The Battle of Lopera took place between 27 and 29 December 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. This battle took place during the Nationalist's Aceituna offensive. On 27 December, the XIV International Brigade launched an attack in order to occupy the Nationalist-held town of Lopera, but the attack failed after two days and the Brigade suffered appalling casualties.
Background In December 1936, Queipo de Llano started an offensive in order to capture the olive-growing area of Andújar, province of Jaén. The Republic then sent the recently formed XIV International Brigade to the Andújar front, in order to retake the town of Lopera occupied by the Nationalists on 24 December.Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.196
The battle On 27 December, the Brigade launched an attack in order to recover the town of Lopera. The XIV International Brigade (3,000 men), led by General Walter, had no training or telephone communications. Furthermore, they did not have air or artillery support. On this front the Nationalists had Commander Redondo's column with a shock brigade of Andalusian requetes (2,000 men) and 2,000 Moroccan regulares and Spanish cavalry.Moreno Gómez, Francisco. 1936: el genocidio franquista en Córdoba. Editoríal Crítica. 2008. Barcelona.p.798. The brigade members were decimated by the Nationalists with machine gun fire, mortars and artillery. After 36 hours the attack was called off.Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.197
Aftermath The Brigade had lost 800 men (300 dead), among them the English poets John Cornford and Ralph Winston Fox.Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p.476 Dubliner Tommy Wood was killed at the age of 17. The English company of the 10th battalion lost 78 men out of 145.Moreno Gómez, Francisco. 1936: el genocidio franquista en Córdoba. Eidtoríal Crítica. 2008. Barcelona, p.802. After the battle, André Marty ordered the detention of the commander of the French battalion of the Brigade, Gaston Delasalle. Delasalle was accused of incompetence, cowardice and of being a fascist spy, and executed by firing squad.Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p.197Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Modern Library. 2001. London. p.477
Notes
See also List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
References
Bibliography Beevor, Antony. (2006). The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939. Penguin Books. London. . Thomas, Hugh. (2001). The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. .
External links Battle of Lopera