In the summer of 1992, Majorca, hone of the cheap package holiday, was the scene of a murder hunt after three human skulls were discovered on a popular tourist beach. Embarrassed officials quickly halted enquiries two days later.

Not a promising start to a wargames scenario you might think, but read on....

On July 18th 1936, a well-planned military uprising began on mainland Spain and in Spanish Morocco led by Generals Mola and Franco. A co-conspirator, General Goded, left Palma de Majorca, in the Balearic isles and flew to Barcelona to assume command of rebel forces on mainland Catalonia. He left a Colonel Diaz de Freijo in command of the island garrison which consisted of two infantry regiments, the 36th and 37th, the 1st Independent Artillery Grupo, and the 1st and 2nd Mixed Eineer and Signals Grupos, most of whom were on sumner leave, and a mixed bag of Guardia Civil and Carabineros, in charge of civil order and customs and excise. Resistance to the rebellion in the islands was practically non-existent and the military authorities, assisted by local Falangistas (members of a right wing political party), soon had all but the island of Menorca under their control.

Meanwhile, the rebellion in Barcelona was a complete failure. After a few days of bitter street fighting the rebellion had been quelled and Goded was under arrest.

News began to filter back of the Nationalist occupation of the islands of Majorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Carbrera. Regarded as part of Catalonia, with popular feelings running high, plans were quickly formulated to send a Catalonian Expeditionary Force to liberate the isles.

Two separate ad hoc forces set sail from Valencia and Barcelona with neither knowledge or consent of the Republican government in Madrid. The Valencian force under a Captain of the Civil Guard, Uribarri, consisted of 1200 men, mostly Anarchist militiamen though including 400 Civil Guard from nearby Albecete. It set sail in a requisitioned liner, the 'Mar Cantabrico', escorted by the destroyers 'Almirante Antequerra' and 'Almirante Miranda', heading for Ibiza.

The second larger force under command of a Captain Bayo sailed for Menorca, still in Republican hands. This motley force of eleven merchantmen, escorted by the destroyers 'Jaime 1' and the 'Libertad', three submarines and a torpedo boat, landed in late July and settled down to plan their invasion of Majorca.

Uribarri's men first took Carbrera on August 1st followed by Formentera on the 8th and Ibiza on the 8th and 9th. Apart from sporadic skirmishing and sniping at San Carlos on Ibiza there was little opposition to the landings and the task of rounding up the scattered security forces and right wing sympathisers was soon complete. Majorca was to be Bayo's prize.

Invasion

After much indecision and bitter quarrelling with Uribarri, Bayo settled on August 16th as his invasion date. The initial force of 2000 swelled by numbers of volunteer Menorcan militiamen, included 200 Infanteria de Marina, 300 Guardia de Asalto and Guardia CIvil and 100 men of the 'Tchapiev' Centuria (all foreigners).

After an intense off shore naval bombbardment, Bayo's colourful mix of regulars, security forces and Anarchist militia swarmed ashore in Anguila cove, near Porto Cristo, on the east coast of Majorca. Sparodic resistance soon petered out as the Nationalist forces pulled back inland. Surprised at their own success and without capable leadership, the best part of the day was wasted by indecision and bickering. Reinforcements began to arrive and the off-loading of six 75mn guns, four 105mn guns, numerous cars, lorries and supplies was started, albeit in a haphazard and unorganised fashion.

As the days passed and the Republican forces' confidence grew, columns were formed and a beach-head some 25 miles long and 8 miles deep was established. However, Nationalist resistance began to stiffen and after some short and fierce engagements over eleven days, the Republican advance ground to a halt. Events were to take a dramatic turn, when, on the 27th of August, aid in the form of three Italian SM81 bombers and three CR32 fighter planes landed in Nationalist territory as a part of the military support promised by Mussolini.

Until that point the Republicans, using Dornier Wal floatplanes flying out of Anguila Cove, had had complete air Superiority. The self-styled 'Dragons of Death' soon made their presence felt, confining the Wals to their cove and chasing off marauding Republican bombers operating from mainland Spain.

Infantry Reinforcements, including a force of Italian Blackshirts under the command of Arconovaldo Bonaccorsi were now airlifted in. Morale amongst the vastly outnumbered Nationalists soared as troops and much needed supplies flooded in. A counter-offensive commanded by Lt Colonel Garcia Ruiz was launched on the 3rd September under a sustained artillery barrage. Over 2600 Nationalist troops began a series of bold thrusts into the Republican enclave.

At first, though shocked by the ferocity of the Rebel attack, the Republican militia retired in good order. However as the days wore on, casualties mounted. With no adequate medical supplies or field hospitals, harried from the air and under constant bombardment, an orderly retreat became an unnecessary rout. Despite a numerical superiority of nearly three to one the militia began to abandon their equipment and flee to the coast, the insurgents close on their heels.

No mercy was shown. A convent converted into a makeshift hospital was captured and all the militiamen therein were Slaughtered. Many of the 400 militia women who fought alongside their male counterparts were abandoned to their fate in the rush to flee the island. These women were some of the few prisoners taken, all the men being shot out of hand. Much was later made of the abandoned 'milicianas' by Nationalist propoganda.

By the 13th, the last of Bayo's ill-fated exeditionary force had been taken off the island and the Nationalists were back in full control of Majorca. Even as they surveyed the corpse strewn beaches, Rebel bombers weree heading for Ibiza, keeping the momentum of the offensive going. They need not have bothered.

Uribarri only too aware of the debacle of Majorca ordered the abandonment of the islands under his control and fled in some haste back to mainland Spain. By the end of September all of the Balearic isles except Menorca were back under Rebel control. Menorca remained a part of the Republic until the end of the civil war, when it surrendered without a shot being fired.

More Battle of Majorca 1936

Historical Introduction
Order of Battle

Related

Cuitadella, Menorca SCW Republican Defence Post
Museo Militar Menorca Menorca Military Museum