Bombing of Xàtiva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bombing of Xàtiva |
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| Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||
 Memorial to the dead at Xàtiva Railway Station. Named "Aixopluc", it was inaugurated on 18 February 2007. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Nationalist Spain(  Kingdom of Italy) |
 Spanish Republic |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Five Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | 129 killed 200+ injured |
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The Bombing of Xàtiva was an air attack on the railway station in Xàtiva, Valencia Province, Spain. This event happened during the final part of the Spanish Civil War. It took place on February 12, 1939. The attack was ordered by Francisco Franco's Nationalist government. It was carried out by Italian planes from the Aviazione Legionaria, who were allies of the Nationalists.
A Sad Day in Xàtiva
This bombing happened in the last days of the Spanish Civil War. A train arrived at Xàtiva Railway Station in the morning. This train was hit during the attack.
The Attack and Its Victims
The bombing killed 129 people. 109 people died right away. More than 200 people were also hurt.
The train was carrying soldiers from the Spanish Republican Army. They belonged to a group called the 49th Mixed Brigade. These soldiers were being moved to a different place. Many civilians were also at the station. They wanted to greet their family and friends among the soldiers. Most of the people who died were soldiers from the 49th Mixed Brigade. However, some civilians were also killed. This included three children and 14 women.
The Planes and Bombs
The attack happened around 10:30 in the morning. Five Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bomber planes carried out the bombing. These planes were part of the Aviazione Legionaria. They were based in Palma de Mallorca.
The planes dropped twenty bombs, each weighing 250 kilograms (about 550 pounds). They dropped these bombs from a height of 4,200 meters (about 13,780 feet). The bombs hit the railway station. So many soldiers from the 49th Mixed Brigade were killed or hurt. Because of this, the Republican leaders decided not to rebuild the brigade. The soldiers who survived were sent to other army groups.
See also
In Spanish: Bombardeo de Játiva para niños
