The official AHF Spanish Civil War quiz thread

[Ironmachine]

Yes, it's him, Leocadio Mendiola.
Over to you.
Regards.

[durb]

Another portrait to be recognized, who?:

Nimetön.png

[durb]

A small hint: he is not a Spaniard.

[durb]

A second hint: Chato.

[Ironmachine]

Pavel Vasilevich Rychagov.

[durb]

Correct - Rychagov was a Soviet Chato pilot! Passing the turn...

[Ironmachine]

Thanks.
How many capitals of province were captured by the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War, and when?

[durb]

Should one count also all those province capitals, where the military uprising failed in July 1936 and which thus remained in Republican hands after some short fighting like in Madrid, Barcelona or San Sebastian? Or do one count only those province capitals which were captured in later military operations like Teruel and hold by Republicans at least by few days?

[Ironmachine]

You should count all the province capitals that were controlled by the Nationals and were captured by Republicans forces in military operations.

[durb]

Then it is just Teruel, captured by Republicans on 8.1.1938. But just my guess.

[Ironmachine]

Teruel is the usual answer that is given, even in many books. But though it is correct that Teruel was a province capital captured by the Republicans during the war, it was not the only one. So the answer is not complete.
Regards.

[durb]

Comarca capitals like Belchite are probably not counted. If I´m right the best translation to comarca is in English a county, which is not the same as province, although comarca is a territorial entity resembling "mini-province" with some sort of "provincial capital".

My literature is quite limited and I went through web what I could find about all Spanish province capitals and what happened in them during SCW, but managed to find only failures of Republicans to capture province capitals like the offensives of Segovia, Zaragoza and Huesca + failed sieges like Oviedo. Well, I hope that someone comes up with the right answer - it is easier to make a list of the Republican defeats than of their successes. Republican success story involving the capture of province capital/capitals would be interesting to know.

[Ironmachine]

No, "comarcas" are very different to provinces and are not to be considered when answering my question.
There were just 50 provinces in Spain, and many of them can be quickly discounted, so it should not be too difficult to reach the correct answer. But of course the whole war had to be considered...

[durb]

I thought to give up this one, but one last try. It was briefly in hands of Nationalist/rebel garrison on 21.7.-22.7.1936, but following the fights of 23.7 they were obliged to retire to barracks of Loyola where they surrendered on 28.7.1936. So Republicans took San Sebastian on 23.7.1936/28.7.1936 to lose it again to Nationalist on 13.9.1936.

My guess is that there are some similar cases which may fit in this category ("Nationalist" province capitals taken by Republicans during SCW) - all related to very beginning of Civil War, when real front lines were not yet established. After the establishment of more or less regular frontlines (lets say by mid-August 1936) I have not been able to find any Republican offensive (Córdoba, Villareal, Segovia, Huesca, Zaragoza etc.) enough successful to take a province capital controlled by enemy. I also went to check the guerrilla activities even after the official end of SCW - but found not such success - some lesser villages and small towns temporarily, but not province capital.

Ironmachine, I suggest that you wait just one week more if someone comes with the complete answer - hopefully someone figures it out. If the answer does not appear at that time, I´m afraid that no one will come up with something and this quiz thread will have the very dead end (this happens normally to any quiz thread when the question is just "too difficult").

For the positive side of the question is that it made me to study more carefully the maps and local warfare of SCW than I have done earlier. Thus increasing my overall knowledge of the history of SCW.

[Ironmachine]

No, San Sebastián is not the answer; it can't be really said that the city was ever under rebel control.
The cities in question (yes, more than one) were recaptured by the republicans in July 1936.