The operation of Mequinenza-Fayón, secondary in the Battle of the Ebro respect to the main objective - the advance towards Gandesa-, began on July 25 with the crossing of the river and the conquest of a bridgehead between the towns of Fayón and Mequinenza. Its balance was one of the bloodiest in the battle of the Ebro, for the Republican side, 817 dead and 1,328 prisoners without counting the wounded and missing (about 3,000 casualties), and by the Franco army, 135 dead and 1,284 wounded. Finally, the survivors of the 42nd Republican Division had to cross the Ebro in the opposite direction.