Sania Ramel Airport welcomed him and Franco assumed command of the Spanish Army in Morocco. They held an improvised conference around the plane. The most important contribution of the Sania Ramel airfield to the Nationalist war effort during the Spanish Civil War was its role in the airlift that flew most of the Army of Africa into mainland Spain. It was the world's first long-range combat airlift. At that time, the rebels in Spanish Morocco were being blocked by the Spanish fleet which remained mostly loyal to the government and the Army of Africa, the only professional army in Spain, was key to
SS Commissaire Ramel by the commerce raider Atlantis. After the crew abandoned ship, they were picked up by "Atlantis", who then finished off the ship, sinking her at position . Three of her crew were killed and 63 were taken prisoner. Two hundred prisoners taken by "Atlantis" from several ships were later transferred to the captured Yugoslavian ship "Durmitor", and landed at Warsheikh in Italian East Africa on 22 November 1940. They were held in a camp at Merca until liberated by British troops on 25 February 1941 during the East African Campaign. SS Commissaire Ramel SS "Commissaire Ramel" was a French cargo-passenger