Battle of Mallorca
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Majorca, also known as the Majorca Landings, was an amphibious
landing early in the Spanish Civil War
aimed at driving the Nationalists from Majorca and reclaiming the island for the Republic
. After some initial tactical success, the expedition, commanded by Captain Alberto Bayo
, ended in failure when the Nationalists counterattacked with ground troops and massively superior air power
and drove the Republicans into the sea. So confident were the Republicans in their prediction of victory they optimistically called the operation "la reconquista de Mallorca" - "the reconquest of Majorca".
attack on the Balearic Islands
seem to have surfaced independently in various Republican militia groups in the days following the joining of Ibiza
, Formentera
, and Majorca to Franco's
Nationalist military rebellion. Already, on July 23, bomber squadrons struck Palma
and Cabrera
, and on August 1, a Republican expeditionary force from Minorca
landed at Cabrera and resisted all efforts to dislodge it.
These actions, however, and in particular the Majorca landings, were never approved by the Madrid
government and had from the very beginning an air of confusion and improvisation. On August 2, Bayo assembled a column of Barcelona
militia on Minorca; the next day, the Republican air force dropped bombs on Palma once more. By August 6 logistical preparations, overseen by the Barcelona government and the council of Catalan militias (Comité Central de Milicias Antifascistas de Cataluña), were complete.
The Nationalist garrison of Formentera
capitulated to Manuel Uribarri's Valencian militia on August 7. On the 13th, 400 Catalan militia occupied Cabrera
in an assault apparently unrelated to Bayo's expedition. Bayo tried to coordinate the two forces but the anarchist militias, distrustful of his Communist sympathies, refused to commit themselves to his operation.
in support, Bayo landed his force of 8,000 militia at Punta Amer and Porto Cristo
. Despite problems unloading and deploying their six 75mm and four 105mm guns, the Republicans managed to push 12 km inland against the Nationalist garrison consisting of 1,200 regular infantry, 300 members of the Guardia Civil, and hundreds of Falangist volunteers.
However, the Nationalists' fortunes improved dramatically on August 27 when supplies and air support arrived from nearby Italy
. The Republican bomber forces ranging overhead were cut down and replaced by Italian aircraft. Consequently, the Republicans were unable to withstand the Nationalist counterattack on the ground and fell back in confusion, abandoning their guns and equipment. Their reembarkation began on September 5, and the Republicans held the beaches until September 12, when the last ship steamed off in retreat, leaving the island in Nationalist hands.
The Nationalist response was swift and, in contrast, remarkably successful. A week after the retreat from Majorca, Cabrera had once again fallen to the Nationalists. Ibiza was captured on September 19 by the Majorca garrison, and Formentera fell on the 20th.
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
landing early in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
aimed at driving the Nationalists from Majorca and reclaiming the island for the Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
. After some initial tactical success, the expedition, commanded by Captain Alberto Bayo
Alberto Bayo
Alberto Bayo y Giroud was a Cuban military leader of the defeated left-wing Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War. He was also a poet and essayist.He was born in Cuba and studied in the United States and Spain...
, ended in failure when the Nationalists counterattacked with ground troops and massively superior air power
Spanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
and drove the Republicans into the sea. So confident were the Republicans in their prediction of victory they optimistically called the operation "la reconquista de Mallorca" - "the reconquest of Majorca".
Background
Plans for a seaborneNaval warfare
Naval warfare is combat in and on seas, oceans, or any other major bodies of water such as large lakes and wide rivers.-History:Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Land warfare would seem, initially, to be irrelevant and entirely removed from warfare on the open ocean,...
attack on the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
seem to have surfaced independently in various Republican militia groups in the days following the joining of Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, Formentera
Formentera
Formentera is the smaller and more southerly island of the Pine Islands group , which belongs to the Balearic Islands autonomous community .-Geography:...
, and Majorca to Franco's
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
Nationalist military rebellion. Already, on July 23, bomber squadrons struck Palma
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
and Cabrera
Cabrera, Balearic Islands
Cabrera is an uninhabited islet in the Balearic Islands, Spain, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern coast of Majorca. It is currently a National Park...
, and on August 1, a Republican expeditionary force from Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
landed at Cabrera and resisted all efforts to dislodge it.
These actions, however, and in particular the Majorca landings, were never approved by the Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
government and had from the very beginning an air of confusion and improvisation. On August 2, Bayo assembled a column of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
militia on Minorca; the next day, the Republican air force dropped bombs on Palma once more. By August 6 logistical preparations, overseen by the Barcelona government and the council of Catalan militias (Comité Central de Milicias Antifascistas de Cataluña), were complete.
The Nationalist garrison of Formentera
Formentera
Formentera is the smaller and more southerly island of the Pine Islands group , which belongs to the Balearic Islands autonomous community .-Geography:...
capitulated to Manuel Uribarri's Valencian militia on August 7. On the 13th, 400 Catalan militia occupied Cabrera
Cabrera
Cabrera means goatherd in Spanish and Catalan. It may refer to:Places:* Cabrera, Balearic Islands* Cabrera, a town in the northeast of the Dominican Republic* Cabrera, Cundinamarca, a town in Colombia* Cabrera, Santander, a town in Colombia...
in an assault apparently unrelated to Bayo's expedition. Bayo tried to coordinate the two forces but the anarchist militias, distrustful of his Communist sympathies, refused to commit themselves to his operation.
The battle
On August 16, with various units of the Republican fleetSpanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
in support, Bayo landed his force of 8,000 militia at Punta Amer and Porto Cristo
Porto Cristo
Porto Cristo is a small town on the eastern coast of Mallorca. It is 10 minutes away from Manacor.-Tourism:Though not a primary tourist destination in Mallorca, the local council of Porto Cristo promotes the small town and new roads have been built between it and Manacor to encourage foreign visitors...
. Despite problems unloading and deploying their six 75mm and four 105mm guns, the Republicans managed to push 12 km inland against the Nationalist garrison consisting of 1,200 regular infantry, 300 members of the Guardia Civil, and hundreds of Falangist volunteers.
However, the Nationalists' fortunes improved dramatically on August 27 when supplies and air support arrived from nearby Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. The Republican bomber forces ranging overhead were cut down and replaced by Italian aircraft. Consequently, the Republicans were unable to withstand the Nationalist counterattack on the ground and fell back in confusion, abandoning their guns and equipment. Their reembarkation began on September 5, and the Republicans held the beaches until September 12, when the last ship steamed off in retreat, leaving the island in Nationalist hands.
The Nationalist response was swift and, in contrast, remarkably successful. A week after the retreat from Majorca, Cabrera had once again fallen to the Nationalists. Ibiza was captured on September 19 by the Majorca garrison, and Formentera fell on the 20th.