ad ▁sh elled ▁Al ge cir as ▁and ▁sever ely ▁dam aged ▁re bel ▁gun bo at ▁Edu ardo ▁D ato ▁and ▁armed ▁tra w ler ▁U ad ▁K ert ▁( ex - ▁; ▁ex -) ▁. ▁Short ly ▁there after ▁a ▁Naz i ▁German ▁J unk ers ▁Ju ▁ 5 2 ▁struck ▁the ▁Republican ▁batt les hip ▁Ja ime ▁I ▁and ▁Italian ▁bom bers ▁began ▁to ▁har ass ▁the ▁Republican ▁fleet ▁so ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁not ▁longer ▁prevent ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁transport ▁ships . ▁Furthermore , ▁two ▁German ▁cru is ers , ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁pat rolled ▁the ▁Stra it ▁on ▁so - called ▁non - inter vention ▁miss ions . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁authorities ▁in ▁Gib ral tar ▁and ▁Tang ier ▁were ▁open ly ▁host ile ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Republic . ▁British ▁oil ▁companies ▁at ▁Gib ral tar , ▁refused ▁to ▁sell ▁fuel ▁to ▁Republican ▁ships ▁and ▁the ▁Tang ier ▁International ▁Commission ▁denied ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁har bor ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Republican ▁Navy , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁" it ▁was ▁contrary ▁to ▁the ▁city ' s ▁neutral ity ". ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁same ▁British ▁gover ning ▁bodies ▁author ized ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁food , ▁goods ▁and ▁gas oline ▁for ▁the ▁Naz i ▁German ▁transport ▁plan es ▁and ▁their ▁cre ws ▁in ▁Spanish ▁Mor oc co . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁September , ▁the ▁Republic ▁had ▁lost ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁waters ▁between ▁Mor oc co ▁and ▁the ▁main land . ▁ ▁Th ence forward ▁the ▁Republican