View source for 226th Mixed Brigade (Spain)

{{About|the Spanish military unit|the British formation|226th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=226th Mixed Brigade<br>''226.ª Brigada Mixta''
|image=Flag of the 42 Division Spanish Popular Army.svg
|caption=Flag of the 42nd Division, Spanish Popular Army
|dates=1937–1939
|country={{Flagcountry|Spanish Republic}}
|allegiance=
|branch= [[Spanish Republican Army]]
|type=[[Mixed Brigade]]
|role=Home Defence
|size= Four [[battalion]]s: <br>The 901, 902, 903 and 904
|command_structure=[[42nd Division (Spain)|42nd Division]] (1938 - 1939)
|garrison=[[La Pobla de Massaluca]]
|ceremonial_chief=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=[[Spanish Civil War]]
|notable_commanders=[[Antonio Ortiz Roldán]]<br>[[José de la Fuente Álvarez]]
}}
[[File:Auts21.JPG|thumb|295px|View of the bleak [[Auts]] Hills where a great number of the men of the 226th MB perished.]]
[[File:Batalla Ebro.png|thumb|295px|Map of the [[Battle of the Ebro]] and location of the Auts]]
The '''226th Mixed Brigade''' ({{langx|es|226.ª Brigada Mixta}}),<ref name="SBHAC">[http://www.sbhac.net/Republica/Fuerzas/EPR/EprL/BM226.htm SBHAC - Brigadas Mixtas del Ejército Popular, 226ª Brigada Mixta]</ref><ref name="CE">Carlos Engel, ''Historia de las Brigadas Mixtas del E. P. de la República'', 1999</ref> was a [[mixed brigade]] of the [[Spanish Republican Army]] in the [[Spanish Civil War]]. Part of its forces had belonged to the former [[Bautista Garcet Battalion]], which had distinguished itself in the combats of the [[Córdoba offensive]] at the beginning of the Civil War.<ref>Francisco Moreno Gómez (1985); ''La Guerra civil en Córdoba: 1936-1939'', p. 395</ref> Its formation began in August 1937 in [[Catalonia]], but it was delayed for a long time, the brigade not becoming fully operational until 1938. It had four [[battalion]]s, the 901, 902, 903 and 904.
==History==
Following a long delay, the 226th Mixed Brigade was finally established on 22 April 1938 and placed under the [[42nd Division (Spain)|42nd Division]] of the [[Fifteenth Corps of the People's Republican Army|XV Army Corps]], at the time part of the [[Agrupación Autónoma del Ebro]] (A.A.E.). The command of the unit was assigned to Militia Major [[Antonio Ortiz Roldán]].<ref>Eduardo Yasells Ferrer (2008); ''Sencillamente anónimos'', México, p. 68</ref> The political [[commissar]] was [[José Carmona Requena]].<ref name="SBHAC"/>
===The bloodbath at the Auts===
At the onset of the [[Battle of the Ebro]] on 25 July 1938 two of the brigade's battalions crossed the [[Ebro River]] 2 km to the east of [[Mequinensa]] —being one of the first units to cross the river,<ref>Andreu Besolí ''et al'' (2005); ''Ebro 1938'', Inédita Ed., p. 88</ref> following which the remainder of the brigade joined them arriving finally to the area of Gilabert after heavy combats. The brigade continued battling the [[Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War)|rebel faction]] between [[Fayón]] and Mequinensa, especially at the Fayón-Mequinensa-[[Fabara]] road junction, finally being able to occupy the [[Auts]], a semi-arid hilly area east of a bend on the Ebro River. Located at the northern end in the [[Salients, re-entrants and pockets|pocket]] formed on the right bank of the Ebro between Mequinensa and [[Amposta]], the occupation of the Auts was hailed as a strategic success. However, while at the Auts the unit suffered intense aerial bombardment on 29 July and it came under heavy artillery fire between the 4 and 5 August, being prevented from advancing eastwards to capture the towns of Fayón and Mequinensa. Finally the trapped and much battered brigade withdrew from the Auts and crossed back the Ebro river on 6 August, after having suffered a great number of casualties. Two of the battalions of the 226th Mixed Brigade distinguished themselves in the bloody combats of the Auts Hills, the First Battalion (901), under Major Jaramillo, and the Fourth Battalion (904) under a Major nicknamed ''"Dinamita"'' ([[Dynamite]]).<ref name="SBHAC"/><ref name="CE"/>
After covering some of the many casualties the brigade returned to the [[bridgehead]] in order to give a much-needed reinforcement to the [[45th Division (Spain)|45th Division]] on 20 September, moving to Hill 496 of the [[Serra de Cavalls]]. Later it was relocated to the defence of [[Miravet]] town, which was lost to enemy forces on 4 November. Together with the also much-battered [[227th Mixed Brigade (Spain)|227th Mixed Brigade]] it arrived to [[Benissanet]] on 5 November and camped at [[Mount Picossa]] by [[Móra d'Ebre]] on 7 November. On 12 November the brigade made its last stand of resistance against the rebels at [[Ascó]], but it finally had to withdraw in the face of the vehemence and strength of the enemy onslaught.
===Withdrawal and extinction of the brigade===
After the Battle of the Ebro ended badly for the Republican forces the 226th Mixed Brigade was concentrated in [[La Granadella]] under the command of Militia Major [[José de la Fuente Álvarez]]. When the [[Catalonia Offensive]] began, the brigade withdrew to the [[Serra de Prades]]. On 5 January 1939 it was reported to be defending the roads leading to [[Vinaixa]]. By 13 January it was at the [[Coll de Prenafeta]] and [[Coll de Cabra]] [[mountain pass]]es. On 14 January it reached [[Alcover]] and on 15 the [[Gaià River]] line.<ref name="SBHAC"/>
While retreating northwards the brigade offered some resistance at [[Vilafranca del Penedès]]. On 25 January in the evening the remainder of the 226th Mixed Brigade gathered at the [[Tibidabo]] Mountain over Barcelona, but all new recruits disappeared the following morning as the [[Fall of Barcelona|fall of the city]] was imminent.<ref name="SBHAC"/>
While withdrawing towards [[France]] on 7 February the brigade was able to reunite with some disperse troops in the banks of the [[Fluvià River]], retreating further northwards to the line of the [[Muga River]] while searching for the protection of natural obstacles in the face of the relentless enemy advance. Finally, on 9 February, what remained of the defeated and exhausted 226th Mixed Brigade crossed the [[Albera Massif|French border]] at [[Portbou]].<ref name="SBHAC"/>
==See also==
*[[Spanish Civil War, 1938–39]]
*[[Mixed Brigades]]
*[[Battle of the Ebro]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.xn--aix-va-passar-ykb.eu/news/a-la-conquesta-de-catalunya1/ Camí de la Bisbal de Falset]
*[http://censoarchivos.mcu.es/CensoGuia/fondoDetail.htm?id=579493 Guerra Civil. Zona Republicana. Brigadas Mixtas]
*[http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090625080940/http://www.guerracivil.org/EjEbro.html Ejército del Ebro - Guerra Civil Española]
*[http://www.elguadalope.es/2011/07/30/iv-recreacion-historica-de-la-batalla-del-ebro-2011/ IV Recreación histórica de la “Batalla del Ebro” 2011]
*[http://www.militar.org.ua/militar/hm/historia-militar-espana-guerra-civil-brigada-ejercito-republicano.html Las Brigadas Mixtas en el Ejército Popular de la República Española]
{{Mixed brigades of Spain}}
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1937]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1939]]
[[Category:Mixed Brigades (Spain)]]