Battle of El Mazuco
Encyclopedia
The Battle of El Mazuco was fought between 6 and 22 September 1937, between the Republican
and Nationalist
armies during the Spanish Civil War
as a part of the War in the North
campaign. The Republican defence of El Mazuco
and the surrounding mountains halted the Nationalist advance into eastern Asturias
, despite their forces being outnumbered sevenfold. After weeks of intense fighting over extreme terrain the defenders were eventually overwhelmed, and the Nationalists were then able to link up with their forces advancing from León
, leading to the fall of Gijón
and the abandonment of Asturias, the last Republican province in North-West Spain.
The definitive source for details of the battle is
(English translation 2004–2005.)
This battle was probably the first use of carpet bombing
against a military target.
and the defeat of the Republican forces defending Santander, the Republican stronghold of Asturias
was isolated from the Republican armies in the south and east of Spain. The leader of the Nationalist forces surrounding Asturias, General Dávila, attacked from the south and from the east, expecting little resistance from the demoralized Republicans.
The first republican line, along the Deva River
, was soon overrun, and the town of Llanes
fell on the 5th (of September 1937). However, the routes the Nationalists then had to take were commanded by the limestone walls of the Sierra de Cuera
on the north of the front and the Deva Gorge to the south. The Nationalists had to clear the defenders from these mountains in order to advance, and to do that they planned a pincer
movement moving southwest from Llanes
and west, along the Río Cares, from Panes towards Cabrales
.
On both fronts, the rugged terrain and stiff Republican resistance halted the advance. It was then clear that the mountains of the Sierra de Cuera were vital to the defence of Asturias, and the key to the Sierra de Cuera was the pass of El Mazuco
.
, with 15 artillery batteries and strong air support (including the German Legión Cóndor
, partly based on the Cue Aerodrome). The pass of El Mazuco is only 5 km from the sea, and so the cruiser Almirante Cervera
was also able to use its guns in the action.
The Asturian and some Basque and Santander forces (Republicans) comprised three weakened brigades (fewer than 5,000 men in all), under the command of Colonels Juan Ibarrola Orueta
and Francisco Galán Rodríguez (Ibarrola and Galán) in Meré
, with little artillery and no air support.
The attack on El Mazuco began with an assault by the Nationalist Navarrese I brigade on 6 September. This was repulsed, and at the same time the southern advance of the pincer movement was also stopped. In response to these setbacks, the German Condor Legion was called in and for the first time carpet-bombed a military target, the Republican forces defending the approach to El Mazuco.
On 7 September further attacks were halted and the fronts stabilized; a noted Republican commander, Higinio Carrocera, arrived, with three battalions and 24 heavy machine guns. Carpet-bombing with explosive and incendiary bombs continued all day.
The next day in dense fog, fierce hand-to-hand fighting inflicted severe losses on both sides. The Nationalists gained some 2 km on the southern front, which the Republicans were unable to recapture.
The Nationalists used the following day to shell the positions defending El Mazuco, and two Republican battalions were forced to retreat, although the Nationalists were unable to take advantage of the withdrawal. For the rest of that day and the next, waves of bombings and artillery bombardment were each followed by a Nationalist infantry attack, each in turn cut down and turned back by the Republican machine-guns.
The fog having returned on 10 September, an all-out attack by the I Brigade took the hill of Biforco (below the pass of El Mazuco), but this was still dominated by the heights of Llabres, from where the Republicans hammered the area with machine guns and rolled down carbide
drums filled with explosive. For the first time since the start of the battle, hot food reached the Republican front lines.
During the next two days, on the southern front, the Nationalists could not make progress along the valley, so had no option but to advance up the ridge of the Sierra towards Pico Turbina. This peak, at 1,315m, is a formidable obstacle with slopes of 40° and an almost moon-like karst terrain. There were no tracks, even for mules, so supplies and ordnance were largely carried by hand. The weather was bad, too, so aircraft could not operate – but the fog also hid the attacking forces.
By 13 September the Republican front to the north-west of El Mazuco began to weaken under the relentless artillery bombardment, and the Republicans were forced to yield Sierra Llabres, whose height commands both the village of El Mazuco and the western approaches on 14 September. The village of El Mazuco itself was then indefensible. To the south, Pico Turbina was almost taken, but the attack was driven back with hand-grenades, in confused fighting in dense fog.
El Mazuco and its surrounds were occupied on 15 September, and the Republicans in that sector fell back to Meré
. To the south, the Republicans still held the heights of Pico Turbina and Peñas Blancas (the summits of Peña Blanca). Pico Turbina was taken, and Peña Blanca was almost encircled as Arangas and Arenas fell to the Nationalists the next day.
The three summits of Peñas Blancas now formed the only salient from the Republican line along the Bedón river. Initial Nationalist assaults failed, and so sixteen battalions were brought up to reduce the positions. Air support was minimal due to the weather, and on the ground, rain turned to snow on the heights.
The better weather on 18 September at noon brought three waves of airborne strafing from 'strings' of Junkers and Fiat fighters, and possibly Heinkel 51s based on the Cue Aerodrome. After each attack, the inevitable infantry assault was beaten off by machine guns and hand grenades. For four full days, the pattern was repeated: aircraft and mortars pounded the remaining defenders, the Navarrese infantry attacked, and were repulsed. Until the 22 September "the red flag waved on the highest peak". On that day, the Peñas Blancas were finally overrun.
The defence of El Mazuco also allowed the Republicans further west in Asturias a certain breathing space and a chance to regroup, but ultimately this made little difference. The Nationalists on the Eastern front soon joined up with the forces advancing from León
at Infiesto, and closed in on Gijón
. Gijón, the last republican stronghold in Northern Spain, fell on 21 October.
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
and Nationalist
Spanish State
Francoist Spain refers to a period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975 when Spain was under the authoritarian dictatorship of Francisco Franco....
armies during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
as a part of the War in the North
War in the North
The War in the North, in the Spanish Civil War was the campaign in which the Nationalist forces defeated and occupied the parts of northern Spain that remained loyal to the Republican government. The campaign included several separate battles. The Battle of Bilbao resulted in the loss of the part...
campaign. The Republican defence of El Mazuco
El Mazuco
El Mazuco is a village in the parroquia of Caldueñu in the municipality of Llanes, in Asturias, northern Spain. Its population in 2004 was 67, in 25 dwellings....
and the surrounding mountains halted the Nationalist advance into eastern Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, despite their forces being outnumbered sevenfold. After weeks of intense fighting over extreme terrain the defenders were eventually overwhelmed, and the Nationalists were then able to link up with their forces advancing from León
León (province)
León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, León. The weather is cold and dry during the winter....
, leading to the fall of Gijón
Gijón
Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
and the abandonment of Asturias, the last Republican province in North-West Spain.
The definitive source for details of the battle is
(English translation 2004–2005.)
This battle was probably the first use of carpet bombing
Carpet bombing
Carpet bombing is a large aerial bombing done in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land. The phrase invokes the image of explosions completely covering an area, in the same way that a carpet covers a floor. Carpet bombing is usually achieved by dropping many...
against a military target.
Prelude
Following the fall of BilbaoBilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
and the defeat of the Republican forces defending Santander, the Republican stronghold of Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
was isolated from the Republican armies in the south and east of Spain. The leader of the Nationalist forces surrounding Asturias, General Dávila, attacked from the south and from the east, expecting little resistance from the demoralized Republicans.
The first republican line, along the Deva River
Deva River
The Deva is a river in Northern Spain, flowing through the Autonomous Communities of Cantabria and Asturias until it joins the Cares River and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, in the Bay of Biscay, where they form the Tina Mayor estuary which is the natural border between Asturias and Cantabria....
, was soon overrun, and the town of Llanes
Llanes
Llanes a municipality of the province of Asturias, in northern Spain. Stretching for about 30 km along the coast at the extreme east of the province, Llanes is bounded to the south by the high ridge of the limestone Sierra del Cuera, which rises to over 1,100 m...
fell on the 5th (of September 1937). However, the routes the Nationalists then had to take were commanded by the limestone walls of the Sierra de Cuera
Sierra de Cuera
Sierra de Cuera , is a 30 km long mountain chain of the Cantabrian Mountains.The ridge's highest point is Pico Turbina . This mountain range is located at 6 km from the sea and runs parallel to the coast...
on the north of the front and the Deva Gorge to the south. The Nationalists had to clear the defenders from these mountains in order to advance, and to do that they planned a pincer
Pincer
Pincer may refer to:*Pincer *Pincer , part of an animal*Pincer ligand, a terdentate, often planar molecule that tightly binds a variety of metal ions.*Pingas...
movement moving southwest from Llanes
Llanes
Llanes a municipality of the province of Asturias, in northern Spain. Stretching for about 30 km along the coast at the extreme east of the province, Llanes is bounded to the south by the high ridge of the limestone Sierra del Cuera, which rises to over 1,100 m...
and west, along the Río Cares, from Panes towards Cabrales
Cabrales
Cabrales is a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias, northwestern Spain. It is situated between the Sierra de Cuera and the Picos de Europa, and is a region famous for its Cabrales cheese....
.
On both fronts, the rugged terrain and stiff Republican resistance halted the advance. It was then clear that the mountains of the Sierra de Cuera were vital to the defence of Asturias, and the key to the Sierra de Cuera was the pass of El Mazuco
El Mazuco
El Mazuco is a village in the parroquia of Caldueñu in the municipality of Llanes, in Asturias, northern Spain. Its population in 2004 was 67, in 25 dwellings....
.
The combatants
The Nationalist forces comprised four Navarrese Brigades (33,000 men), under the command of General José Solchaga Zala (Solchaga) in LlanesLlanes
Llanes a municipality of the province of Asturias, in northern Spain. Stretching for about 30 km along the coast at the extreme east of the province, Llanes is bounded to the south by the high ridge of the limestone Sierra del Cuera, which rises to over 1,100 m...
