Arms shipment in Vicenzia
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Arms shipment in Vicenzia
In October 1936 the Vicensia landed an arms shipment of 10 guns (Putilov 1910 and FK 16) from Latvia with ammunition. Can anyone say at which port she landed her cargo and when did she arrive? Also when did the Bramhill arrive in Barcelona with a consignment of rifles and automatic weapons purchased by the CNT?
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Re: Arms shipment in Vicenzia
Regarding the Vicenzia, I can only say that in the article Artillería para la República published in Revista de Historia Militar nº 18, the author, Antonio Mortera Pérez, claims that the guns landed were 12 (8 Putilov 1910 and 4 KF 16). I have seen some references that these guns reached the Center zone, so it seems that it would have been a Mediterranean port, but I can't say for sure.
As for the Bramhill, on 1 October 1936 he reached port but not in Barcelona, but in Alicante, with 19,000 rifles, 101 machine-guns and more than 28 million cartridges that had been ordered by the CNT in Barcelona (sources: The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 by Antony Beevor and Los negocios de la guerra: armas nazis para la República española by Morten Heiberg and Mogens Pelt)
As for the Bramhill, on 1 October 1936 he reached port but not in Barcelona, but in Alicante, with 19,000 rifles, 101 machine-guns and more than 28 million cartridges that had been ordered by the CNT in Barcelona (sources: The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 by Antony Beevor and Los negocios de la guerra: armas nazis para la República española by Morten Heiberg and Mogens Pelt)
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Re: Arms shipment in Vicenzia
Ironmachine
Very many thanks for that detailed reply, also for identifying the ship as the Vincenzia which I now know was Greek owned.
Lloyds Shipping Register for 1936 shows no Bramhill but a Bramhall of the Bramhall Shipping Company. Can you please confirm the name Bramhill?
One other puzzling factor for me. The first Soviet arms shipment, X or Kh-1, was apparently brought in by the CAMPAS tanker Campeche. But how did she stow six guns, 1,600 automatic weapons, 12,000 rifles and a load of ammunition?
Very many thanks for that detailed reply, also for identifying the ship as the Vincenzia which I now know was Greek owned.
Lloyds Shipping Register for 1936 shows no Bramhill but a Bramhall of the Bramhall Shipping Company. Can you please confirm the name Bramhill?
One other puzzling factor for me. The first Soviet arms shipment, X or Kh-1, was apparently brought in by the CAMPAS tanker Campeche. But how did she stow six guns, 1,600 automatic weapons, 12,000 rifles and a load of ammunition?
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Re: Arms shipment in Vicenzia
In both sources I cited and in many others the ship is called Bramhill. I have not found a reliable source that calls her Bramhall. That's all I can say on that matter.Can you please confirm the name Bramhill
Arms for Spain - Untold Story of Spanish Civil War, by Gerald Howson, adds some details that may be useful for you: the Bramhill belonged to Angel-Dalling of Cardiff, Wales; the shipping agent was Lessing AG of Cologne, Hamburg and Lübeck; and the cargo was 19,000 rifles, 101 machine-guns, 28,650,000 cartridges, all 7,92 mm; 4,000 pistols, and 500,000 pistol cartridges.
It's CAMPSA (Compañía Arrendataria del Monopolio de Petroleos, S. A.), not CAMPAS. And yes, the tanker Campeche brought the first Soviet weapons to Spain. Regarding how the weapons were carried, I can not say for sure, but I think the most reasonable option is as deck cargo.The first Soviet arms shipment, X or Kh-1, was apparently brought in by the CAMPAS tanker Campeche. But how did she stow six guns, 1,600 automatic weapons, 12,000 rifles and a load of ammunition?
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Re: Arms shipment in Vicenzia
Iron Machine
Once again very many thanks for your help.
Once again very many thanks for your help.