THE BATTLE AT BRUNETE
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July 1937 saw the launch of a large-scale offensive west of Madrid at Brunete with the aim of diverting Nationalist forces from the north of Madrid, relieving pressure there and making it more difficult to supply their forces. If successful, it would be followed by a further attack from the south of Madrid encircling the Nationalist forces. It was ambitious and well-planned, led by the Republican commander General Jose Miaja. It was also a well-chosen location to attack the Nationalist lines since there was not a continuous defensive line but smaller detachments at strategic points. The 15th Brigade was now under the command of the Croatian Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Copic, a man with vast experience of political and military struggle.
Courtesy Alan Warren
Brunete was largely destroyed in the battle. Above is a photo I took of the main square during a fiesta in 2014. The town was rebuilt as part of Franco's programme for the 'devastated areas' and there is a plaque to remember that. A second plaque shown above is in honour of Franco and the Nationalists. The translation is: "This square perpetuates the great victory of the battle of Brunete in our glorious crusade for liberation". Also still remaining then was a plaque on the wall of the church (Our Lady of the Assumption) which is a memorial to the founder of the Falange (Spanish Fascist Party), Antonio Primo de Rivera and other Falangists who died there. For this see the photos below taken at the same time.
(See 'You are Legend' pages 89-101)
Courtesy Alan Warren
The town of Villanueva de la Cañada is adjacent to Brunete and today has a resident population of about 18,000 people which increases to about 30,000 with the students from the nearby universities. Bunkers can still be seen along the main road between the two places. The town was completely destroyed as a result of the fighting, yet some of the features that crop up in the accounts of the action can still be seen on the outskirts of the town, in particular the ditches along the old road which led into the town from the north.
It was to Villanueva de la Cañada that the Brigade was sent to attack after it had taken another unit a little longer than was expected to capture it. It seemed that the village was unexpectedly very strongly defended with trenches dug and parts extremely well-fortified. The men had only just completed their exhaustive journey through the night and from the heights watched the planes go in, the lines of infantry move forward and tanks rolling forward in clouds of dust. Then the artillery started up and they heard the rifles and machine-guns crackling. However, things were not going well at Villanueve and the order was given for the 15th Brigade to advance. General Miaja regarded the village as essential to take and, as it turned out, Franco also regarded it as essential to defend.
Mosquito Hill (See 'You are Legend' pages 102-104)
The Nationalists now had taken up new positions on the Romanillos heights across the river Guadarrama and the British joined in the advance towards the village of Boadilla del Monte. The task now of the British was to secure the high point, later to be called “Mosquito Hill”, named after the incessant buzzing of bullets overhead. The 15th International Brigade records describe the advance on 9th July with the enemy on the high ground firing on lines of communication and fighting positions. Conditions were appalling and again food and water became short with lines of communication being raked by snipers and machine-guns and ration parties running the gauntlet. First-aiders worked under intense fire and some of the wounded were often left until nightfall. Italian and German planes bombed the hillside as men hugged the earth and “that awful whistle, scream and rush of the bombs, then the explosion. The whole earth was blasted into pieces. It heaved and rocked and swayed and roared and smoked, and the bombs kept coming down….”
Below are images of 'Mosquito Hill' and what can be seen today of houses on the slopes which were used as positions in the battle by the British Battalion. Photos courtesy of Ernesto Viñas.
To Charles Orr is famously attributed the often quoted words about the Brigade HQ near a ford in the river below Mosquito Hill: “It would be a lovely spot for a picnic.” (See the photos below of the spot today)
He also said that it seemed the Nationalists had three times as many planes as the Republicans and that “a fly can’t move without a shell following him'.