, with 15 artillery batteries and strong air support (including the German Legión Cóndor
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...
, partly based on the Cue Aerodrome). The pass of El Mazuco is only 5 km from the sea, and so the cruiser Almirante Cervera
Spanish cruiser Almirante Cervera
Almirante Cervera was a light cruiser of the Cervera class of the Spanish Navy. She was named after the Spanish admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, commander of the Spanish naval forces in Cuba during the Spanish-American War...
was also able to use its guns in the action.
The Asturian and some Basque and Santander forces (Republicans) comprised three weakened brigades (fewer than 5,000 men in all), under the command of Colonels Juan Ibarrola Orueta
Juan Ibarrola
Juan Ibarrola Orueta was a Spanish military commander who fought with the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. He was a captain of the Civil Guard ; unlike many of his fellow officers he rallied to the Republic when the Nationalist rising began...
and Francisco Galán Rodríguez (Ibarrola and Galán) in Meré
Meré
Meré is a village in the concejo of Llanes, in Asturias. Its population in 2004 was 175, in 84 dwellings.It is located on the banks of the Ríu de las Cabras at , which is 28 km from Llanes and about midway between Posada and Benia...
, with little artillery and no air support.
The battle
On 7 September further attacks were halted and the fronts stabilized; a noted Republican commander, Higinio Carrocera, arrived, with three battalions and 24 heavy machine guns. Carpet-bombing with explosive and incendiary bombs continued all day.
The next day in dense fog, fierce hand-to-hand fighting inflicted severe losses on both sides. The Nationalists gained some 2 km on the southern front, which the Republicans were unable to recapture.
The Nationalists used the following day to shell the positions defending El Mazuco, and two Republican battalions were forced to retreat, although the Nationalists were unable to take advantage of the withdrawal. For the rest of that day and the next, waves of bombings and artillery bombardment were each followed by a Nationalist infantry attack, each in turn cut down and turned back by the Republican machine-guns.
The fog having returned on 10 September, an all-out attack by the I Brigade took the hill of Biforco (below the pass of El Mazuco), but this was still dominated by the heights of Llabres, from where the Republicans hammered the area with machine guns and rolled down carbide
Calcium carbide
thumb|right|Calcium carbide.Calcium carbide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula of CaC2. The pure material is colorless, however pieces of technical grade calcium carbide are grey or brown and consist of only 80-85% of CaC2 . Because of presence of PH3, NH3, and H2S it has a...
drums filled with explosive. For the first time since the start of the battle, hot food reached the Republican front lines.
By 13 September the Republican front to the north-west of El Mazuco began to weaken under the relentless artillery bombardment, and the Republicans were forced to yield Sierra Llabres, whose height commands both the village of El Mazuco and the western approaches on 14 September. The village of El Mazuco itself was then indefensible. To the south, Pico Turbina was almost taken, but the attack was driven back with hand-grenades, in confused fighting in dense fog.
El Mazuco and its surrounds were occupied on 15 September, and the Republicans in that sector fell back to Meré
Meré
Meré is a village in the concejo of Llanes, in Asturias. Its population in 2004 was 175, in 84 dwellings.It is located on the banks of the Ríu de las Cabras at , which is 28 km from Llanes and about midway between Posada and Benia...
. To the south, the Republicans still held the heights of Pico Turbina and Peñas Blancas (the summits of Peña Blanca). Pico Turbina was taken, and Peña Blanca was almost encircled as Arangas and Arenas fell to the Nationalists the next day.
The three summits of Peñas Blancas now formed the only salient from the Republican line along the Bedón river. Initial Nationalist assaults failed, and so sixteen battalions were brought up to reduce the positions. Air support was minimal due to the weather, and on the ground, rain turned to snow on the heights.
The better weather on 18 September at noon brought three waves of airborne strafing from 'strings' of Junkers and Fiat fighters, and possibly Heinkel 51s based on the Cue Aerodrome. After each attack, the inevitable infantry assault was beaten off by machine guns and hand grenades. For four full days, the pattern was repeated: aircraft and mortars pounded the remaining defenders, the Navarrese infantry attacked, and were repulsed. Until the 22 September "the red flag waved on the highest peak". On that day, the Peñas Blancas were finally overrun.
Aftermath
The defence of El Mazuco offered the hope of stemming the Nationalist advance until winter; if that had been achieved, then the course of the war would have been different. As it was, the attackers suffered a costly delay. The defenders regained their honour, battered in Santander, but also at great cost. The third-parties involved, notably the Condor Legion, learned many lessons which were later applied in the European theatre of the World War that followed.The defence of El Mazuco also allowed the Republicans further west in Asturias a certain breathing space and a chance to regroup, but ultimately this made little difference. The Nationalists on the Eastern front soon joined up with the forces advancing from León
León (province)
León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, León. The weather is cold and dry during the winter....
at Infiesto, and closed in on Gijón
Gijón
Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
. Gijón, the last republican stronghold in Northern Spain, fell on 21 October.