Battle of Valsequillo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Valsequillo
Part of The Spanish Civil War
Buildings of former mining operations in Peñarroya
Date 5 January – 4 February 1939 Location Extremadura, Spain Result Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain
Commanders and leaders
Juan Ibarrola Manuel Matallana	Gonzalo Queipo de Llano
Strength
90,000 men 200 guns 40 tanks	80,000 men 100 guns
Casualties and losses
6,000	2,000

Map of Spain showing the front lines in November 1938

The Battle of Valsequillo, also called the Battle of Peñarroya, was an important fight during the Spanish Civil War. It happened in the Sierra Morena mountains, in southern Extremadura and northern Andalusia, from January 5 to February 4, 1939. This battle was a surprise attack by the Republican army. Their main goal was to make the Nationalist forces move away from another big fight happening in Catalonia. Even though the Republicans took over 500 square kilometers of land, their advance stopped. The Nationalists then fought back and took all the land they had lost.

Why Did the Battle of Valsequillo Happen?

After a big defeat at the Battle of Ebro, the Republican Army was very weak. They had lost many weapons and experienced soldiers. By December 1938, the Nationalists had gathered a huge army of 300,000 to 340,000 men. This army, led by General Davila, was ready to conquer Catalonia.

To help Catalonia, Vicente Rojo, who was in charge of the Republican army, decided to launch a new attack. This attack would be in a different area, hoping to make the Nationalists send some of their troops away from Catalonia.

What Was Plan P?

Back in 1937, Vicente Rojo had a secret plan called Plan P. This plan was to attack through Extremadura all the way to the border with Portugal. The idea was to cut the Nationalist-held area in half. However, the Republican government did not approve this plan at the time.

In December 1938, Rojo decided to try a similar attack anyway. One Republican army would push through Extremadura towards Cordoba. Another small group would land by sea at Motril and try to reach Málaga, hoping to start a rebellion against the Nationalists in Andalusia. This attack was supposed to begin on December 8. But the sea landing at Motril was called off at the last minute. Also, Generals Miaja and Matallana disagreed with the plan. So, the Republican attack in Extremadura did not start until January 5, 1939, which was after the Nationalists had already begun their big attack on Catalonia.

How the Battle Unfolded

Who Fought in the Battle?

The Republican side put together the Estremadura Army. General Antonio Escobar Huertas led this army. It included the XXII Corps, led by Colonel Juan Ibarrola, which had the 47th, 70th, and 10th Divisions. There was also the Agrupacion Toral, led by Major Nilamon Toral, with the 6th, 28th, and 52nd divisions. Four special brigades of infantry and cavalry, called Column F, also joined the army. Even though the Republican army was large, many of its soldiers did not have enough weapons or equipment.

Facing them, the Nationalists had seven divisions: the 10th, 40th, 74th, 81st, 60th, 112th, and 122nd divisions. General Queipo de Llano was in charge of these forces.

The Republican Attack Begins

On January 5, the XXII Corps of the Republican army started their attack. They broke through the Nationalist lines near Hinojosa del Duque, creating a gap about 8 kilometers wide. The next day, January 6, the Republican forces broke through the Nationalist's second line of defense and took over Fuente Obejuna. By January 7, they had also captured Los Blazquez and Peraleda del Zaucejo.

However, the Republican advance stopped before reaching Peñarroya. The Nationalist air force attacked them, and bad weather made the ground muddy. This caused the Republican tanks to get stuck. When the Republican attack stopped, they had taken about 500 square kilometers of land, but this land was not very important strategically.

The Nationalist Fight Back

On January 17, the Nationalists began their own counterattack. They fought hard and took back Peraleda del Zaucejo on January 22. Then, on January 25, they recaptured Fuente Obejuna. By February 4, the Nationalists had won back all the land that the Republicans had taken. General Escobar ordered the remaining Republican forces to retreat.

What Happened After the Battle?

The Battle of Valsequillo did not achieve its main goal. It was a complete failure for the Republicans. Even though they briefly took a large area, the Nationalist attack against Catalonia continued. By February, the Nationalists had taken over all of Catalonia. This battle showed how difficult it was for the Republican army to recover and win against the Nationalists in the final stages of the war.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Valsequillo para niños

• List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
• List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War