Some time ago an agreement between the United States and Spanish governments was signed whereby existing air fields in Spain were to be modernized and expanded, and new ones built. Also greatly expanded naval facilities were to be made, and an exchange of technical material and training were to be affected. It occurred to me that I, as an American naval officer, knew practically nothing about the Spanish Navy, although I had in the aggregate spent considerable time in Spain and had covered all of it at some time or another. In speaking with many Americans and British who had lived for many years in Spain, I came to the conclusion that most of us knew little about the subject outside of such official organizations as the offices of naval attaches.
My thoughts were crystallized when, walking with a Spanish naval officer, I saw what appeared to be a naval uniform and inquired what rank the person was. I was informed that the young man was a guardia marina, or a midshipman. My thoughts went back quite a few years to the days when I was a midshipman, and I began to wonder how the Spanish Naval Academy might differ from that at Annapolis.
Within a matter of 24 hours after I had made the request to visit the Naval Academy, I had had two interviews at the Naval Ministry, a talk with the Spanish Chief of Naval intelligence (Capitan de Navio Luis Hernandez Canizares) and had been advised that all plans had been made to receive me and care for me, and that train reservations had already been made. I daresay that I, even as a U. S. naval officer, could not have had arrangements made with such speed in the States. There is the feeling among foreigners that in Spain manana, or slow moving and frustrating methods, are customary. This cannot be said of the Spanish Navy. I found that they were practically jet-propelled in their speed of action.
The trip required an overnight train ride from Madrid to Pontevedra, the ancient capital of the Province of Galicia. Here I was met by English speaking Capitan de Corbeta (Lieutenant Commander) Ignacia Gomez Torrente. We travelled nine kilometers by auto to the town of Marin along roads flanked by houses, all of which were built of stone—even the cowsheds and barns. I was informed that some of the finest stonemasons of Europe came from this area. Adjoining the town of Marin are the grounds of the Naval Academy.
The entrance to the Academy is imposing, and the salutes of the gate sentries are impressive. En route Capitan de Corbeta Gomez Torrente (who was to be my charming official host, guide, and mentor for the three days I was to spend at the academy) had been replying to questions and explaining the basic curriculum of the academy. And who should know better than he, the Jefe de Estudios or Chief of the Academic Department.
The car drew up before an imposing structure which was the “Hotel for Officers,” or Bachelors’ Officers Quarters, which was to be my home here. This was a bit different from our BOQ’s, in that married couples without children could also reside here. For those with children there was a large building with apartments for each family. More than anything else it resembled an exclusive country club, with its marble floors, spacious public rooms, beautifully furnished bedrooms, and large baths equipped with both shower stalls and tubs.
The Academy was completed in 1943 and is modern to the last degree. The grounds extend along the shores of Ria de Pontevedra. The buildings are situated on the side of a terraced hill. At the top are the residences of the Superintendent and his Heads of Departments. Below them are the Hotel for Officers and the Academy Headquarters Offices, then the small but handsome chapel used for early masses, and also the modern, tastefully appointed and well equipped hospital which provides quiet and coolness in the hot summer months due to its excellent cross ventilation. Some distance below this, at sea level, are the academic quadrangle with classrooms and laboratories; the midshipmen’s dormitory and mess hall, the laundry, carpenter shop, tailorshop, bake- shop, meat and cold storage facilities, sailor and marine barracks, and various offices. On the long pier—to which were secured two large but old destroyers—are the sail locker, torpedo workshops, and storage facilities. A little to one side is a large, very modern gymnasium which on Sundays is converted into a church for services.
This Academy is the last of many different systems at various locations over several centuries. During the time of the Spanish Armada and for a century and a half thereafter, the training of naval officers was done aboard ship. This was true for the navies of all nations at that time. Youngsters ten or twelve years old were enrolled and at that tender age suffered the hardships of life at sea, brutal as it was in those days. They learned mathematics from a professor and the hard practical matters from actual performance.
