Battle of El Mazucu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of El Mazucu |
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| Part of the Asturias Offensive of the War in the North campaign of the Spanish Civil War |
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.jpg) El Mazucu and the heights of Llabres |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spanish Republic Sovereign Council of Asturias and León Confederal militias |
 Spanish State |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lt. Col. Francisco Galán Rodríguez Cpt. Juan Ibarrola Orueta |
Col. José Solchaga Zala | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Less than 5,000 | 33,000, plus elements of the Legión Cóndor and (possibly) Corpo Truppe Volontarie |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of El Mazucu was a major fight during the Spanish Civil War. It happened between September 6 and 22, 1937. This battle was part of the "War in the North" campaign. It involved the Republicans (who supported the government) and the Nationalists (who were against the government).
The battle took place in the mountains around El Mazucu, a small pass in Asturias, Spain. Even though the Republicans were greatly outnumbered, they fought bravely. They managed to stop the Nationalist army for several weeks. This gave the Republicans in other areas a little more time.
Sadly, after a long and tough fight, the Republicans were defeated. This allowed the Nationalists to move forward. They eventually took Gijón, which was the last Republican area in Northwest Spain. This battle is also important because it was likely the first time "carpet bombing" was used against soldiers. Carpet bombing is when many bombs are dropped over a wide area.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
After losing important cities like Bilbao and Santander, the Republican forces in Asturias were all alone. They were cut off from their friends in other parts of Spain. The Nationalist general, Fidel Dávila, thought it would be easy to take Asturias. He attacked from the south and east.
Nationalist Advance and Republican Defense
The Nationalists quickly broke through the first Republican defense line near the Deva River. The town of Llanes fell on September 5, 1937. But then, the Nationalists faced a big problem. The paths they needed to take were blocked by tall limestone mountains called the Sierra de Cuera. To the south, there was a deep valley called the Deva Gorge.
The Nationalists planned to attack from two sides. They wanted to move southwest from Llanes and west from Panes. Their goal was to meet up near Cabrales.
The Importance of El Mazucu
However, the rough mountains and strong Republican fighters stopped their advance. It became clear that the Sierra de Cuera mountains were key to defending Asturias. And the most important spot in the Sierra de Cuera was the pass of El Mazucu.
Who Fought in the Battle
The two sides had very different strengths.
Nationalist Forces
The Nationalists had a large army of about 33,000 men. These were four brigades from Navarre, led by General José Solchaga Zala. They had 15 artillery batteries, which are groups of big guns. They also had strong air support, including planes from the German Legión Cóndor. Some of these planes were based at the Cue Aerodrome nearby.
Because El Mazucu is only five kilometers from the sea, a Nationalist warship, the Almirante Cervera, could also help. It used its powerful 6-inch guns to fire at the Republican positions.
Republican Forces
The Republican side had much fewer soldiers. They had less than 5,000 men. These were Asturian, Basque, and Santander forces. They were organized into three brigades, but they were not at full strength. Their commanders were Colonels Juan Ibarrola Orueta and Francisco Galán Rodríguez. They had very little artillery and no air support at all.
Key Moments of the Battle
The battle for El Mazucu was long and brutal, lasting over two weeks.
First Attacks and Carpet Bombing
The Nationalist attack on El Mazucu started on September 6. The Navarrese I brigade tried to storm the pass, but the Republicans pushed them back. At the same time, the Nationalist attack from the south was also stopped.
Because of these setbacks, the German Condor Legion was called in. On September 7, they dropped many bombs over a wide area. This was the first time "carpet bombing" was used against soldiers. The bombing continued all day.
Fierce Fighting and Foggy Conditions
On September 7, more attacks were stopped. A famous Republican commander, Higinio Carrocera, arrived with more soldiers and heavy machine guns. The carpet bombing continued with explosive and fire bombs.
The next day, a thick fog covered the mountains. There was intense hand-to-hand fighting, meaning soldiers fought very closely. Both sides lost many men. The Nationalists gained about 2 kilometers on the southern front, but the Republicans could not get it back.
Bombardment and Republican Resistance
The Nationalists spent the next day shelling the Republican positions. Two Republican battalions had to pull back. But the Nationalists could not take advantage of this. For the next two days, waves of bombings and artillery fire hit the Republican lines. After each attack, the Nationalist soldiers would try to advance. But the Republican machine guns always stopped them.
On September 10, the fog returned. The Nationalist I Brigade launched a big attack and took a hill called Biforco. This hill was below the El Mazucu pass. But the Republicans still held the higher ground of Llabres. From there, they fired machine guns and rolled down barrels filled with explosives. For the first time in the battle, the Republican soldiers on the front lines received hot food.
Struggle in the Mountains
For the next two days, the Nationalists could not move forward in the valley on the southern front. So, they had to climb up the Sierra mountains towards Pico Turbina. This peak is 1,315 meters (about 4,300 feet) high. It has very steep slopes and a rocky, uneven surface. There were no paths, even for mules. So, supplies had to be carried by hand. The weather was bad, so planes could not fly. But the fog also helped hide the attacking soldiers.
By September 13, the Republican defenses northwest of El Mazucu started to weaken. This was due to the constant artillery fire. On September 14, the Republicans had to give up Sierra Llabres. This high ground overlooked both El Mazucu village and the paths leading to it from the west. With Sierra Llabres lost, the village of El Mazucu itself could not be defended. To the south, Pico Turbina was almost taken. But the Republicans fought back with hand grenades in the thick fog.
Final Overrun
El Mazucu and the areas around it were finally taken on September 15. The Republicans in that area fell back to Meré. To the south, the Republicans still held the high points of Pico Turbina and Peñas Blancas. Pico Turbina was taken, and Peñas Blancas was almost surrounded. The towns of Arangas and Arenas fell to the Nationalists the next day.
The three peaks of Peñas Blancas were now the only part of the Republican line left. The first Nationalist attacks failed. So, sixteen battalions were brought in to capture these positions. Air support was limited because of the bad weather. On the ground, rain turned to snow on the high peaks.
On September 18, the weather improved. Three waves of planes, including Junkers and Fiat fighters, attacked the remaining defenders. After each air attack, the Nationalist soldiers would charge. But the Republicans fought them off with machine guns and hand grenades. For four more days, the same pattern happened. Planes and mortars bombed the defenders, Nationalist soldiers attacked, and they were pushed back. The Republican flag stayed on the highest peak until September 22. On that day, the Peñas Blancas were finally taken.
What Happened After the Battle
The brave defense of El Mazucu gave hope that the Nationalist advance could be stopped until winter. If that had happened, the war might have turned out differently. The Nationalists did suffer a costly delay. The Republican defenders fought with great honor, even though they had been defeated in Santander.
The Condor Legion, which was a German air force unit, learned many lessons from this battle. These lessons were later used in World War II.
The defense of El Mazucu also gave the Republicans further west in Asturias some time to regroup. But in the end, it did not change the final outcome much. The Nationalists from the Eastern front soon joined up with their forces coming from León. They then closed in on Gijón. Gijón was the last Republican stronghold in Northern Spain. It fell on October 21, 1937.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de El Mazuco 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
Images for kids
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El Mazucu from Alto de la Tornería, with the ridge of Llabres on the right
