The first AFV coming from abroad were three FT-17 light tanks, showing in their turret a Puteaux SA-18 37mm gun, supplied by France on July 29th or 30th at Bilbao Port, as well as some other weapons.

Thirty days later, and from the same source, two more FT-17s arrived to Santander on board of the "Cristobal Colon" vessel, this time their main weapon was a 8mm Hotchkiss machine gun. These vehicles had been supplied as per the Basque agents' (Mr. Picavea and Mr. Aldesoro) purchase order.

On the 16th August, an Italian vessel arrived at Vigo with five Fat-Ansaldo CV-33 light tanks commanded by the "Alferez" Giovanni Battista Barbaglio. These vehicles were sent to Valladolid, and added to the "Grupo de Informacion de Artilleria no. 3" (artillery forward observers), under the command of Lieutenant Julio Tamarit-Martel y Fabre, who was in charge of the training for the Spanish crews.

These vehicles took part in San Sebastian capture by the Nationalist troops on September 13th, and after a few days at the Basque front, they were sent back to Valladolid, and on the 28th were delivered to Caceres by railway.

That date, September 28th, the steam vessel "Citta de Bengasi" unloaded at Vigo's port ten more CV-33, three of them being flamethower versions CV-33LF. These tanks were delivered through railway to Caceres, in which neighbourhood (Castillo de las Herguijuelas) it was established on the 1st of October the "Base de Carros de Combate" and the "Unidad de Instruccion" (Depot Base and Training Unit).

Navalcarnero Company

October 5th 1936 it was organized the "Primera Compania de Carros Ligeros" (First Light Tank Co.) under the command of "lQcapitano" Oreste Fortuna with three "secciones" (squads) of five CV-33 each, and Italian-Spanish crews.

On the 18th, following a parade under the presidence of Generalisimo Franco, the company, under the command of the artillery Captain Guillermo Vidal-Quadra, left towards Madrid's front, arriving at the end of the first day the town of Torrijos. On the next day, at Valmojado, they fought with the forces of General Yague in the capture of the village. This was the baptism of fire of the "1Q Companla de Carros Ligeros".

On October 20th the CV-33 were aggregated to the Lt-Col. Asensio Column, who had to attack Navalcarnero on the following day. In such action they made an active and decisive contribution, with the first Italian tank destroyed. Due to the good performance, the unit was mentioned in the Battle Diary and distinguished by General Varela with the right to be known as "Compania de Carros Ligeros de Asalto Navalcarnero".

First Tank Combat

On October 29th, the Navalcarnero Company had a main role in the first tank combat that occurred during the SCW. It took place midmorning of above mentioned date in Esquivias (Toledo) when two Italian tanks: a CV-33 machine gun, and a CV-33LF were attacked by the powerful republican T-26. The result of this encounter was that the CV-33 broke down and the CV-33LF was set on fire and burst into flames. The Soviet tanks from the Pavl Arman Company had three casualties caused by artillery fire and molotov cocktails.

The "Navalcarnero" Italian tanks, aggregated here and there to different Nationalist columns, fought at Torrejon de la Calzada, Parla, Cerro de los Angeles (Cerro Rojo during SCW), and Villaverde, arriving in the surrounding Madrid neighbourhoods on November 6th.

The afternoon of the 7th, during a skirmish, the tank of Captain Vidal-Quadra fell into a ditch, being destroyed by hand grenades, and both crewmen died. The Republicans found in the Captain's jacket General Varela's Battle Order for the assault to Madrid on the 8th.

Since November 8th to the 13th the CV-33 intervened in the attack to Madrid, losing two tanks and suffering quite a few crew losses. The 13th The Navalcarnero Company was retired to Yuncos, and on the 24th went back to Las Herguijuelas base in order to reorganize, repair vehicles and rest.

More AFVs in SCW

Part IV: Soviets and Germans
Part III: Foreign Material
Part II: Bilbao Armoured Car
Part I: Beginning of the War