Battle of Minorca (1939)
Battle of Menorca | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||
Balearic islands. Menorca in blue | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Spanish Republic |
Fifth Column | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Adm. Luis González de Ubieta Marcelino Rodríguez † |
Cpt. Fernando Sartorius y Díaz de Mendoza Col. Alfonso Useleti Maj. Pedro Pons Lt. Juan Thomas (WIA)[1] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
1 brigade | 3 battalions[2] |
The Battle of Menorca took place in the island Menorca between 7 and 9 February 1939 during the Spanish Civil War.
Background
After the
naval blockade. Francisco Franco informed the British government that Mussolini's Italian troops would abandon the Balearic Islands after the war and the British government agreed to arrange the surrender of the Republican garrison.[3]
The uprising
On 8 January 1939 Admiral
Puerto Mahon. He also was given the authority to command all the Republican military forces on the island.[4]
On 7 February, the
Ciutadella, after killing the Republican commander Marcelino Rodríguez. One brigade of Republican troops arrived from Mahon, and defeated the rebel troops after a brief engagement and surrounded Ciutadella. Nevertheless, the Republican officers, convinced that any resistance under those circumstances was pointless, asked for safe passage to the mainland. The British eventually arranged the surrender of Minorca to the Nationalists on board of Devonshire. On 8 February, Italian and Spanish Nationalist bombers attacked Mahón. The same day the Devonshire sailed to Marseille with 452 Republican refugees on board.[5] On 9 February, the 105th division of the Nationalist Army disembarked at Ciutadella and the remaining Republican troops surrendered.[6]
Aftermath
After the surrender of Menorca, many Republican officers in the central zone believed that they would negotiate a deal with the Nationalists, and then started to plan a coup against the Negrín government.[7]
See also
- List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
- List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
- Aviazione Legionaria
References
- ^ Guerra Civil. Juan Thomas Riutort, teniente en Ciudadela, Menorca, en una cama.
- Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p. 860
- ^ Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. THe Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p. 385
- ^ Diario oficial nº22, 22 de enero de 1939
- Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p. 861
- ISBN 84-321-2340-4(in Spanish)
- Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p. 861