Battle of the Ebro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of the Ebro |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||
 Republican antiaircraft artillery in the Battle of the Ebro |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
|
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 80,000 Thomas: 70–80 field batteries 27 anti-aircraft guns Beevor: 22 tanks (T-26) 150 guns |
90,000 July: 100 fighters 140 bombers 31 August: 100 tanks 300 guns 500 aircraft |
||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Thomas: 10,000–15,000 killed Jackson: 10,000 Preston: 7,150 killed 20,000 wounded 19,563 captured 80 aircraft destroyed |
Thomas: 6,500 killed Preston: 6,100 killed Jackson: 5,000 killed 30,000 wounded 5,000 captured |
||||||
The Battle of the Ebro (Spanish: Batalla del Ebro, Catalan: Batalla de l'Ebre) was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War. It was also the biggest battle ever fought in Spain in terms of the number of soldiers, supplies, and equipment used. It happened between July and November 1938.
The main fighting took place in two areas along the lower Ebro River: the Terra Alta region in Catalonia and the Auts area near Fayón in Eastern Lower Aragon. Even though these areas were not very populated, they saw the largest armies of the war face off. The battle was a disaster for the Second Spanish Republic, with many thousands of soldiers killed or wounded. It did not stop the advance of the Nationalists.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
By 1938, the Second Spanish Republic was in a very difficult situation. The northern part of the country, which was controlled by the Republic, had fallen. In the winter of 1937-1938, the Republican army had used up a lot of its strength fighting in the Battle of Teruel. This was a series of very bloody fights in freezing temperatures around the city of Teruel. The Francoist army took the city back in February.
After this, the Nationalists started a new attack in Aragon in March. They did not give the Republican army a chance to recover. The Republican soldiers were tired from fighting in the cold winter. They could not put up much resistance. By April 15, Franco's troops reached the Mediterranean Sea at Vinaròs. This split the Republican territory into two parts. The Nationalist army also took Lleida and the dams that provided electricity to many factories in Catalonia.
However, on March 17, 1938, the French government decided to reopen its border with Spain. This meant the Republican Army in Catalonia could get more supplies. Between March and mid-June, they received 18,000 tons of war materials. They also formed twelve new divisions. These new soldiers included former Nationalist prisoners and young people as young as sixteen. These young soldiers were called the Quinta del Biberón (the baby-bottle call-up). A new army, the Ebro's army, was then created.
Meanwhile, the Francoist armies attacked the XYZ Line north of Valencia. They wanted to capture Valencia, which was the Republican capital. They did not advance towards Barcelona because they were afraid that France would join the war to help the Republic. To respond to this, the Spanish leader Juan Negrín approved a plan by General Vicente Rojo Lluch. This plan was to attack the main Francoist forces that were moving towards Valencia. The goal was to reduce the pressure on Valencia and Catalonia. It also aimed to show European governments that the Republican government was still strong.
Who Fought in the Battle
The Republican Army
The Popular Republican Army decided to attack in the lower Ebro area. This was to distract the Nationalist armies moving towards Valencia. The Republican army was large, but it did not have enough air support or artillery (big guns). The Ebro Army was formed on May 15. It was led by Lieutenant Colonel Juan Modesto. It combined the 15th and 5th Army Corps. More soldiers from the 12th and 18th Army Corps joined once the battle started.
Key Republican Army Corps
- The 15th Army Corps was led by Manuel Tagüeña. It included the 35th International Division (with International Brigades), the 3rd Division, and the 42nd Division.
- The 5th Army Corps was led by Lieutenant Colonel Enrique Líster. It included the 11th Division, the 46th Division, and the 45th Division (another international division).
- The 12th Army Corps was led by Lieutenant Colonel Etelvino Vega.
- The 18th Army Corps was led by Lieutenant Colonel José del Barrio. It acted as a backup force.
The Nationalist Army
The Nationalist forces were positioned on the right bank of the Ebro River. Later, the Maestrazgo Army Corps was sent to help. It was led by General Rafael García Valiño.
Key Nationalist Army Corps
- The Morocco Army Corps was led by General Juan Yagüe. It included the 40th Division, 50th Division, and 105th Division. Most of these soldiers were very experienced, including Legionarios and Regulares (African mercenaries).
- The Maestrazgo Army Corps was led by General Rafael García Valiño. It included the 1st División de Navarra, 74th Division, 84th Division, and 13th Division.
