She was built as the merchant ship Neuenfels in 1901 at the yard of Swan at Newcastle, England. Spain seized her with other German ships lying in Spanish harbours in October 1918 as a compensation for the during the First World war by German submarines destroyed Spanish ships.
She was handed over to the navy as the España no. 6 in the autumn of 1921; also claimed to be called España no. 3
In December of the same year started the rebuilding at Barcelona as a seaplane tender during 5 months costing 8 million pesetas and when she received her new name Dédalo. In the next year she was commissioned until she was decommissioned in 1935, stricken from the naval list in April 1946 and four years later broken up. For this purpose she was towed in 1 March 1940 to Valencia. With a displacement of 9,900 tonnes (1) were her dimensions 127,4 x 16,76 x 7,4 metres,The 3-cylinder reciprocating engine provided 3,000 shop allowing a speed of 10 knots. Her crew numbered 398 men.The armament consisted of 4-10,4cm guns and 2-5,7cm anti aircraft guns. She could carry with her maximum 20 seaplanes, 2 dirigibles balloons of 1,500M3 made in Italy and 2 captive observation balloons with a volume of 1,200M3.For this purpose she was fitted out with two hangars, the one before the superstructure was for the dirigible balloons for which purpose which as mooring mast at the bow placed. The second hanger was situated behind the superstructure and which was fitted out with a elevator to transport the planes. Lacking flush deck and catapults were cranes used to launch or retrieve the planes.
The Dutch newspaper Het Vaderland: staat- en letterkundig nieuwsblad morning edition dated 4 May 1926 published an interesting news item dated Berlin 3 May which used information coming from Marseille. According this item was on board of her while lying off Barcelona a secret wireless transmitters discovered used by 3 navy officers to promote tidings against the Spanish dictatorship.
Note
1. According to the website http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/hansa.html belonged she to the Hansa Line or Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft Hansa of Bremen, Germany and measured she 5,650 tons. The website www.ddghanse-shipsphotos.de supplies more details as being a German freighter. Her crew numbered then 53 men. Her dimensions were 127,72 x 15,78 x 6,22 metres. Her deadweight was 8,470 tons, the BRT 5,650 tons and the NRT 3,651 tons. The 4-cylinder expansions engine supplied 2,200 ihp allowing a speed of 11 knots.She was launched on 22 May 1901 with building no. 375 at the yard of Wigham Richardson&Company Limited at Newcastle-on-Tyne and handed over to her owner on 3 October of the same year. Call sign QHJR.
