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According to Valencia: as the Palma-bound air-raiders passed overhead, the Deutschland suddenly opened fire with its 14 anti-aircraft guns. The Leftist planes circled, dove, dropped twelve bombs. Four scored direct hits.
According to Berlin: the attack was totally unprovoked. It occurred while the crew was at mess in the unarmored forecastle. No anti-aircraft guns were fired. Only two bombs struck the ship. One, on her heavily armored midships, caused no damage. The other, exploding in the forecastle, killed 23 men, wounded 70.
Certain was that for the first time an absolutely first-class warship had been struck directly by a modern bomber. The damage, though bloody, did not exceed that of a six-inch shell. The Deutschland was not disabled, easily made her way to Gibraltar whose harbor she entered with flag at half-staff. British vessels lowered their flags in sympathy, the crew of the U. S. S. Kane attended a memorial service for the dead before the Deutschland steamed off for repairs in Germany.
There, of course, the repercussions were violent. Leaves were reported canceled throughout the entire Nazi navy, all over the world. Hour after hour Adolf Hitler conferred with his army, navy and state officers. Urgent telephone calls went through to Rome and Forli where Benito Mussolini was vacationing. Depressed Pope Pius (on his 80th birthday) went into retirement, fainted, remained unconscious for 20 minutes.
With every Nazi newspaper deep-banded in black, Germany, followed by Italy, announced that they were withdrawing from the Non-intervention Agreement until Spain should guarantee that there would be no repetition of the Deutschland incident. Additional German and Italian warships hustled to Spanish waters.
Without explaining why the Deutschland had been in Iviza, Germany harped on the fact that the Deutschland'?, dead and wounded had not been at battle stations during the bombing, but at mess, obviously unprepared.
A night passed as the world waited to see what Germany might do. Monday noon the answer came, not from Berlin or Iviza, but from Almeria, a small grape and orange-shipping port of military importance on Spain's southeastern corner, now jammed with noncombatant refugees from Rightist-held Malaga. Almeria had nothing to do with the raids on Mallorca, but Almeria is on the section of Spanish coast that the German navy legally patrols. At dawn following the Deutschland bombing, five Nazi warships flying Swas tika battle flags from their main trucks drew up off the harbor entrance. Flagship was reported to be the Admiral Scheer, sister of the Deutschland. For over an hour this squadron proceeded to pour high explosive shells into the stucco & light brick houses of Almeria. Leftist shore batteries replied until they ran out of ammunition. Then under a smoke screen the Nazi fleet, honor satisfied, steamed off towards Melilla in Rightist Morocco.
Within a few hours the bodies of 36 men, women & children had been pulled from Almeria's wreckage. More than 100 were reported missing. An accident saved the lives of many. At 1 a.m. a false air raid alarm had been sounded, sent hundreds scurrying to the hills.
On the scene-within a few hours was United Press Correspondent Irving Pflaum, who wrote: