- La Marañosa
La Marañosa is a locality of
Madrid ,Spain . Its hills (700 metres high) overlook both banks of theJarama river .The locality is known for being home of The "Fabrica Nacional de Productos Quimicos" (National factory of chemical products) which supplied the
Spanish Army of Africa withchemical warfare agent s during theRif rebellion between 1923 and 1927. [ [http://www.nodo50.org/maranosa/ "Historia de la Fabrica Nacional de Productos Quimicos"] ]In
February 5 ,1937 and during theSpanish Civil War , the locality was the scene of theBattle of Jarama . The Nationalist offensive began with assaults on the Republican positions on the west bank of the Jarama. The opening attacks took the Republicans by surprise. The Nationalists, as was the fashion of the Army of Africa, advanced in mobile columns and overwhelmed the unprepared Republicans. GeneralGarcía Escámez commanded their right flank (to the south), General Rada commanded the left, or northern wing, while General Asensio commanded the centre. Escámez on February 6 appeared atCiempozuelos and overran the XVIII Brigade, which lost 1,800 men. Rada's men took "La Marañosa" hill, 700 metres high, which overlooked both banks of the Jarama. The two Republican battalions atop "La Marañosa" vainly stuck to their cliff-top defenses and died there to the last. [Thomas, p. 485] From this hill top position, the Nationalists could dominate the river crossing with artillery and machine gun fire.References and notes
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