Asturias Offensive facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Asturias Offensive |
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| Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Spanish Republic Asturias Isaac Puente Battalion |
 Nationalist Spain Italy (CTV) Condor Legion |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Adolfo Prada Francisco Ciutat Francisco Galán Belarmino Tomás |
Fidel Dávila Antonio Aranda José Solchaga Agustín Muñoz Grandes |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| 45,000 180 artillery guns 1 destroyer 1 submarine |
90,000 250 artillery guns 250 aircraft 2 cruisers 1 destroyer |
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The Asturias Offensive was a major battle during the Spanish Civil War. It took place in a region of Spain called Asturias. This fight lasted from September 1 to October 21, 1937. Around 45,000 soldiers from the Spanish Republican Army fought against 90,000 soldiers from the Nationalist forces. The Nationalists won this important battle.
What Led to the Fight?
After a battle near Zaragoza, the Nationalists decided to focus their efforts. They wanted to take control of Asturias. This area was the last part of northern Spain still held by the Republicans.
On August 29, the leaders of Asturias, known as the Sovereign Council, took charge. Belarmino Tomas led this group. They put Colonel Prada in command of the Republican Army in the North.
Who Fought?
The Nationalist attack was led by General Dávila. His "Army of the North" had about 80,000 soldiers. This group included four brigades from Navarre, led by José Solchaga. It also had three divisions led by Antonio Aranda. The Italian CTV also joined them. The Nationalists had 250 cannons and 250 airplanes.
On the other side, the Republicans had their "Army of the North." Colonel Prada was their commander. This army included the XIV Army Corps, led by Francisco Galán, with 8,000 to 10,000 men. Colonel Linares led the XVII Army Corps, which had 35,000 soldiers. The Republicans had 180 cannons. They also had about 35 airplanes, including Chatos and Moscas.
The Battle Begins
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The Nationalist attack started on September 1. Solchaga's troops moved from the east, and Aranda's troops came from the southwest. Even though the Nationalists had many more soldiers and planes, they moved very slowly. They advanced less than one kilometer each day. The Republican soldiers fought very bravely. The tough mountains of the Cordillera Cantabrica helped them defend their positions.
Solchaga's troops, about 33,000 men, took Llanes on September 5. Then, in the Battle of El Mazuco, they attacked high ground. This area was defended by about 5,000 workers from La Felguera. The Navarrese soldiers eventually took the valley and mountains. But it took 33 days of very hard fighting.
On September 18, the Nationalists took Ribadesella. On October 1, they captured Covadonga. But by October 14, the Republicans still held several high mountain passes. The Republicans' main goal was to slow down the Nationalists until winter.
However, the Legion Condor, a German air force unit, came back to the area. They started bombing the Republican positions. The German planes even tested new bombing methods. They used cans of gasoline with bombs to create widespread fires.
On October 14, Arriondas fell. Colonel Muñoz Grandes broke through the Republican lines. His troops entered Tama and moved towards Campo de Caso. The Republican soldiers had to retreat to Gijón. On October 15, Solchaga's and Aranda's troops met up.
The Republican government then ordered everyone to leave the area. On October 17, the Asturian leaders decided to start the evacuation. But the Legion Condor sank the Republican destroyer Ciscar. The Nationalist navy also blocked the harbors in Asturias. Only the top officers managed to escape on small boats. On October 20, many Republican battalions surrendered. Colonel José Franco gave the town of Trubia to the Nationalists. On October 21, the Nationalists entered Gijón. This ended their control of Asturias. However, thousands of Republican soldiers hid in the mountains. They started fighting the Nationalist troops in small groups, like a guerrilla war.
What Happened Next?
After the battle, many Republican prisoners faced severe consequences. Some were imprisoned or forced to join the Nationalist army. With the North now under their control, the Nationalists gained a lot. They controlled 36 percent of Spain's factories. They also had 60 percent of the coal and all of the steel production.
See also
In Spanish: Ofensiva de Asturias para niños
- List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
- List of weapons of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie
- Condor Legion
- List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
