Villarreal Offensive

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Villareal Offensive
Part of the Spanish Civil War
DateNovember 30, 1936 – December 24, 1936
Location
Villareal, near Vitoria, Basque country, Spain
Result Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Spain Spanish Republic
Basque Country (autonomous community) Euzko Gudarostea
Isaac Puente Battalion		 Francoist Spain Nationalist Spain
Commanders and leaders
Spain Francisco Llano de la Encomienda
Spain Francisco Ciutat
Bandera del País Vasco. Alberto de Montaud		 Francoist Spain Emilio Mola
Francoist Spain Camilo Alonso Vega
Strength
4,300 men
25 guns
8 armored vehicles		 600 men
5 guns
Casualties and losses
1,000 dead ?
  • v
  • t
  • e
Spanish Civil War
July 1936 uprising
1936
1937
1938
1939

The Villarreal Offensive (Spanish: Ofensiva de Villarreal) was an offensive of the Spanish Civil War which lasted from 30 November to 24 December 1936. Eusko Gudarostea's 4,300 men fought 600 men of the insurgent forces.

Background

In 1936, the Basque Aguirre's government organized its own independent army, the Eusko Gudarostea, with 25,000 men. Nominally, the Basque Army was a part of the Republican Army of the North. Furthermore, the war industries were militarized and started the construction of the Bilbao's Iron Belt. In early December the Basques, launched an offensive in order to occupy Vitoria, the capital city of the Alava province,[1] and reduce the Nationalist pressure on Madrid.

The battle

The Republicans, led by the General Francisco Llano de la Encomienda, assembled nineteen infantry battalions, six batteries and some armoured vehicles.[2] The morale of the Basque troops was high, but they had virtually no air support and only a few field guns.[3] Furthermore, before the offensive, one nationalist reconnaissance aircraft from Burgos, spotted the Republican force.[2] Opposing them, the Nationalists had one company of Requetes, two infantry battalions, one machine-gun section and an artillery battery in Villarreal.

The offensive started on 30 November, and the Basques occupy the mountains around Vitoria, surrounded Villarreal (3 km from Vitoria) and their artillery bombed it, but they could not occupy the town. The Nationalist troops rejected the attacks of the Republican troops and the Basques suffered high losses (1,000 dead). Furthermore, Nationalist reinforces led by the Colonel Camilo Alonso Vega, reached the town. On 13 and 18 December, the Basques launched new attacks against the town, but both of them were rejected by the Nationalist troops. On 18 December, the Nationalists, started a counter-offensive and ended the siege of the town. By the 24 December the battle ended.

Aftermath

The offensive failed and the Basques did not occupy Villareal, although the Basque forces occupied the mountains of Maroto, Albertia and Jarinto,[2] until the start of the Biscay Campaign.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Beevor 2006, p. 203.
  2. ^ a b c Beevor 2006, p. 226.
  3. ^ Beevor 2006, pp. 203–204.

References

  • Beevor, A. (2006). The Battle for Spain. London: Penguin. ISBN 9780143037651.

42°58′N 2°38′W / 42.967°N 2.633°W / 42.967; -2.633