The Zaragoza Offensive took place during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. This battle involved the Spanish Republican Army. The main goal of the offensive was to occupy the city of Zaragoza. The main action of the offensive was the battle of Belchite.
In the Aragon front the Republican Army had deployed the Army of the East, led by the general Pozas and his chief of staffAntonio Cordon. This army had six divisions. Furthermore, the Republicans had 200 aircraft and many T-26 and BT-5 tanks. Opposing them, the Nationalists had three low-quality divisions, and 15 aircraft.
The offensive
The Republican plan was to break through at seven different points between Zuera and Belchite in order to divide any Nationalist counter-attack. The 27th Division would occupy Zuera, turn left and attack Zaragoza. Kléber's 45h Division would attack south-eastwards towards Saragossa and the 43rd Division would cross the Ebro and cut the highway from Quinto to Saragossa. But the main attack was concentrated up the south side of the Ebro Valley, with Modesto's V Corps. The Republican attack began on August 24 with no artillery bombardment in order to maintain the advantage of surprise. The 27th Division occupied Zuera, the 45th Division reached Villamajor de Gállego and the 25th Division took Codó, despite fierce Nationalist resistance. Nevertheless, Lister's 11th Division failed to occupy Fuentes de Ebro and almost all its BT-5 tanks were destroyed.
Fuentes del Ebro
Lister had to take the fortified town of Fuentes del Ebro in order to open the road to Zaragoza. Forty-eight BT-5 tanks carrying Spanish troops would cross the Republican lines and attack the town from the front, supporting by the troops of the XV International Brigade. Nevertheless, the attack was ill-planned. The tanks were not suited to carrying troops, very little reconnaissance was carried out, there was virtually no artillery preparation and the tanks became bogged down in the mud. The attack failed and the republican army lost 19 of its 48 tanks and more than 300 men An American member of the International Brigades said:
Courage and heroism are plentiful in Spain and the Spanish people have no lack of it. What they need is tactics. And as for tactics, on 13 October, Regiment BT was bankrupt.
Belchite
On 26 August, the 25th Division took Quinto, but the delays in the Republicans' advance had given the Nationalists time to bring up reinforcements and the attack on Zaragoza failed. Modesto then decided to capture the small and well fortified town of Belchite. The Republican army cut the water supply of the town and the heat was appalling, but the defence of the besieged forces was vigorous. The attack on Belchite started on 1 September and, after five days of heavy bombardment and bloody combat, the Republicans managed to occupy it. The offensive ended on 6 September.
Aftermath
The offensive was a complete failure. The Nationalists did not stop their offensive against the Northern Republican held zone. The Republicans only advanced ten kilometres and took a handful of small towns. Furthermore, the Republican Army suffered heavy losses of armament and tanks. Indalecio Prieto said: "So many troops to take four or five pueblos does not satisfy the ministry of defence". The offensive failed because the republican forces lacked coordination, supplies and military intelligence. Furthermore, the Republican commanders wasted troops in order to reduce small resistance points.
