The Schneider Ca-1 in Spanish Service
28mm model from my collection
Called Carro Pesado de Artilleríe M16 (modelo 1916)
in Spanish service the Schneider Ca-1 like many of its contemporaries, was basically an armored box. Its main armament - a
75 mm Blockhaus Schneider gun, which was positioned in a sponson
on the right of the vehicle, but this provided very limited traverse. Secondary
armament consisted of two 8 mm Hotchkiss machine guns mounted in sponsons one on each side. The
tank’s overhanging front in the shape of a pointed nose was designed to destroy
German barbed wire, allowing infantry to break through. The nose meant the 6.32
meter long vehcle was nose heavy and would often become ditched.
Crew comfort was not a consideration in the design - six crew members (commander/driver, main gunner, two
machine gunners, loader, and mechanic) were all crammed into an interior which was
1.5 meters high and less than 2 meters wide and shared with the engine; making it
hot and noisy when operating. The tank was extremely slow, with a maximum speed
of 8.1 km/h and a ‘practical’ speed of between 2 and 4 km/h. The riveted and
bolted armour had a maximum thickness of 11 mm, though this was later improved
by an additional 5.5 mm. With the added armour, the total weight of the tank
was 13.5 tonnes.
75mm Blockhaus cannon at the Armoured Vehicle Museum El Goloso, Madrid
Another 75mm Blockhaus cannon at the Museo Militar, Valencia (taken by me in January 2026)
As early as 1919, a Spanish Army commission inspected and
considered French tanks, particularly the Renault FT and the
Schneider CA-1, but apart from a single Renault FT, no vehicles were purchased.
Then spurred into action by El Desastre and the collapse of the army infront of Melilla, Morocco in the summer of 1921,
the Comisión de Experiencias de Artillería was
tasked with coordinating the acquisition of modern armoured vehicles. Part of
the purchase included 10 Renault FTs, 1 Renault TSF, replacement parts, support
trucks, and ammunition to form a Compañía de Carros de
Infantería (Infantry Tank Company) in September 1921.
Another deal at the same time was agreed to form a Batería de carros de asalto (assault tank battery),
which was to include: 6 Schneider CA-1s, 6 Latil TAR tractors, 6 tank
transporter platforms, 6,000 rounds of 75 mm ammunition, and replacement parts.
The purchase was authorized by Royal Decree on September 16th 1921, with a
total cost of 1,367,303 Francs.
The Schneider CA-1s sent
to Spain had the thicker 16 mm armour and were re-armed with Spanish 7 mm
Hotchkiss machine guns. Externally, the tanks were painted in the original
French colours – a grey background with green and ochre ‘stains’, sometimes
outlined in black, while the interiors were painted white. Initially, the
vehicles were inscribed with “ARTILLERIA” and the vehicles number in white on
the left side to identify individual tanks. In Spain, they were designated
as Carro Pesado de Artillería M16 (Modelo 1916). At some point in
early 1922, a battery’s organization was created: 1 command tank, 4 tanks, 5
Latil TAR tractors and tank transporter platforms, a tractor to carry
ammunition, and a workshop truck. In the event of war, the battery size would
be increased by one tank, one Latil TAR tractor and tank transporter platform,
a Pavesi tractor, four ammunition trucks, and a water tank truck.
Batería de Carros de Asalto unit patch
The 6 Ca-1s and
their support equipment were sent to Melilla alongside three 45 hp Krupp
trucks, a Hispano-Suiza water tank truck, a 15 hp Hupmobile automobile, and two
Harley-Davison motorbikes. They arrived in the North African city on March 6th
on board the Guillem Sorolla steamship
and were inspected by the Commander General of Melilla, José Sanjurjo y
Sacanell, as soon as they were unloaded.
Command of the battery
was assigned to Captain Carlos Ruiz de Toledo, who, in the future, would play a
crucial role in the development of Spain’s first indigenous tank – the Trubia
Serie A. Each Ca-1 had a crew of seven: commander (with the rank of
lieutenant), a second commander (with the rank of sergeant), a corporal, a
driver/mechanic, a main gunner, and two machine gunners.
Ca-1 on its transporter platform with Latil TAR tractor
On March 8th, the Ca-1 battery
departed Melilla towards Batel to join General Miguel Cabanella Ferrer’s
column. On route was the first instance of what was to become a recurring
problem during the Ca-1‘s time in North Africa. The bridges in the region were
unable to sustain the combined weight of a tractor, the tank carrying platform,
and the tank at the same time, meaning the Ca-1 had to be dismounted and
cross the rivers (in most cases dry), by their own propulsion.
The Ca-1 made their combat debut on March 14th 1922, becoming the
first ever Spanish tanks to see action. With accompanying infantry, atop of
their tank transporter platforms, the Ca-1s left Batel heading towards
Kandoussi at 5:30 in the morning. After a stop in Aasel, they arrived on the
bank of the River Kert opposite Kandoussi at 8:20. At this point, the assault
tanks dismounted and attempted to cross the river bed to attack some
Rifian trenches.
Whilst crossing the river, tank No5 got stuck and No3 went to its
rescue, with its crew exiting the tank to attach ropes to tow No5. A similar
fate befell No6, this left only three tanks to carry out the attack. No2
advanced to the right of Sbuch-Sba (a mountain near to the west of Kandoussi),
whilst Nos 1 and 4 took the left, enabling the position to be occupied by
infantry by 9:45. As a result of this first ever tank deployment, Lieutenant
Vidal Cuadras was mentioned in dispatches.