The Battle Begins
Republican Surprise Attack
The Republican Army spent a week getting ready to cross the Ebro River. Their special forces gathered information about where the Nationalists were. Republican troops even practiced crossing rivers. The Nationalists knew that the Republicans were moving troops and building bridges. However, Franco, the Nationalist leader, did not think the Republican Army was ready for a big attack across the Ebro.
The Republicans chose a bend in the Ebro River between Fayon and Benifallet for their crossing. This area was held by the Nationalist 50th Division. The Republican army started crossing on the night of July 24-25, when there was no moon. Republican commandos crossed first, killed the guards, and set up ropes for the assault boats. Then, the first Republican troops crossed in ninety boats, each carrying ten men. The rest of the troops crossed the next day using three pontoon bridges.
The attack was a complete surprise, and the Republican forces were successful at first. However, a second attack near Amposta failed after 18 hours of fighting. The Republican troops suffered heavy losses and had to retreat.
On the first day, Republican troops surrounded the Nationalist 50th Division. They took 4,000 prisoners, and many other Nationalist soldiers ran away. By that evening, Republican forces had advanced several miles. By July 26, Republican troops had taken over 800 square kilometers of land. They reached the edge of Gandesa. But the Nationalists brought in more troops and the Republicans could not capture the town.
Franco then sent many more soldiers to the Ebro front. He sent eight divisions, over 140 bombers, and 100 fighter planes. He also ordered the dams at Tremp and Camarasa to be opened. The floodwaters destroyed the pontoon bridges. Republican engineers managed to fix them within two days. However, the German Condor Legion and Italian Aviazione Legionaria started bombing the bridges every day. Republican engineers had to repair them every night. Because of this, only 22 tanks and a few artillery pieces managed to cross the Ebro River. Republican troops started running low on supplies, ammunition, and drinking water.
The Fight for Gandesa
The main goal for the Republicans was to capture the town of Gandesa. It was about 25 kilometers west of the Ebro and was an important crossroads. The land around Gandesa was very hilly, with mountains like the Cavalls, Pandols, and Fatarella. These rocky hills had little cover from Nationalist fire.
On July 27, the Republican commander Modesto ordered an attack on Gandesa with T-26 tanks. On July 30, he focused his tanks and artillery around Gandesa and launched an attack with soldiers. On August 1, the XV International Brigade attacked Hill 481 in front of Gandesa. They suffered huge losses. The Republican attack failed because the Nationalists had much stronger air power and artillery. Modesto then ordered the Ebro Army to stop attacking and start defending.
A Long and Hard Fight
After the Republican attack ended, the Republican army was stuck in an area with the Ebro River behind them. Nationalist officers wanted to attack across the Segre River and move towards Barcelona. But Franco wanted to destroy the Republican Army of the Ebro and take back the land they had lost. The Nationalists gathered most of their artillery and air forces at the Ebro front. The Republican leaders told their troops to hold their ground and not retreat. Soldiers and officers were even executed if they tried to retreat.
Both sides fought a battle that was like the World War I Western Front. Each side launched bloody attacks on enemy positions. It became a war of attrition, meaning each side tried to wear down the other by causing heavy losses. The Nationalists used artillery and air bombs to weaken Republican defenses. Then, they would attack with soldiers to take the area. Every day, 500 cannons fired over 13,000 shells at the Republican troops. More than 200 Nationalist aircraft dropped 10,000 pounds of bombs.
Despite this, the Republican troops fought very bravely. They pushed back Nationalist attacks with machine-gun and mortar fire. In many areas, the ground was too hard to dig trenches or foxholes. As the August heat became terrible (it was 37 degrees Celsius on August 4), the Republican troops ran out of water and food. The constant bombing from morning to night made things even worse. It was impossible to bury bodies, and wounded soldiers could only be moved at night by small boats.
The key to the battle was the Nationalist advantage in the air. This came from the Italian Aviazione Legionaria and German Condor Legion planes. The Nationalists had about 500 top-quality planes. The Republican Air Force had only about 35 modern fighters and 40 older planes. By August, the Republican Air Force had lost control of the sky. Republican planes were outnumbered by at least two to one. Most of their experienced Soviet pilots had also left. Republican anti-aircraft defenses were not good enough, and many planes were destroyed on the ground. The Nationalists used their bombers to destroy the pontoon bridges on the Ebro. They also used them like flying artillery to smash Republican positions in the mountains and destroy their supply lines.
