Baleares took part in the Battle of Málaga alongside Canarias and the light cruiser Almirante Cervera. The ships fired on people fleeing the city along the road toward Almeria. Canadian doctor Norman Bethune documented the flight through photographs and writing that reached the New York Times. The account puts the number of victims at roughly 12,000 or more; it does not specify that all were deaths. Their experience shows how naval gunfire could reach civilians ashore during the Civil War.
Notable Point · 21:45-22:58
Baleares, Málaga, and naval bombardment's civilian cost
Baleares' service at Málaga illustrates how warships could inflict catastrophic harm on civilians ashore.