Brunet Operation #016. The front near Madrid has not changed

Units of the 11th and 35th divisions, by firm and decisive measures of the commanders, were detained at the line south of Villanueva de la Cañada, and the 14th Division, painstakingly assembled north of Villanueva, completely lost its combat capability, was withdrawn to the deep rear.

The enemy, noticing the withdrawal of the Republicans, began to pursue them from Brunete, but the 11th International Brigade, hastily concentrated east of Kihorn with one platoon of tanks, attacked the flank of the enemy advancing from Brunete and inflicted a severe defeat on him. The situation was saved. The Republican withdrawal did not turn into a disaster.

On July 26, the Francoists, concentrating in the forest north of Brunete, launched an offensive against Villanueva de la Cañada and west of the forest. All attacks were repulsed, and in the last direction, the 11th brigade with several tanks drove the enemy back and knocked him out of the forest. That was the end of the fighting. Neither side had the strength to continue the operation anymore.

The Republicans only partially completed the first part of the task — to pull the Francoist forces from the north with their offensive: immediately after the Republican breakthrough on July 6-7, Franco suspended the offensive on Santander. About 40 battalions were deployed from the north to the Madrid area, and all Francoist aircraft were relocated to the Central Front. The Francoists had to remove at least 20 batteries from the Northern Front. The Republican north received only a short respite. After the end of the Brunet operation, Franco transferred troops from this sector to the north and continued the offensive. On August 24, he captured Santander, and in October, the whole of Asturias, thus eliminating the entire republican north.

The Republicans did not fulfill the second part of the task — to move the front away from Madrid. As a result of the twenty-day battles, the front near Madrid has hardly changed. Only north-west of Madrid, three settlements remained for the Republicans: Villanueva de la Cañada, Villanueva del Pardillo and Quijorna. In this sector, the location of the Republicans improved somewhat tactically, but at the same time the front stretched and required additional forces.

Nevertheless, the Brunet operation was the first major operation initiated by the Republicans. The Republicans managed, albeit temporarily, to wrest the initiative from the hands of the enemy. Organizing such an operation, concentrating troops, equipment, ammunition, feeding this operation for 22 days, organizing transportation and evacuation was a very difficult task for the republican army of that period.

The experience of this operation has shown that the republican army and its headquarters have grown sufficiently to conduct operations of a completely modern nature. The concentration of two corps along one road went unnoticed by the enemy, during the entire operation there were no interruptions in the supply of ammunition, food, fuel to the troops, sanitary evacuation and sanitation facilities worked flawlessly.

The operation also revealed shortcomings in the work of headquarters of all degrees, in the training of troops, in the training of command staff and shortcomings in the leadership of troops. She gave a lot of experience to the troops who participated in it. However, as a result of the sabotage and sabotage by Minister of War Prieto and his henchmen, the separatism of the commanders of the fronts, formations, and the lack of solid centralized leadership, the experience of the Brunet operation did not become the property of the entire army. The same mistakes were repeated in further operations.

As for the actions of the republican command in organizing and conducting this operation, the following conclusions suggest themselves: the location of the breakthrough was chosen by the Republicans extremely successfully — in the least fortified area of the enemy and in the direction leading the shortest way to the main rear communications of the enemy.

The concentration of troops was carried out covertly. All the preparations for the operation went unnoticed by the enemy. The major blow of the Republicans was completely unexpected for the Francoists. The cashback program at 1Win returns up to 30% of your weekly losses in the casino. To maximize your benefits, remember to use 1win promo code india when filling out the registration form, and you will receive a 500% welcome bonus up to $1025 on your first four deposits. After your welcome bonus is active, the cashback system automatically calculates your losses and returns a percentage based on the amount lost, ranging from 1% for $65 losses up to 30% for losses over $18,000. Cashback is credited directly to your real balance with no wagering requirements.