| 61st Mixed Brigade | |
|---|---|
| 61.ª Brigada Mixta | |
| Active | January 1937 - March 1939 |
| Country |  Spanish Republic |
| Allegiance | Republican faction |
| Branch |  Spanish Republican Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | Spanish Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Bernabé López Calle |
The 61st Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army that took part in the Spanish Civil War. Throughout the war, the brigade was present on the Teruel, Aragon, Levante and Extremadura fronts.
The unit was created in January 1937, on the Teruel front, from forces of the Rosal Column. Most of the members of the new 61st Mixed Brigade were anarchist militants. The first head of the brigade was the Bernabé López Calle, and the brigade was integrated into the 42nd Division. [1] A few months later the unit was located in the Bezas-Royuela sector, together with the 60th Mixed Brigade.
The unit took part in the Battle of Albarracín. [2] On July 5, it broke the enemy front, and two days later managed to occupy the urban area of Albarracín; the nationalist garrison was besieged in the Cathedral and the Civil Guard barracks, after the 61st MB took the “Vallejo Largo” Vertex and the town of Monterde. However, the arrival of a nationalist relief force thwarted all the advances made up to then and the brigade had to return to its initial positions. By July 17, the unit was defending the Lomas del Calarizo-La Cañadilla-Chaparrales-Vértice Barranco defensive line. [3]
At the beginning of 1938, when the nationalist counteroffensive against Teruel began, the 61st Brigade was located in the republican vanguard, in Sierra Palomera, a position in which it had remained since the beginning of the Battle of Teruel. The nationalist attack took place at the meeting point between the 61st Mixed Brigade and the 132nd Mixed Brigade; the 61st MB was completely overwhelmed by the enemy attack in this sector, [4] and as a consequence had to retreat disorderly towards the rear to avoid the enemy encirclement. The Republican command withdrew the 42nd Division from the front, proceeding to dissolve it and dismiss a good number of brigade officers, as was the case of the brigade commissar, Antonio Rodríguez Saravia. [3] For his part, Bernabé López Calle ceded command to Francisco García Lavid. [n. 1]
At the beginning of March 1938, while it was undergoing a reorganization, the nationalists launched the Aragon Offensive through the Belchite sector. The 61st MB, still not fully equipped, was sent urgently to try to plug the enemy gap. [5] It was temporarily attached to the 18th Army Corps, [n. 2] a formation that would end up retreating before strong enemy pressure. During this withdrawal, some forces of the 61st MB were isolated north of the Ebro River, although most of the unit became part of the 13th Army Corps. The unit continued to retreat towards the Maestrazgo, pursued by nationalist forces. By April 5, the brigade was located in Morella, where it established a defensive line together with the 52nd and 211st mixed brigades; however, one of the battalions of the 61st MB fled in disarray before the enemy attack, which led to the collapse of the entire front. This failure was mainly blamed on the 61st brigade. As a consequence, one of its officers was shot in the presence of the troops as a lesson. [7] [8]
In mid-April, after the Republican zone was cut in two, the 61st MB was dissolved. However, on April 30 it was re-founded, [7] adding the new unit to the 8th Division of the 6th Army Corps. [9] Once the restructuring was completed, it was assigned to the 65th Division, [10] with which it left for the Levante front on May 13. By then, the leadership of the 61st MB was in the hands of Luis García Vega, with Pedro López Calle as commissioner. [7]
Initially concentrated in Liria, shortly thereafter it would be located between Puerto de Escandón and the Valbona river, south of Teruel. On May 28, it had to face a nationalist assault, which attacked the positions of Formiche Bajo and Loma del Erizal, where the 61st Brigade maintained strong resistance. However, due to enemy pressure, the brigade had to undertake a slow retreat until on July 21 its forces reached the defenses of the XYZ Line. [7]
It was briefly attached to the 68th Division in Chiva, [7] in the Republican rear.
After the stabilization of the Levante front, the brigade was assigned to the 41st Division and sent as reinforcement to the Extremadura front. Later it became part of the 63rd Division of the 7th Army Corps. [11] However, until the end of the war it did not take part in relevant military operations.
The 25th Division was one of the divisions of the Spanish Republican Army that were organized during the Spanish Civil War on the basis of the Mixed Brigades. It participated in the battles of Huesca, Belchite, Teruel and Levante.
The 125th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army, integrated into the 28th Division, that participated in the Spanish Civil War.
The 83rd Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army created during the Spanish Civil War from the militarization of the Iron Column. It came to operate on the Teruel, Levante and Central fronts.
The 127th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army, belonging to the 28th Division, created during the Spanish Civil War. It operated on the Aragón and Extremadura fronts.
The 81st Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army created during the Spanish Civil War. It operated on the Teruel, Levante and Estremadura fronts.
The 94th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army created during the Spanish Civil War. It came to operate on the Teruel, Aragon and Segre fronts.
The 82nd Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army created during the Spanish Civil War. It came to operate on the Teruel and Levante fronts.
The 70th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army created during the Spanish Civil War. The unit intervened in the battles of Jarama, Guadalajara and Brunete. At the end of the war it played a role in the Casado coup.
The 116th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army, integrated into the 25th Division, that participated in the Spanish Civil War.
The 14th Division was one of the divisions of the Spanish Republican Army that were organized during the Spanish Civil War on the basis of the Mixed Brigades. The division participated in the Battle of Guadalajara.
The 24th Division was one of the divisions of the Spanish Republican Army that were organized during the Spanish Civil War on the basis of mixed brigades. Throughout the war, the unit was deployed on the Andalusian, Madrid, Aragon and Segre fronts, taking part in some of the main battles.
The 41st Division was one of the divisions of the People's Army of the Republic that were organized during the Spanish Civil War on the basis of the Mixed Brigades. It took part in the battles of Teruel, Alfambra and Levante.
The 91st Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army that took part in the Spanish Civil War. Throughout the war the brigade was present on the Extremadura front, attached to the 37th Division.
The 98th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the People's Army of the Republic created during the Spanish Civil War. Throughout the war it came to operate on the Madrid, Guadalajara and Levante fronts.
The 136th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army that took part in the Spanish Civil War. Throughout the war, it was assigned to the Guadalajara front, without having a relevant role.
The 95th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army that took part in the Spanish Civil War. Throughout the war, various brigades came to use the number "95", operating on various fronts.
The 72nd Division was one of the divisions of the Spanish Republican Army that were organized during the Spanish Civil War on the basis of the Mixed Brigades. It was present on the Aragón and Segre fronts.
The 67th Division was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army that existed during the Spanish Civil War, created on the basis of the mixed brigades. It came to be deployed on the fronts of Teruel, Extremadura and Levante.
The 133rd Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army that participated in the Spanish Civil War, deployed on the fronts of Aragon, Segre and Catalonia.
The 149th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army created during the Spanish Civil War. Deployed on the fronts of Madrid, Aragon and Catalonia, the brigade did not play a relevant role in the war.