It was not until 1681 that the Universidad de Mareanles (University for Mariners) was founded in Sevilla. This was a school that taught such subjects as navigation, artillery, and seamanship, and not only provided education for budding naval officers but also turned out pilots for Spain’s vast merchant fleet. It was not until 1717 that what might be termed a real naval academy was founded by King Philippe V, known as Real Campania de Guardias Marinas (Royal Academy for Midshipmen), in Cadiz, the site of a large naval base. In 1777 it was thought best to divide the Academy into three sections, having one at each naval base, namely, Cadiz, Ferrol, and Cartagena. In this way transportation difficulties were kept at a minimum and with three naval bases it did away with crowding.
However, some fifty years or so later policy again was altered, and these naval schools were closed down. The theory of the authorities at that time was that those who desired to become naval officers must have already completed their studies at other schools and colleges. These aspirants had to pass a rigid examination before a “Board of High Ranking Officers” which sat in Cadiz.
Once more the policy of instructing prospective naval officers changed. In 1845, the same year the U. S. Naval Academy was founded at Annapolis, Maryland, a “Naval College” was formed at Cadiz. And again the system changed in 1869 when the Escuela Naval Flotante (the Floating Naval School) was founded aboard the frigate Asturias, based at the naval base at Ferrol. The cadets carried on their studies and exercises aboard this frigate and on board sloops-of-war also based there.
It was not until 1913 that what might be termed an up-to-date naval academy was formed, the location again being Cadiz. This is the academy which was relocated at the present beautiful site with its modern buildings and facilities at Marin in 1943.
Each year there is held in the Naval Ministry Building in Madrid a competitive examination for the vacancies to be filled at the Academy. Usually there are more than ten times the number of aspiring candidates as there are vacancies. No distinction is made because of the social or financial status of the aspirant. However, there are certain minimum scholastic requirements which each applicant must fulfill before he is permitted to take the preliminary competitive examination. Each must have the equivalent of our high school education, and each applicant must pass a rigid physical examination.
Those making the highest marks in the preliminary examinations are then privileged to sit for the entrance examinations, which are also held in the Naval Ministry Building. Here they must prove themselves competent in Spanish and in one other foreign language, preferably English. They must also pass their examinations in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, plane and spherical trigonometry, chemistry, and physics.
The successful candidates then report to the Academy for the oath of office which they take after undergoing another most thorough physical examination. So far procedures are the same as for the U. S. Naval Academy with this exception: in Spain, courses at the Academy are given for four branches of the service—line, engineering, Marines, and supply.
Upon entering the Academy all cadets, as they are called for the first two years, must pay for their first complete outfit or kit. This amounts to approximately 4,000 pesetas. This is, according to the present rate of exchange, about $100 in U. S. currency. However, the 4,000 pesetas will purchase perhaps three times as much in Spain as the $100 will buy in the United States. An additional 4,000 pesetas must be deposited with the Academy supply officer for additional clothing and supplies and mess bills (of 700 pesetas a quarter) for the first two years. At all times a credit balance of 500 pesetas must be maintained on the books.
During this first two-year period—which is a trial period—the cadets receive the same pay as the Spanish sailor recruit, which is approximately five pesetas 12½¢ or a day.
After successfully completing the first two years, the cadets are promoted to the rank of midshipman. They then receive a much higher pay which is completely sufficient to defray all the expenses of their further education and to lay aside money for graduation equipment.
One important point must not be overlooked. The children of naval officers, whose fathers were killed in action, or whose fathers received the Cruz Laureada de San Fernando —which corresponds with our Congressional Medal of Honor—-and orphans are supplied with everything free. Sons of army officers receive reduced mess costs. And those whose families do not have the necessary income to provide a successful applicant with the necessary entrance kit and mess costs are advanced this money by the government, to be repaid over a period of time after graduation.
As an example of the absence of any social snobbishness, a few years ago the top man of the graduation class was the nephew of a Spanish warrant officer, with the number two man being the son of a captain in the Spanish navy who was also a minister of the Spanish Government.
The course is a five-year one of which the first two years might be termed probationary. The course is typical of any first two years at a university. The third and fifth years are devoted to the study of such subjects as advanced gunnery, seamanship, navigation, etc., but the fourth year is devoted to a nine or ten months’ cruise in the Juan Sebastian de Elcano which is a four- masted schooner-rigged training ship.
