unn ery ▁du el , ▁Republican ▁destroy ers ▁, ▁ ▁and ▁, ▁all ▁fired ▁their ▁tor ped o es . ▁Two ▁or ▁three ▁of ▁Le p ant os ▁tor ped o es ▁hit ▁B ale ares , ▁det on ating ▁her ▁forward ▁magazine ▁and ▁s inking ▁her . ▁Out ▁of ▁her ▁crew ▁of ▁ 1 , 2 0 6 , ▁she ▁had ▁ 7 6 5 ▁se amen ▁killed ▁or ▁missing , ▁among ▁them ▁re bel ▁vice ▁adm iral ▁Manuel ▁Vier na ▁Bel ando , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁National ist ▁cru iser ▁division . ▁ ▁The ▁s inking ▁of ▁re bel ▁heavy ▁cru iser ▁B ale ares ▁was ▁ha iled ▁as ▁a ▁great ▁victory ▁by ▁the ▁republic an ▁government . ▁Following ▁this ▁victory , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁republic an ▁fleet ▁Luis ▁González ▁de ▁U bi eta ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁La ure ate ▁Pl ate ▁of ▁Madrid ▁( P la ca ▁La ure ada ▁de ▁Madrid ), ▁the ▁highest ▁military ▁award ▁for ▁gall antry ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Spanish ▁Republic . ▁The ▁Dist int ivo ▁de ▁Madrid , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Republic ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁reward ▁courage , ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁cru is ers ▁Libert ad ▁and ▁Mé nd ez ▁N ú ñ ez , ▁and ▁destroy ers ▁Le p anto , ▁Al mir ante ▁An te qu era ▁and ▁S ánchez ▁Bar c á iz te gui , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁their ▁crew ▁members . ▁This ▁entitled ▁these ▁ships ▁to ▁fly ▁a ▁special ▁p enn ant ▁and ▁their ▁cre