The Battle of the Sierra Guadalupe ( en, Guadalupe Mountains), also known as the Tagus Campaign, was a continuation of the
Nationalist Army's race north toward
Madrid in the early stages of the
Spanish Civil War. In mid-late August 1936, the three
Regulares columns of
General Yagüe
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
's
Army of Africa dashed through the
Sierra de Guadalupe Mountains, also known as ''Sierra de Villuercas'', in central
Spain and forded across the
Tagus River, capturing several towns and routing the Republicans in a succession of rapid advances.
Background
On August 14,
Badajoz fell to the Nationalists under General Yagüe, cutting off the Republic from
Portugal. Ahead of him, several hundred miles to the northeast, across the broad
Tagus River, gleamed
Madrid, the aim and object of
General Franco's lightning campaign. The
Army of Africa's famous northward ''Marcha'' (or "March" - actually a fully motorized displacement), consequently, continued without pause into the hills and valleys sheltering Madrid.
To cover these southern approaches, the Republic deployed loyalist
General Riquelme with the so-called ''"Army of
Extremadura"'', a force of about 9,000 militia. Many of these troops had been redeployed in haste from the mountains of the Guadarrama front, and their condition deteriorated wretchedly in the Tagus River valley.
The battle
The government militias, while unquestionably brave, were sorely deficient in training and equipment and proved unable to face the disciplined
Spanish Foreign Legion and the feared
Moroccan ''
Regulares''
shock troops. Desertions bled the Republicans, who refused to dig
trenches. Consequently, the Nationalists outmarched and outflanked the defenders, forcing perpetual retreats by threatening encirclement.
Riquelme's forces included 2,000
Anarchists who refused to take his orders and launched useless attacks along the San Vicente hills. On August 17,
Major Heli Tella pushed through to
Trujillo and crossed the Tagus at
Almaraz
Almaraz is a town in Cáceres Province, Extremadura, Spain. As of 2005, its population is 1,295. It is on the European route E90. It is the home of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant. A large solar power plant is being built in the town.
The bridge ...
.
Guadalupe fell to
Major Antonio Castejón on August 21.
According to the novel ''
L'Espoir'',
[Hugh Thomas, ''Spanish Civil War'', (1961) chapter 22] at
Medellín
Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
, a section of
Colonel Carlos Asensio's column was surprised and savagely attacked by Republican aircraft under
André Malraux, but on the whole resistance was minimal. By August 27, all three columns had concentrated at
Navalmoral
Navalmoral is a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2006 census (INE
INE, Ine or ine may refer to:
Institutions
* Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center
* Inst ...
, where the Nationalists launched the war's first
air raids on Madrid.
See also
*
List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
*
List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
References
Bibliography
* Thomas, Hugh. ''The Spanish Civil War''. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1961.
External links
La Marcha: The Drive on Madrid
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of The Sierra Guadalupe
1936 in Spain
Sierra Guadalupe
Sierra Guadalupe
Sierra Guadalupe
Spanish Civil War in Extremadura
Province of Cáceres
August 1936 events