This fourth-year cruise is much the same as the Brazilian and Danish midshipmen’s cruises. In the case of the Elcano, the normal cruise is usually to several North African ports, the Canary Islands, to South America (perhaps to Buenos Aires) then up the coast visiting the various South and Central American ports, the West Indies, all of what is known as “Spanish America,” and finally two or three United States ports, prior to sailing back to Spain. The cruise begins in September and by the time Buenos Aires is reached, the southern hemisphere spring and summer weather is in force. As they continue the cruise north through the West Indies they reach the States in May, which is the best time of the year. The cruise, therefore, always enjoys warm and favorable weather conditions since the Pilot Charts indicate such a course as best for sailing vessels.
The curriculum at the Academy is something similar to that of the U. S. Naval Academy. The difference is that at Annapolis in addition to academic courses, i.e. foreign languages, mathematics, naval history, etc., we stress practical work such as mechanical drawing, patternmaking, foundry work, and machine shop experience. This phase of midshipmen’s training is not given in Spain.
There are two other courses for two additional groups of members trained at the Naval Academy at Marin. One is a short course of training given to Doctors, Chemists, Lawyers, Auditors, Priests (chaplains), and Naval Constructors. These must have matriculated from an accepted university and are given a six-months’ course at the Academy to acquaint them with naval regulations, customs, traditions, and procedures in paper work. There is also a certain number of merchant marine officers who are at the Academy taking a three-months’ course of indoctrination. Since every Spanish merchant marine officer is also a reserve naval officer, there are always a reasonable number of such at the Academy.
Arrangements were made for me to lunch with the midshipmen in their beautiful mess- hall where I joined a table at which were placed those who spoke English in varying degrees of proficiency. I met one lad from Thailand who spoke an excellent English. As a matter of fact, he was learning Spanish via English, as an American or English boy might. His admission to the Academy had been arranged diplomatically by the Ambassador from Thailand.
Since the average age of the Spanish midshipman is about the same as that of the American midshipman, there is the usual amount of horseplay and hazing of the plebes which they call first-year men. I asked a senior about to graduate how the new boys were regarded. With a superior look at one of the youngsters at the table, he replied, “These sub-human beings we refer to as ‘things’.” Then I learned that in the dormitory the new boys must be on a run outside their own rooms. They carry messages, books, and such things as fruit between upperclassmen. And when one of the upperclassmen shouts “Taxi,” the nearest new boy must run, take the upperclassmen aboard pickaback, and carry him to whichever part of the dormitory he desires to go.
At the long pier were secured two rather large destroyers. Although these were almost thirty years old, they were well equipped and sufficient for the purposes for which they were used—exercises for midshipmen. I went out with these craft one afternoon. The exercise was intended to teach the midshipmen how to tow. One ship was the towing ship, and the other simulated the disabled ship. The wheel, signal stations, talkers, and other stations were named by midshipmen; about an hour’s steaming from the Academy the “disabled” ship stopped. When dead in the water the second ship came alongside, secured a wire to the anchor chain of the “disabled” ship, and took her in tow astern. Officers and C.P.O.’s instructed. The following day the roles of the two ships would be reversed.
A tour of classrooms was enlightening. The thing which strikes the visitor so forcibly is the spaciousness, beauty, and extreme cleanliness of everything at the Academy. The classrooms, library, and laboratories were housed in stone buildings forming a large quadrangle with 15-foot-wide arcades on the ground floor. In this way passage to any classroom or laboratory can be made without walking in the rain. And when it is realized that in the winter and spring this locality has considerable rain, this arrangement is extremely practical. It was drizzling one day during my visit, but under the arcade, the youngsters were signalling with semaphore flags while others were on their way to change of classes.
When we went up the marble stairs to the upper floor of classrooms, we found scrub women, on their knees wiping the dirty foot prints on.; the stairs. This 'Is routine maintenance for the whole institution. Everything is kept spotlessly clean—and incidentally this goes for all government buildings in Spain.
The electrical, chemistry, physics, and other labs were huge rooms with typical equipment. In chemistry I found that considerable stress was placed on the powder-testing procedure which we in the States do not stress. However, the electrical and physics labs were sketchily equipped and with less than modern equipment. At present the Spanish Navy has several young officers in the States studying electronics. I spoke to one such who had just returned from a two- year course of electronics at Stanford University.
