The © Republican Ministry—of Defence here believed the ship sunk was the Canarias as the result of a report from the Commander vf the Republican Fleet that the vessel hit was the second ship in nationalist formation. In the opi of the Ministry the Baleares, being the flagship, would have occupied first place.
According to Republican broadcasts, the ship was torpedoed by the destroyer Lepanto, which slipped out of the harbour under cover of darkness when the Canarias, Baleares and Almirante Cervera approached to bombard Cartagena early in the morning.
A great explosion was seen to occur after the cruiser was hit, Following the battle, the Defence Ministry in Barcelona issued a wireless warning to foreign ships advising them not to approach the burning cruiser in view of the possibility of 0 further attacks being made against her or against Nationalist aeroplanes which were attempting to protect Shortly after the warning, seven Republican aeroplanes bombed the disabled ship. 5 The sinking of the Nationalist warship is being celebrated throughout Republican Spain. The Ministry of Defence has sent a telegram to the political commissar of the Republican Reuter.
Fleet congratulating the personnel.—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.