Spain lacking combat worthy navy according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad 1934 no. 7

Espana-class battleship

An item referred to the Proceedings dated October 1934 reported that the Spanish admiral Javier Salas (1) stated that Spain did not possessed a combat worthy navy. The only reliable were the 33 miles fast destroyers. Salas concluded this after he was arbiter during the latest naval manoeuvres off the Baleares. The fleet of 3 battleships (2), 7 destroyers and 5 submarines which were to attack imaginary Barcelona, Tarragona and Sagunto but failed completely in doing so.

Notes
1. Don Francisco Javier de Salas y Gonzalez (1871 Madrid, Spain-8 November 1936 Paracuellos del Jarama), between 3 April-6 May and 14-30 December 1935 minister of navy, vice admiral and in 1930 commander of the squadron.
2. Spain possessed in 1932 just 2 battleships, namely the Espana (ex-Alfonso XIII renamed in 1931) and the Jaime I, both of the Espana-class. There were at that moment the 3 cruisers of the Almirante Cervera light cruisers class.