The gunnery room was equipped with mounted guns of various types. Many of those were World War I guns. A few were guns of the German Army which proved to be unsuitable in actual operation. They had recently received and had assembled a U. S. Navy World War II, 3-inch dual purpose gun which was their most modern. Some of these assemblies were cut away to show in detail the construction. Of course, there was the usual dummy assembly for loading practice.
On a tour of inspection of the midshipmen’s quarters I was first shown the midshipmen’s “Casino.” This might give the erroneous impression that gambling is permitted, but it is actually a remarkably attractive, huge room equipped with overstuffed couches and easy chairs, and a bar at which may be purchased vermouth, coffee, chocolate, but no hard liquors. The marble floor, paintings, and luxurious furniture gave the room a definite feeling of elegance.
The living quarters were dormitories with perhaps fifty double-decker beds for each of the several wings. At the foot of each double- decker was a foot locker with clothes neatly stowed in accordance with a plan and metal clothes lockers down the center of each wing for the hanging of uniforms, overcoats, and rainclothes.
The mess hall had marble walls and floors. Tables, each seating ten, gleamed with linen and silver. ''The duty officer for the day plus the midshipmen officers on duty for that day sit in the middle of the messhall (exactly as at Annapolis) where they can see down the three wings of the messhall. The food is served in courses by enlisted men. And the food is excellent—as I learned at first hand. As at Annapolis and all other boys’ schools, the din was terrific. But when the command was given at the end of a meal there was absolute silence as the officer on duty rose and strode to the door. All midshipmen rose with the duty officer and faced the aisle down which he walked.
Discipline is strictly enforced. True enough, as in all such academies, the duty officers permit a certain leeway in horseplay. But here is the system: each year every midshipman is permitted twelve demerits. When he has accumulated six he is called and has a discussion with the disciplinery committee composed of officers. When he has accumulated eight there is another meeting to make a decision to determine if he is officer material. When he reaches a total of twelve—or before— he may be sent home. In the case of an offense such as unauthorized absence from class, he would be immediately dismissed.
In front of the dormitory is the flagpole which is a mast complete with shrouds and ratlines. Underneath, supported on poles, is a heavy net similar to a very large cargo net. It was explained to me that this was used for mild punishment for midshipmen. For certain minor infractions of the rules, the midshipmen must run up the ratlines to the platform about sixty feet above the ground and down the other side, continuing this for from a half hour to two hours, depending upon the nature of the infraction. When it is realized that this had to be done at night when others were asleep, it can be seen that the punishment was real. The net was to prevent a sleepy midshipman from injuring himself in case of a fall.
The sports of the academy consist of soccer (futbol), tennis, and hockey played on roller skates in the gymnasium. Of course, as it is in all of Europe and the British Isles, soccer is by far the most important. There is also sailing and swimming.
The Academy superintendent, Capitan de Navio Andres Galan Amario (known as Comandante Director) is assisted by two deputy directors, the Chief of the Academic Department, and the Officer who acts as the Secretary of the Academy. In addition, there was a marine contingent and a staff of officers, civilian professors, and instructors, and quite a number of naval enlisted personnel. Captain Galan, whose English is perfect, explained to me that he had spent considerable time both in the United States and in England. He had been a guest at the U. S. Naval Academy recently and stated that he admired the institution and the curriculum, and he found procedures which he was instituting at Marin.
The hospital is a thing of beauty and efficiency. Since the Academy is but a few years old, this hospital is the last word in design and equipment. The management is by a staff of doctors and a supply officer. The nursing and cooking is supervised by three nuns who are trained nurses and dieticians. There are wards for midshipmen and others for enlisted men, with private and semiprivate rooms for officers and families and others who require quiet and special nursing.
I shall always remember with appreciation and thanks the gracious treatment by the Commandant, the Chief of the Academic Department, the other members of the staff, the officers and their wives, and also the kind way in which the midshipmen accepted me in their mess and the spontaneity of their conversations. It is my very definite feeling that when those young gentlemen are called upon to serve their country, they will give a good account of themselves in courage, devotion to duty, and effectiveness.