The Batería de La Parajola and the Sinking of the Castillo de Olite

La Parajola, also known as C-3, is a coastal fortification situated on Monte de Galeras within the municipal term of Cartagena. It was built in 1926 as part of a defensive cordon for the strategic city of Cartagena during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The battery was part of the La Algameca military installations and had four guns built by the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval. These guns were based on the six-inch coastal cannon design by Vickers-Armstrongs. The battery was used against military targets during the civil war. It was used to sink the ship Castillo de Olite, causing one of the largest naval tragedies in history. The Batería de La Parajola was declared a cultural asset of interest in 1997.

The story of the Castillo de Olite begins during the civil war when a subversion happened in Cartagena fomented by the fifth column and pro-negotiation elements. The government of President Juan Negrín sent the 206th Brigade to retake the city and the General Franco’s staff was sending 30 ships with the intention of securing the important naval base.

The 206th Brigade was the first to arrive and quickly defeated the rebels, restoring the control of the Republic. The rebel forces retreated when they learned the news, except for the Castillo de Olite, which approached the coast not knowing the situation due to a radio outage. As it approached, it was hit by the first shot from La Parajola. The ship attempted to maneuver, but then several shots collided with the hull, one of them hitting the magazine.

In the subsequent explosion, 1,476 men out of the 2,112 on board died, 342 were injured and 294 were made prisoners. The Castillo de Peñafiel, another ship that did not receive a timely warning, received a hit but was able to retreat to Ibiza without further incidents. The battery was disarmed in 1994 in accordance with the Plan NORTE, and although it was declared a cultural asset of interest in 1997, its access remains restricted since it is located in a military zone owned by the Ministry of Defense.

Despite this, its deteriorated state led it to be added to Hispania Nostra's Lista roja de patrimonio en peligro in 2014. La Parajola stands at an altitude of 165 meters and its architecture follows a historicist style, which draws from Ancient Egyptian architecture as seen in the facades of the replacements and ammunition depots as well as the entrance pylons. Modernist elements can also be found in La Parajola's architecture.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons