 The Rifian forces had consolidated their hold of the inland mountains and stalemate was reached.The Spanish military suffered losses even at sea; in March the transport ship "Juan de Joanes" was sunk in Alhucemas Bay by Riffian coastal batteries, and in August 1923, while shelling Riffian positions, the battleship "España" ran aground off Cape Tres Forcas and was eventually scrapped "in situ".In a bid to break the stalemate, the Spanish military turned to the use of chemical weapons against the Riffians.