Complete with a 50mm gun for knocking down observation balloons. A unit was tested along with the 1909 Schneider armored truck (see below). This model was never purchased. |
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This vehicle was also sold to Turkey. |
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This armored truck was the first AFV built and employed by the Spanish Army. The first one was purchased in 1910, being sent two years later to the Moroccan war theater. A second one, slightly different (more prominent engine compartment in the front) arrived to Spain in 1911. There are some documents but no photos about a third vehicle that arrived in 1921. If you have information on this vehicle, please email me. |
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As a result of losses and lessons learned in the Rif War, Spain determined that tanks were needed in order to suppress the rebellion. Previously, over 12,000 men and their associated arms were lost in July 1921, partly due to inexperance, ignorance, and downright poor leadership. The result was that the rebellion now had modern arms. In order to overcome this terrible advantage they now had, an increase in technology was needed (as is with every war) in order to nullify the rebellion's increased fire power and the fact that the rebellion now had more supporters each day because they had shown that Spain could be defeated. After the shock of the loss, the Spanish government turned to the Spanish Foreign Legion. The Legion were among the finest soldiers in the world, and while they suffered, held, and scraped they way along in Africa, tanks were sought from England and France. British tanks, the Whippet, in particular, was far too expensive for the Spanish government to afford and so the French FT17 became the logical choice for them. The FT17 had and was proving to be the most important tank to emerge from WW1. It was powerful, light, had good cross country performance, simple maintenence, good fire power, good protection, a real turret, and was CHEAP. The FT17 was manufactured in the thousands in France, while licence built copys were being used by many nations around the world. This tank was such a bargin that it soldiered on right up into WW2! Some of the turrets made their way into Hitler's Atlantic Wall, while others performed police duties, snow removal, and tank driver training right up to the end of the war! This tank had a unique frameless design that got its strength from the body. This design was later applied to the automobile. There is a bit of the FT17 in the car you drive right now. In August 1921, the Spanish bought 12 of these 6.5 ton Renault tanks. Eleven were armed with 7mm Hotchkiss machine guns and one, the command tank, had the turret replace with a sheetmetal box containing a radio. The tank company was equiped with 12 tank transport trucks, 2 fuel tankers, auxiliary vehicles that included a repair truck. The TO&E listed a captain, 2 lieutenants, a sergeant major, 8 sergeants, 40 enlisted men that included drivers, cooks and mechanics. on 18 March 1922, after 2 months of training - sans weapon firing - the crews went into action. With NO infantry training, weapons testing, experance in wet weather, these crews deployed against the Beni Said Tribe. Advancing on the town of Tugunz and Ambar, the plan was to work with the Legion (infantry) and drive the tribe out of those towns. Despite mechanical problems from wet ignitions and leaky roofs, the attack went on at 0600 on 18 March 1922. At a rapid 4mph, the tanks soon out-distanced the infantry. The Beni Said fought like lions against this threat. Firing everything they had at the mechanical nightmares. Without supporting infantry, the tribemen were able to climb on the tanks and use their daggers to stab the eyes of the drivers through their vision slits. Finally, the tribesmen resorted to using rocks! At this point, with ignition failures, gun failures, and no support, the tanks were forced to withdraw leaving 2 tanks dead on the battlefield. Spain and these tankers would learn from this failure and form the Spanish Armor Corps - one of the finest armor forces in the world. It is not known if any of these tanks from this period took part in the Civil War. Read the Trubia section below for more on this tank model during that period. |
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The Camion Protegido armored car (or truck) was a 4x2 vehicle. There were many variations on this design, some with turrets, some without. Built in 1921 by the Electrotechnical Corps belonging to the Engineers branch of the army. 31 of this vehicles were built by the Centro Electrotécnico de Ingenieros between 1921 and 1924 on the following chassis: 1 Federal, 8 Nash-Quad 40 hp, 2 Benz 40/50 hp and 20 Latil 35 hp. |
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6 units were purchased in September 16, 1921 so as to form a armored battery*. These units were sent to Morocco the 28 February 1922, being the first Spanish tanks engaged in combat the 14th of March. This unit worked with the Renault FT17 tank company in the Rif War but were not incorporated into the tank company in 1929. None of these tanks were ever lost in battle. After the war in Morocco they came back to the Peninsula in 1929 where they were kept in the Army depots. Some of them were available and used in 1936 during the early days of the Civil War. *Other units purchased in order to form the armored battery were 3 Krupp trucks, 1 Hispanic-Swiss "Aljibe" truck, 1 Hupmobile, and 2 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. |
