Narrative

The Nationalists failure to break through to Madrid has caused a new strategy and the capital city has come under intense air bombardment.  All residential districts with the exception of the  fashionable Salamanca district have been attacked  in an attempt to break the civilian morale. The estimate of bombs dropped varies but on 16th August Colonel Wolfram reported that his Ju 52s had dropped 36 tons on the city. In comparison the WWII bomb loads (A single Lancaster carried 10 tons) this was not intense but as the first concentrated Terror attack on a capital city the psychological effect was considerable.

The Chilean poet Pablo Neruda who lost his house in the raid wrote;

Come and see the blood in the streets

Come and see

The blood in the streets

Come and see the blood,

In the streets

FWtBT No 4 - AUG I 37

FWtBT No 4 – AUG I 37. Picture (c) 2017 by Ken Newall

Nationalists Turn

Weather; Weather: Clear/Clear, Clear/Rough in Atlantic. (This is indeed correct thrown a 6 for weather 4 times in a row!)

French border; Closed.

Supply; Loyalists in Madrid area U3, Nationalist left flank at Zaragoza U2.

3 GSPs generated at Jaen, 3 @ Cordoba.

Factories: Seville back in Production.

Replacements:  4 SRP (Nat), 1 SRP (Req), 1 Comp (CTV). 1-8 lt 6, 3 divisions, 3 regiments. (Nat),  2-10 AA88 (KL),  All (CTV) replaced

Moves; 3-6 inf XX 2FN (CTV) overruns 1-8 inf GP U2 in fort at 2614

Nationalists  expend 1Res Pt for temp rail-cap increase of 5 Res.

Air Activity

Sortie 1; Mxd B  Hits Motril Harbour for 2 more hits.

Sortie 2; Cr32Bis (CTV), CR.32 fly airfield bombing mission to Madrid. Mxd F intercepts and misses CR.32, AA fire Aborts Cr.32. CR.32Bis  (CTV) misses.

Sortie 3; SM.81 Strategically Terror bombs Madrid (+2 VPs)Sortie4: Mxt T drops 4 GSPs to 2911

Air Activity; Sotie 1;, A-101 flies to Valladolid to bomb airfield. Intercepted by C2.32bis (CTV). Turned Back but  Cr.32Bis (CTV) Killed!  (L +2VPs)

Naval Activity; BBTF-1 moves off coast of Asturia to blockade Gijon. Other Combat units position to interdict supplies in the Mediterranean.  All combat groups in the Med are spotted but bombs drop wide. CATF-1’s AA also misses.

Attack1;  2705 rough/fort (E of Catalayud) Unsupplied  4-6 inf XX 63 and Supplied 5-6 inf XX 51, 3-2-6 inf 3LE, 1-8 lt 6, 1-8 mtn 5,  1-8 aslt G (CTV)  and  Unsupplied 3-4-5* inf XX 32 with Ju.52g4e Attack 1-8 cav 7, 1-6 infs 1,8,16, 2-1-R art TB (U2) @ 6:1 (-2) = DR. TB eliminated no retreat, Fort destroyed.  Advance 5, 6, 51

Attack2; 2035 rough (Vittoria). Supplied 7-6 inf XX13, 2-5 inf AGM (Fal), 3-2-6 inf 1LE, 2-6 art 4P, Unsupplied 1-8 mb (CTV), 1-8 lt tk LE, 4-6 inf XX 1, (Reg), 2-5 inf 6 (Reg) with He.51  Attack 2-3-4* inf XX, 0.5 Garrison @ 6:1 (-1) = DE.  Advance 13 XX, AGM (Fal), Garrison dispersed.

2 art RPs Turned back.

Exploitation:  1-8 lt tk LE, 1-8 mb B (CTV) to 2136 (SE of Vittoria)

Republican Turn:

VPs (+15) for lack of gobernetos collapse.

French border; Closed.

Supply: Nationalist forces in the San Sebastian area are back in supply.

“Aranjuez Pocket”  feeds off GSPs

Reinforcements:  Delayed upgrade of 2-7* mtn (Cat) to 4-7 mtn XX 43 (Cat) occurs.

Naval Interdiction: The following landing attempts are made:

Barcelona; 3.5 arts RPs arrive, 2.5 Turned back. 2.5 arms RPs arrive. O.5 turned back

2 AS points arrive.

Cartagena; 2 AS arrive 1 turned back.

Replacements:  SRPs recovered; 2.5 (PA), 0.5 (Int), 0.5 (Int), 0.5 (Bas)

2-3-4 inf 2 (Bas), 1- 6 eng 1 (Bas), 0-1-6 art Otiz (Bas), 1-2-5 infs 1,2 (Cat) and  1 -8 mtn 6, 2-6 eng ZM, 3-6*infs XX 24,68, 1-8 inf GP, 1-6 mg 4, 2-1-8 tk P, 2-6 inf 15AL (Int) Replaced.

2-3-4* infs XX 1,3,4 (San). Equipped

Ideological Re-purification;  Barcelona Revolt Suppressed.

Attack 1; 2704 rough (W of Catalayud).  Supplied 5-6 inf XX 15 (Int), 4-6 inf XX 67, 3-6* inf XX 1, 2-6 Nvl 151, 2-1-8 cav 1, 2-6* inf 5Car, Unsupplied 2-6 art 2P and Unsupplied U2, 3-6 inf* 8, 1-2-6* inf 22  Attack 3-4-5* inf XX 32 @ 5:1 (-1) = DR. Advance 15xx (Int), 47xx , 1 cav

Attack2: 2531 rough (headwaters of the Aragon river) Supplied 4-7XX mtn 43 (Cat), 1-0-R art 1, (Cat), 1-5 inf 6 (Cat), 1-8 cav Buxo (Cat), and 1-8 mtn 1,  unsupplied 1-8 mtns 2,3. Attack 1-2-6 art 42, 1-5 inf 1Cord (Fal) U2 @ 5:1 (-1) = DR.  Advance 43 XX (Cat)