149th Mixed Brigade

149th Mixed Brigade 149.ª Brigada Mixta May 1937 February 1939 Spanish Republic Spain Spanish Republic Republican faction 18px Spanish Republican Army Infantry Brigade Spanish Civil War The 149th Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army created during the Spanish Civil War. Deployed on the fronts of Madrid, Aragon and Catalonia, the brigade did not play a relevant role in the war. History The unit was created in May 1937, on the Madrid front, from one of the battalions of the 75th Mixed Brigade. Engel 1999 128 Command of the unit initially fell (during the training period) to the infantry commander Enrique García Villanueva, who was replaced shortly after by the militia major Santiago Tito Buades; For his part, the chief of staff fell to the infantry captain Juan Bautista Piera Reus. Engel 1999 128 The 149th Mixed Brigade, which was made up of anarchist elements, Asenjo Ramos 2008 64 was assigned to the 6th Division of the II Army Corps. Martínez Bande 1975 107 For months the brigade remained located in front of Madrid, without participating in military operations. In March 1938, after the beginning of the Aragon Offensive, the 149th Mixed Brigade was sent to reinforce the threatened sector. Martínez Bande 1975 107 On March 24, however, it lost the town of Velilla de Ebro to enemy pressure and had to retreat. On March 26, it was defending the sector between Fraga and the Ebro river. Briefly added to the subgroup It was a subgroup, in turn, providing close support to the Autonomous group of the Ebro. Engel 1999 180 n. commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jesús Liberal Travieso, Engel 1999 180 came to participate in the battle of Lleida. With the fall of the city, all its troops crossed to the other side of the Segre River. Later, it was added to the 16th Division of the XII Army Corps. Engel 1999 206 Martínez Bande 1978 70 The brigade came to take part in the Battle of the Ebro. On July 27, it crossed the river, relieving elements of the 35th International Division in the Gandesa sector. On July 31, it was located in front of Villalba de los Arcos, being relieved of this sector on August 3; it was then assigned to cover the entrances to La Fatarella. Engel 1999 128 In mid-August, during one of the nationalist counterattacks, the 149th Mixed Brigade fell back in disorder — despite the fact that the unit was located in the rear. Martínez Bande 1978 198 It was later withdrawn from the Ebro front along with the rest of the units of its division and destined for the reserve, being subjected to a reorganization. In December 1938, at the beginning of the Catalonia Offensive, the 149th Mixed Brigade constituted the reserve for the sector facing Serós. During the enemy attack, the unit abandoned its positions almost without fighting, partly dragged away by the disbandment of the 179th Mixed Brigade. Martínez Bande 1979 78 The commander of the unit, militia major Eduardo Pérez Segura, was suddenly dismissed and replaced by the militia major Filemont. Engel 1999 128 The remains of the 149th Mixed Brigade joined the general retreat towards the border. Command Commanders Infantry Commander Enrique García Villanueva; Militia major Santiago Tito Buades; Militia major Eduardo Pérez Segura; Militia major Filemont; Commissars Francisco Agudo; Angel Espolín; Mariano Martín Herrero, of the CNT; Álvarez 1989 183 Notes n. References Bibliography Mariano Asenjo Victoria Ramos Malagón. Autobiografía de un falsificador El Viejo Topo 2008 es Santiago Álvarez Los comisarios políticos en el Ejército Popular de la República Ediciós do Castro 1989 es Engel Carlos Historia de las Brigadas Mixtas del Ejército Popular de la República 1999 Madrid Almena 84-922644-7-0 es Martínez Bande José Manuel La llegada al mar 1975 Madrid San Martín 84-7140-115-0 es Martínez Bande José Manuel La Batalla del Ebro San Martín Madrid 1978 es Martínez Bande José Manuel La Campaña de Cataluña San Martín Madrid 1979 es expanded Category:Military units and formations established in 1937 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1939 Category:Mixed Brigades (Spain) Category:Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction) Category:Military history of Spain Category:Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic