news from Spain - part 2

Having only a single battalion to cover a rather wide - 4km or so - frontage and in view of the Reds’ heavy concentration of artillery, I had decided to spread my three companies quite widely.  In the south a company occupied this ruined monastery on what became known as 'Hill 77'.

The Reds sent forward a battalion of Asaltos to take Hill 77.

In the north, the Reds deployed an infantry battalion, a cavalry regiment and a tank battalion.  It looked like a walkover...

...but they had reckoned without our chums from the Condor Legion and their battery of mighty 37mm AT guns.  If your tank armour has the consistency of damp tissue paper then a 37 is really quite effective!  From memory the AT battery saw off three T-26 tanks before being destroyed.

Hill 77 also attracted a bombing raid.  Happily not a very good one.

Another flight of SB.2 swooped low over Gandesa.

Meanwhile the Red cavalry-mechanised group provided an irresistible target for our Italian allies. The bombing was gratifyingly effective and the cavalry was largely neutralised.

Back to the east (front) of Gandesa the International Brigade continued it's attack.  It wasn;t loooking good for the legitimate forces of law and order.

Things didn't even go well for my reinforcements - the yellow bus provided a great target for the very accurate Republican gunners.