Cartagena and 105mm DP batteries

[Dreamslayer]

Cartagena area missed some 105mm DP Vickers guns. There are 11/12 (with 0 build rate). But looks like there should to be 24 total (6 batteries, 4 guns per battery).
There is the book seria in Russian "RKKA and the Spanish Civil War. 1936-1939. Collections of information materials of RKKA's Intelligence Directorate". 8 volumes (5 published atm).
In some of these documents mentions 105mm AA batteries too. There is schematic map as the appendix for the report in the volume 2 (2020, 631 pages).
"No. 28.3. Report by c. B. on the organization, technical and military equipment and combat operations of the Cartagena Naval Base" (there is a note "Presumably, the author of the report is an adviser to the commander of the Cartagena Naval Base, S.S. Ramishvili.")
also - "No later than April 10, 1937"
The report also mentions 6 batteries (24 guns) 105 mm.

the schematic map:

Cartagena_01.jpg (259.73 KiB) Viewed 321 times

Salitrona Bay on the west and Gorkhel Bay on the east

[Dali101]

A total of 48 pieces were purchased
And several sets of spare parts, from which about 2 guns were later assembled.
Originally divided into 3x16 pieces
(Ferrol, Cartagena, Mahon)
This is how you will find it in most documents.
But it is not accurate.
In 1935, the dismantling of these guns began in El Ferrol.
They were used to strengthen the AA capabilities in Mahon and Cartagena.
At the time of the start of the war, there should have been about 20 guns in each of these locations.
It is possible (according to your map) that more were installed in Cartagena.
Thank you for clarifying the blank space.

[Dreamslayer]

White (or blank) circles on the map its a searchlight positions.
Прож. 90 см = searchlight 90 сm
Прожектор "3,15-4А" = searchlight 150 сm

Somewhere in these books (its 5 volumes, each about 600 pages,so I don't remember where) was said that Republicans had total 48x 105mm AA guns. 24 in Cartagena and 24 in Balearic Islands.

[Dreamslayer]

correction

Прожектор "3,15-4А" = searchlight 150 сm

"3,15-4А" - instead of number "3" (three) should be Russian letter "З" (in Eng "Z"). Number 3 and the letter looks similar.
I'm not sure about exactly this model "3,15-4А" (in Eng. - Z,15-4A") but about "З-15-4" (Z-15-4) searchlight:
"The most common searchlight was installed, of the Z-15-4 closed type (Z — zenitnyy (anti-air), 15 — lens size 150 cm, 4 — power in kilowatts) with an electric arc lamp with two carbon electrodes and a paraboloid glass reflector with a diameter of 150 cm."
https://walkarounds.scalemodels.ru/v/wa ... es/Z-15-4/

Report about AA guns (No later than March 4, 1937)

"...
Deployment of anti-aircraft artillery.

The main anti-aircraft weapons are located as follows:
a) Madrid – 8 guns of the 1931 model (4 guns are expected to arrive on March 5) and 6 guns of the 20mm Oerlikon system.
b) Valencia – 4 guns of the 1931 model, 2 guns of the 1914 model, and 3 guns of the Oerlikon system.
c) Albacete – 4 guns of the 1931 model, 3 guns of the Oerlikon system, and 2 guns of the 75.5mm Skoda system.
d) Cartagena – 24 105mm Vickers guns.
e) Almeria – 4 guns of the 1931 model and 2 guns of the Oerlikon system.
f) Murcia – 2 guns of the Oerlikon system.
g) Archena (northwest of Murcia – a tank base) – 3 guns of the Skoda system.
h) Alcala – 1 gun of the Skoda system and 1 gun of the Oerlikon system.
i) Minorca Island – 24 105mm Vickers guns.
k) Central Front – 12 guns of the 1931 model and most of the remaining 20mm Oerlikon guns and 75.5mm Skoda guns.

Searchlights.
Of the 16 searchlights that arrived (Z-15-4), 5 platoons were formed.
Distribution of searchlights: 3 in Almeria, 3 in Cartagena, 3 in Valencia, and the remaining 7 searchlights are being prepared in Albacete, and most of them will be transferred to Madrid and the Central Front.
The lack of sound detectors makes it difficult to use searchlights in combat. We are currently setting up the production of Spanish sound detectors."

from "RKKA and the Spanish Civil War. 1936-1939. Collections of information materials of RKKA's Intelligence Directorate. Volume 2"

[Dreamslayer]

№ 50.2. Report by air defense adviser Ya.A. Tykin and anti-aircraft gunner instructor Yu.G. Bogdashevskiy "Organization of anti-aircraft artillery defense of the port and fortified area of Cartagena"
(No later than September 30, 1937)
...
6. Organization of light defense (searchlight).

1. Until February, Cartagena had no searchlight facilities.
2. In February, Cartagena received three 150cm searchlights Z-15-4 type and two 90-cm from local resources
3. At the end of April, six more 120-cm British coastal searchlights model1918 were received.
4. At the end of March, 2 locally produced "Valencia" type sound detectors were received.
5. Currently, Cartagena has 10 searchlights total.
...

from "RKKA and the Spanish Civil War. 1936-1939. Collections of information materials of RKKA's Intelligence Directorate. Volume 4"

weight of 150cm searchlight Z-15-4 type = 950 kg

[Dreamslayer]

https://rafaelpastorin.wordpress.com/
There are maps, starting from "SITUACION DE LOS BARCOS EL DIA 18 DE JULIO DE 1936 DENTRO DEL ARSENAL".
SITUACIÓN DE LAS BATERÍAS DE COSTA Y ANTIAÉREAS EN LA COSTA CARTAGENERA
LEYENDA MAPAS DE CARTAGENA
It also shows 6 AA batteries.

[Dreamslayer]

from https://foro.elgrancapitan.org/viewtopic.php?t=7975

Estas piezas habian sido fabricadas bajo licencia de la Vickers en Reinosa por la SECN a partir de 1930 en numero de 48 piezas.Se formaron con este material en principio doce baterias:

-5 Baterias en el Ferrol, Monte Campelo,Prior,Prioriño,Monte San Pedro y Monte Faro.

-4 Baterias en Cartagena,Atalayon,Cabo Negrete,Conejo y Roldan.

-3 Baterias en Mahon,Binicolla,Favaritx y Llucalary.

A principios de 1936 debido a la crisis de Abisinia y el temor a un conflicto en el Mediterraneo y un posible ataque a Baleares, se decidio desmontar las baterias del Ferrol, y pasar tres a Menorca, a desplegar en Turo, Mila y Binicorra y las otras dos a Catagena, Los Dolores y Sierra Gorda.

These pieces had been manufactured under license of the Vickers in Reinosa by the SECN since 1930 in number of 48 pieces. Twelve batteries were formed with this material in principle:

-5 Batteries in El Ferrol, Monte Campelo, Prior, Prioriño, Monte San Pedro and Monte Faro.

-4 Batteries in Cartagena, Atalayon, Cabo Negrete, Conejo and Roldan.

-3 Batteries in Mahon, Binicolla, Favaritx and Llucalary.

At the beginning of 1936, due to the crisis in Abyssinia and the fear of a conflict in the Mediterranean and a possible attack on the Balearic Islands, it was decided to dismantle the Ferrol batteries, and move three to Menorca, to deploy in Turo, Mila and Binicorra and the other two to Catadena, Los Dolores and Sierra Gorda.

There is also about that in Feb 1937 3 batteries was relocated from Cartagena. But according to reports of Soviet advisors it can not be so early. Maybe in 1938?