Battle of Albarracín facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Albarracín
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Date 5 July – 11 August 1937 Location Albarracín area and Montes Universales, Spain Result Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain
Commanders and leaders
?	Miguel Ponte Fernando Barrón
Strength
42nd Division 8,000-9,500	?
Casualties and losses
High	Unknown

The Battle of Albarracín was a fight during the Spanish Civil War. It happened in and around Albarracín, a town in Teruel, Spain. The battle lasted from July 5 to August 11, 1937.

What Led to the Battle?

The Aragon front was an important area during the war. It was a key goal for the Republicans. The Nationalists had a long, weak defense line. This line stretched from the Pyrenees mountains down to the city of Teruel. It then went to the Montes Universales mountains.

Because the Nationalist defenses were weak, the Republicans saw a chance to attack. They had more soldiers. Cities like Huesca and Teruel were already surrounded by Republican forces. The Republicans planned a small attack in Albarracín. This was meant to help their bigger attack happening at Brunete. It also aimed to keep Nationalist troops busy on this front.

How the Battle Unfolded

The Republican Attack

The 42nd Republican division quickly moved into position. They took over the high ground around Albarracín. This gave them a strong spot to attack the town. Albarracín had only a small group of defenders.

On July 5, the Republicans broke through the enemy lines. By July 7, they entered the town. They quickly took control of almost all of Albarracín. However, two small groups of defenders held out. These groups were in the barracks of the Guardia Civil and in the cathedral. They were civilians and some Nationalist soldiers.

The 60th mixed brigade did most of the fighting. Other brigades helped them. The 59th Brigade went to Gea de Albarracín to make their positions stronger. The 61st Brigade took control of Monterde. After the Republicans advanced, most of the Nationalist defenders moved to the higher parts of Albarracín. Nationalist planes, called the Aviación Nacional, bombed the Republican areas. From this point on, the Republicans had to defend their new positions.

The Nationalist Counterattack

The Nationalist forces began to fight back. They were made up of soldiers from the Legion and Moroccan Regulars. They advanced on the roads leading into the Sierra de Albarracín Comarca area.

On July 9, the Nationalist troops reorganized. They formed three groups under General Miguel Ponte. On July 11, the Republican troops received orders. They had to hold Albarracín at all costs. They also had to defeat the remaining Nationalist groups in the town's buildings. These Nationalist groups had been without food or water since July 8.

The Nationalists launched a strong counterattack. They pushed back the Republicans. On July 14, General Ponte's troops broke through Republican defenses. They took back Albarracín.

On July 16, the fighting was very tough. The Republicans used the hilly land to their advantage. But the Nationalists slowly won back all the areas they had lost.

The Nationalists kept pushing forward. They moved towards the Montes Universales mountains. They broke through the Republican defenses again. The Republicans could not stop the Nationalist advance. On July 21, the Nationalists took over several Republican towns. By July 31, the Republican forces began to fall apart. The Nationalist attack continued through the Montes Universales. The Nationalists stopped their advance, and the fighting ended on August 11.

What Was the Outcome?

The Battle of Albarracín did not change much for the overall Aragon front. It also did not affect the Battle of Brunete. However, the Nationalists gained a few kilometers of land. They also took control of some towns. This helped them make their defenses stronger south of Teruel. This area stayed mostly quiet until the end of the war.

More to Explore

In Spanish: Batalla de Albarracín para niños

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