The following day, March 15th, the battery returned to Batel. They then
went to Driouch, from where, on March 19th, they joined the Renault FTs and a
number of armoured cars. Over the next five days, they took part in camp
protection duties and the engagements in Midar, Issen-Lassen, and Azrou
Ntminta. On March 24th, the battery returned to Melilla by train.
The battery was soon back in the Driouch area, taking part in action
alongside two banderas of the Foreign Legion, a battalion of the Regimiento de Infantería “Otumba” Nº 49 and
a squadron of the Regimiento de
Húsares de Pavía on May 17th 1922.
I can find no specific info for engagements involving the battery during
the following year, but the battery was probably used in night and
day guard duties, convoy protection, occupying settlements, and covering
retreats. In most operations, because of the 75 mm gun and 16 mm of protection,
the tanks were used as mobile forts.
Between May 28th and June
7th 1923, the battery took part in combat in the hills around Tafersit. Its
distinguished actions across those two weeks resulted in the battery being
awarded the Medalla Militar Colectiva (Collective Military
Medal) by Royal Decree on April 30th 1925. The new commander, Captain Luís
Ruano Peña, was also awarded the Medalla Militar Individual (Individual
Military Medal). However, according to sources by this point, two Ca-1s had
been reportedly lost, however sources also say six vehicles returned to Spain
after the hostilities ended, so maybe these lost vehicles were recovered and
repaired?
Based on combat experience, a series of field modifications were carried
out on some or perhaps all of the Ca-1s. More often than not, because they were
used as mobile forts, the tanks found themselves in close combat. Crews needed
an increase in firepower, and to that end, a third 7 mm Hotchkiss machine gun
was positioned on the rear access doors. Similarly, an opening cut into the
front of the driver’s position added a fourth machine gun to be operated by the
driver when the tank was stationary.
In some photos, two
bracket-shaped structures, one at the rear and the other on top of the driver’s
position can be noted, these are thought to be antennas for radio equipment.
This theory is supported by photographic evidence of crew members with what
appears to be a primitive headset.
This photo appears to show the radio antenna
After their return to
Spain, four Ca-1s were part of the depot of the Regimiento Ligero de
Carros de Combate No 1 at Madrid - a mixed armoured unit with Renault
FTs and armoured cars. The remaining two Ca-1s were part of the depot strength
of RLCC No 2 at Zaragoza, Spains other armoured unit, sometime after returning to Spain the Ca-1s were repainted olive green.
At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the first unit
remained under Republican command, while the second took the side of the
Nationalist rebels. The Madrid vehicles saw some action during the bloody
attacks on the Cuartel de la Montaña, the main military barracks of the capital which had an arsenal
with a large quantity of weapons which the loyalist workers wanted to
use. At least one Ca-1 and two Bilbao armoured cars took part in the
fighting. Some of the tanks were manned by militia
members of the Unión General de
Trabajadores (UGT) and the Unión de Hermanos Proletarios (UHP).
On 21 July, a large
column under the command of General José Riquelme y López-Bago used two
Schneider CA-1s and a number of improvised armored vehicles to head south
towards Toledo. Rebel troops took refuge in the historic Alcázar, holding out
until the end of September, when the siege was relieved by Franco’s Army de
Africa.
During my research across the web, I stubbled across this brief account of the fighting in Toledo (I`ve edited the original to make more sense in English -
During the action against the Hospital de Tavera (The Hospital de Tavera was not part of the
Alcazar although it could be seen from the North Terrace). A Ca-1 passing between two buildings down the Calle de Carmen to attack the Stable access and main approach to the Alcazar was attacked with a Laffite Grenade by Lt Espiga who leaned
out of a upper window to drop the grenade onto the tank. The grenade bounced
off before exploding, causing not damage, but the tank withdrew.
During the fighting in Toledo, one Schneider CA-1 was knocked out or abandoned on Calle Santa Cruz, this vehicle is clearly marked with JSU (Juventudes Socialistas Unificadas) so we have to assume it was manned by members of this union?
Artists impression of the Ca-1 in Toledo
Two photos showing the abandoned Ca-1 on Calle Santa Cruz, Toledo
The remaining Ca-1 is believed to have withdrawn back to Madrid
The Ca-1s in Zaragoza also
participated in the initial fighting, though I have found no real information.
It is possible the
remaining Ca-1s in Madrid were used in later fighting, but again no definite information
could be found, I think we can probably assume all the Ca-1s were out of action
by the end of 1936.
Wargaming with the Ca-1
During the Rif War use
the tank as you would any other, an assault weapon supporting infantry and
cavalry in their attacks. In defence, use it like a mobile fort covering
withdrawals or blocking a road or track denying its use to the enemy or as a
convoy escort (be it a very slow one).
During the SCW the Ca-1
could be used as part of a mobile column or in support of one side or the other
in attack or defence
20mm Ca-1 from Barcelona Universal Models with Regulares all from my collection
The same Barcelona Universal Models CA-1 on a trailer during one of our games
I`ve written and played three scenarios set during the Civil War where I, or anyone else so inclined 😁 could field a Ca-1 on the tabletop:
