval Treaty, which specified the maximum characteristics of cruisers, the leading naval powers started building heavy cruisers. Spain, too, strived to keep its fleet effective and modern. In 1928, two cruisers of a new class were laid down. They were named Canarias and Baleares after large Spanish archipelagos. Canarias was the most powerful ship involved in the Spanish Civil War. She took part in the Battle of Cape Spartel, hunted for Republican cargo ships, and attacked coastal fortifications. After the war, Canarias remained the flagship of the Spanish Navy for 40 years.