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(no information) |
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7 units were purchased in September 16, 1923 so as to form a tank company. The Spanish soldiers quickly found out that they had been sold pure junk. They must have been purchased without any testing or someone received some "kick back" money because they were a failure from the start. After initial deployment, problems immediately arose with a total failure of one unit's drive system and it had to be returned for repair. After a few days 2 more failed just as the first. Soldiers quickly noted the lengthy time it took to switch from track to wheel. Other faults were thin armor, a weak engine, and a machine gun that could only be fired forward. The interior was prone to excessive heat and driver visablity was very poor. Further, the poor driver had to put up with hot, spent machine gun shell casings hitting his head as they were ejected! These vehicles were quickly retired. It is reported that 2 of these tanks are in a museum in Madrid but this has been disputed as there is no public display of them. Perhaps they are stored in private museums or "out of view" in a public museum. |
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Though proposed for a full production, only 6 prototypes were produced. 3 of the prototypes took part in the Spanish Civil War in the Regiment of Infantry Milán. The 'Trubia' was based on the Renault FT-17 series of light tanks. It's superstructure was obviously different, but its suspension was basically the same. The tank was designed by army officer Captain Ruiz de Toledo, and built by Trubia in 1926 (hence the name). Successive improvements were made to the basic design until around 1931. Further developments of the 'Trubia' design resulted in the medium tank 'Landesa'. This tank was based on the commercial Landesa tractor (hence its name). Possibly 26 were built. The Trubia A4 was an improved design by Captain Ruiz de Toledo.
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It is believed that this was only a prototype. If you have further information, please email me. |
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(no picture) One unit purchased for testing. |
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(no picture) One unit purchased for testing. |
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(no picture) One unit purchased for testing. |
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An unknown number were aquired between 1943 and 1944. |
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In 1932 the government of the second republic formed the "Guardia de Asaltos". The Asaltos were motorized shock troops, armed with pistols, machine guns, rifles, mortars, and armored cars. Organized into 14 assault groups (18 in 1934) each had 3 companies supported by a specialist company. Each specialist company had a HQ element, a mortar and gas section, and a motorized section of 3 armored cars. The 3 armored cars were Bilbaos, built by the railway department of the Yard Spanish Society (SECN) Sestao, (Bilbao). The stock vehicle was the American Dodge 4x2 - model 1930. Dodge provided the chassis with a Chrysler motor, gearbox, and wheels. Using only the fenders, lights and front bumper from the stock body, a 'T' shaped iron girder was mounted on the chassis, and steel plates were riveted on it, forming the body structure. The body had a strong appearance however the armor was poor. There were 2 front seats for the commander and driver and 2 folding seats for the crew. Access doors could be opened from both ends, and there were 6 shielded windows along the front and sides plus a seventh rear window. The rear hull was extended by a bin for luggage and spares. On the roof was a rotating turret, with vision ports and a hatch on the top. The Bilbao was produced in two series, the first of 36 vehicles were supplied to the 18 assault guard companies, and a second series of 14 supplied to the cavalry "Grupo de auto ametalladoras - canon" reduced to 12 in August 1936 as 2 were returned to Sestao's factory. Today, there is a Bilbao perfectly preserved and fully operational at the "Escela de Logisica del Ejercito" - the only known survivor from those built between 1932 and 1936. |
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Myth: "The tank in the photograph has an interesting history. The name of the tank is "Ina". Captured by the Paraguayans, she was made a war trophy. After the war with Bolivia, the tank was sold through a Swiss arms dealer to the Republic of Spain in 1937. It is not known if the tank ever took part in the Civil War or what became of it. Bolivia is the only nation in South America to ever use tanks in combat on that continent." Fact: The Paraguayans kept the tank at least into the 1970's (photographic proof in the Paraguay Section of TANKS!) and then it was returned to Bolivia as a gesture of peace. It is not known what happened to "Ina" when the tank arrived in Bolivia. |
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20 units were aquired in 1944. |
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| The Spanish pre-civil war tank force had some 40 Renault
FT light tanks, 4 derelict Schneider CA-1 tanks, and 26 locally produced Trubia Model 1926
tanks. Spanish armor forces had seen combat in the Rif War in the 1920s...
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Last Update: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 |
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