Nationalist Counterattacks
The Nationalist forces launched six counterattacks to take back the land the Republicans had captured. The first counterattack started on August 6 against the Republican area between Mequinenza and Fayón. The Condor Legion dropped 50 tons of bombs. By August 10, the Republican troops were forced back across the river. The Republicans lost 900 men and 200 machine guns.
On August 11, the Nationalists attacked the Pandols Range. This area was held by the Republican 11th Division. By August 14, the Nationalists had taken the high point of Santa Magdalena, but the Republicans still held the rest of the mountain range. On August 18, the Nationalists again opened the dams on the Segre River, destroying the pontoon bridges on the Ebro. On August 19, General Juan Yagüe, with six divisions and support from the Legion Condor, advanced from Villalba del Arcs. They captured the heights of Gaeta after five days of fierce fighting. The slow progress of the Nationalists made Mussolini, the Italian leader, very angry.
Franco then decided to send Garcia Valiño's Maestrazgo Corps to the front. On August 31, the Nationalists attacked the Cavalls Range to move towards Corbera. This mountain range was held by three Republican divisions. The Nationalists attacked with eight divisions, 300 guns, 500 aircraft, and 100 tanks. On September 3, the Nationalists launched a new attack from Gandesa, supported by German 88 mm guns. By September 4, the Nationalists had captured Corbera. Nationalist forces broke through the Republican lines, but Modesto quickly closed the gap with the 35th Division. He ordered his troops to hold on: "Not a single position must be lost. If the enemy takes one, there must be a rapid counterattack... Not a metre of ground to the enemy!" After six weeks of fighting, the Nationalists had taken back 120 square miles. On September 21, the Republican prime minister, Juan Negrin, announced that the International Brigades would leave Spain.
On October 2, the Nationalists took the heights of Lavall. Two weeks later, they captured Point 666, which was key to the Pandols Range. On October 30, the Nationalist troops attacked the heights of the Cavalls Range. They were supported by 175 guns and 100 aircraft. The Republicans lost the heights after one day of fighting. They suffered huge losses, with 1,000 prisoners and 500 dead. On November 2, the Nationalists took the Pandols Range. On November 3, the right side of the Nationalist forces reached the Ebro River. On November 7, Móra la Nova fell. By November 10, the Nationalists had taken Mount Picossa. On November 16, the last Republican soldiers crossed back over the Ebro at Flix, and the battle ended.
What Happened After
The Nationalists had more soldiers and equipment. This meant they could handle their losses better and wear down the Republicans. As a result of the Battle of the Ebro, the Republican army was almost completely destroyed as a fighting force. The Republican air force could no longer fight effectively.
Both sides suffered huge losses, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 110,000 casualties. The Republicans also lost many aircraft (between 130 and 150). The Nationalists lost many of their best officers, and most of their tanks and trucks needed repairs. The Republican army lost most of its weapons and experienced soldiers. However, after Franco signed a new mining law that gave Germany many benefits, Germany sent new weapons to the Nationalist forces. In December, Franco launched an attack on Catalonia.
Some historians, like Antony Beevor, believe that the Republican leader Negrín's decision to keep attacking, instead of just defending, was mainly because the Communist Party of Spain wanted victories for propaganda. He argues that at the Battle of the Ebro, this policy destroyed the Republican army for little gain. The Republicans did not achieve any of their main goals.
However, other historians like Paul Preston and Helen Graham say that by starting the Battle of the Ebro, the Republicans stopped the Nationalist attack on Valencia. They also caused huge losses for the Nationalist army and made the war last several more months. But the Munich Agreement, which happened around this time, removed any hope of help from other European countries. This turned the Republican's political victory into a major military defeat.
A well-known Republican song, ¡Ay Carmela!, remembers the battle.
See also
- Hill 705
- Si me quieres escribir
- List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
- Condor Legion
- Aviazione Legionaria
- List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
Images for kids
-
View of Corbera d'Ebre with the ruins of the old town that was destroyed during the Battle of the Ebro and kept as a memorial
-
Map of Spain six months before the Battle of the Ebro (Republican territory in red, Nationalist territory in blue)
-
Map of Spain in November 1938, after the end of the Battle of the Ebro and immediately before the Catalonia Offensive
-
The Auts, low, scruffy hills south of Mequinensa where a whole Republican division was captured and slaughtered
