The Bridge at Casa Blanca ! A Battlereport from the Spanish Civil War

[Durutti]

Hurrah

People at last that can accurately assess the two sides, rather than just go down the Facist v Communist route.

The only things I can add, the Peninsular army split roughly 50/50, most of the officers joined the Nationalist cause though. The Navy was mostly Republican, the crews took over the ships, as the officers wanted to join the uprising.
The Basques, although being pro-church, threw in their lot with the Republicans, and suffered quite badly for it.
International Brigades were organised by the Comitern, but a lot of the members were just left Socialists, not Communists.

The best starting point is Anthony Beevor's "Battle for Spain", the earlier book by Beevor, "The Spanish Civil War" is not so good, and has a distinct anti-communist slant.
I would also suggest reading Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia" as it describes his service in the POUM very well.
Then watch the Ken Loach film "Land and Freedom

[Lt. Hazel]

Conquered flags gave victory points in our games. You have to shoot the enemy flag-bearer and pick up the flag where the model stood. Björns idea was to make some Flag-markers, and I made some.

[Florin]

International communists... Perfect freedom fighters. 
Wasn't Erich Mielke (ex-Stasi General) a political commisar in Spain? I think his job was to organize executions of non-communists. No matter on which side we Germans helped out, we were good at killing people.

Yeah Mielke was there, also Willi Brandt and Walter Janka (lon Director of the "Aufbau-Verlag"). Mielke and Janka even met in Spain whren Mielke wanted to find out why Janka was in Spain without permission of the communist party.

all in all there were about 5000 germans on the republican side and about 10- 15000 german menbers of the Condor Legion with the Nationalists.

[Florin]

Conquered flags gave victory points in our games. You have to shoot the enemy flag-bearer and put up the flag where the model stood. Björns idea was to make some Flag-markers, and I made some.

great idea!

but we will never need the anarchist one anyway...

[Doomhippie]

Really cool photos. Great scenery as well. And I love the flags on the ground. Looks really good.

[Driscoles]

 
Flippin` egg Hazel.
Great markers !

[meninobesta]

those fallen banners are a great idea!

Driscoles: are we to expect new rules mechanics and scenario ideas in this new book? can you give us some overall hints? or must we wait a bit until al your new ideas are settled down!

Once again: marvelous battle report, scenario and figures 

[Driscoles]

Hi,

there will be some new rules inside the supplement. Rules for flags and the vehicle rules are new. We have more detailed tankrules etc...And there are the lists !

Björn

[meninobesta]

Thanks! will be looking forward to reading it!

[warrenpeace]

all in all there were about 5000 germans on the republican side and about 10- 15000 german menbers of the Condor Legion with the Nationalists.

There were also Italians fighting Italians in Spain, including a pitched battle north of Madrid.

[Poliorketes]

There were also Italians fighting Italians in Spain, including a pitched battle north of Madrid.

I've always wondered how that one worked considering the italians being famous for staying on the field under fire  Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Florin]

There were also Italians fighting Italians in Spain, including a pitched battle north of Madrid.

I've always wondered how that one worked considering the italians being famous for staying on the field under fire  Sorry, couldn't resist.

there were irish on both sides too. the nationalist "irish brigade" had their longest battle with an nationalist spanish group the mistook for enemy troops. rumor goes they were drunk...

[Gluteus Maximus]

there were irish on both sides too. the nationalist "irish brigade" had their longest battle with an nationalist spanish group the mistook for enemy troops. rumor goes they were drunk...

Difficult to believe.... 

[Florin]

there were irish on both sides too. the nationalist "irish brigade" had their longest battle with an nationalist spanish group the mistook for enemy troops. rumor goes they were drunk...

Difficult to believe.... 

isn't it?

[warrenpeace]

I've always wondered how that one worked considering the italians being famous for staying on the field under fire  Sorry, couldn't resist.

Italians stayed on the field for 11 suicidal offensives on the Isonzo in WW1, and they mostly stayed there dead.  Not really any better example of futile bravery in the WW1 slaughterhouse than that.  After those massive debacles the national morale was broken and the troops lost faith in their leaders.  National morale had not recovered from that by WW2.  I view the Italian troops in WW2 as having more common sense and reason than most others.

In the SCW, it was the leftist Italians in the International brigades who stayed on the field and chased off Mussolini's less enthusiastic troops. Maybe communism was a cause more worth dying for.