The Bombing of Jaén was an aerial attack on the city of
Jaén on 1 April 1937, during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, by the
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...
of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, who fought for the rebels. The bombing was ordered by the General
Queipo de Llano
Gonzalo Queipo de Llano y Sierra (5 February 1875 – 9 March 1951) was a Spanish military leader who rose to prominence during the July 1936 coup and then the Spanish Civil War and the White Terror.
Biography
A career army man, Queipo de Llan ...
, as retaliation for a Republican air raid on the city of
Córdoba.
The bombing
On 1 April 1937, six German
Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers.
Development of the Ju 52 commenced during 1930, headed by German aeron ...
bombers of the Nationalist Air Force, escorted by six
Heinkel He 51
The Heinkel He 51 was a Nazi Germany, German single-seat biplane which was produced in a number of different versions. It was initially developed as a Fighter aircraft, fighter; a seaplane variant and a Ground-attack aircraft, ground-attack ...
and three
CR 32 fighters, bombed the city of Jaén, which had no
legitimate military target
A legitimate military target is an object, structure, individual, or entity that is considered to be a valid target for attack by belligerent forces according to the law of war during an armed conflict.
Overview
Protocol I to the Geneva Conventi ...
s or
anti-aircraft defenses. Current estimates indicated there were 159 deaths among the civilian population and several hundred injured, comparable with the
Bombing of Guernica
On 26 April 1937, the Basque town of Guernica (''Gernika'' in Basque) was aerial bombed during the Spanish Civil War. It was carried out at the behest of Francisco Franco's rebel Nationalist faction by its allies, the Nazi German Luftwaffe's ...
, which occurred four weeks later.
Aftermath
As a reprisal, the local republican authorities executed 128 Nationalist prisoners.
[Julía, Santos; Casanova, Julían; Solé i Sabaté, Josep Maria; Villarroya, Joan; and Moreno, Francisco. ''Víctimas de la guerra civil.'' Editorial Temas de Hoy. 2006. Madrid. p.171]
See also
*
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...
*
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
Notes
Explosions in 1937
Mass murder in 1937
Battles of the Spanish Civil War
1937 in Spain
Spanish Civil War massacres
Conflicts in 1937
History of Andalusia
Jaén, Spain
Airstrikes during the Spanish Civil War
April 1937 events
Airstrikes conducted by Spain
{{SpanishCivilWar-stub