Historical context of the historical space
The conflict that ravaged Spain between 1936 and 1939, dubbed by some historians“War of the Thousand Days” was in Asturias, in military terms, a shorter duration: 15 months, between July 1936 and October 1937 where virtually no current day withoutcombat. Control of Oviedo (Asturias capital) by the rebels during the period of hostilitiesfound the military actions undertaken in Asturias: the city was encircled for 3 months and then sent to Galicia precariously through a narrow “corridor “until Franco’s victoryoccurred in the North.
That hallway or corridor, started from Oviedo in the west to the village of San Claudio and continued in the direction of El Escamplero across the Las Regueras county before crossing the Nalón river through the Peñaflor Bridge and end in Grado. Twenty kilometers defended for these positions: Hill of Pando, Sierra del Naranco and Villaverde, the mountains of La Trecha, Otero, Guilero, Ania, La Parra, Mount Los Pinos and this saw the Pico del Arca, and the crest of Cotaniello and Manga (also in this range harassed by the Republican positions of Pedroso, Carballinos and La Escrita).
The river became, in its lower reaches, from Peñaflor to its mouth at the estuary of San Esteban, in front of the front and south of the intersection of the saw on two fronts, Nalon, with each contender side of the river and the front hall, which crossed the river Peñaflor,thereby becoming the saw enclave of great importance, since its dominance meant tomaintain the corridor around Oviedo-Grado and others, the opportunity to cut and isolate Oviedo.
After the failed Republican attack occurred in October 36 and led to the establishment of these two fronts, the military command government prepared a new operation that began on November 27. In the highlands, making Cimero peak was an ephemeralsuccess, since the position was retaken by the rebels. The Battle of Mount Los Pinos (near Grado), across the river, where several battalions with the support of new Russian tanks moved reaching the center of the town of Grado, madeclear the vulnerability of the hallbut failed to strangle him.
On February 37 the republican army launched its final attack on Oviedo. Fifteenbrigades with the support of almost one hundred pieces of artillery, dozens of armored vehicles, air support and two armored trains, attacked the capital of Asturias and gradethe corridor of Oviedo-Grado. But the only success for the attackers was to take the Loma del Pando, failing again attempt to cut communications in the vicinity of Peñaflor. The Northern Republican Army would materially and morally weakened since then. The Republican Asturias then went to the defense under the motto “Fortify is overcome.”
Even try to take the aisle in August, starting from the position of the saw. It was the last Republican offensive on the northern front. It took place on August 1, 37 with the aim of taking positions Cimero, La Manga, Cotaniello and Arca, defended by the 3rd Battalionof the regiment Merida 35 and an amalgam of companies from different sources (Marine Corps, the Third of Requete Gallego, members of the Infantry Regiment Zaragoza , I.R. Zamora, and one sect. of the 10th Company Sappers).
Two divisions of infantry bore the brunt of the operation, the “Division de Choque Asturiana” and Reserve Div III Corps of Asturias, and the Montañesa Division in reserve, artillery support, aircraft and armored vehicles.
The victory seemed secure the manifest superiority of men and weapons, but the operation failed. The artillery republicanaque should punish the enemy positions before dawn to facilitate infantry assault, but it delayed its action, and could not take advantage of the darkness to approach unseen. In addition, calculation errors led to the fire of the batteries do white Republicans in his own strength. Government aircraft also suffered several mishaps suffered: two aircraft collided in Gijón when placed in training and another four were hit by enemy aircraft, two of them shot down in the field. It fared better armor, Leather received with antitank gun fire. The attack left him in a fight one day more than 600 dead on the field debatalla and a huge number of wounded
After this failure, the Northern Army forces undertook no more offensive actions. Franco ordered the campaign on the Cantabrian coast were forced to stay in constant defensive until the fall of the northern front in October 1937.