The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-11-13
LOYALISTS GET
Big AIR VICTORY
CONTINUED from Page l.,


tom" column Of loyalists from Va
lencia was reported to be striking at
the nationalist along their lines Of
communication south Of Madrid.
But for the moment, as the newly
inspired loyalist troops moved on
the offensive, Madrid was electrified
by the air battle. There had been
other meetings between loyalist and
nationalist single planes about Mad
rid. But this was O battle Of the air,
in which 100000 people watched
two war fleets fight over the shell
SCARED streets Of a world capital.
LASTED Half Hour
1t lasted half an hour, q beauti-
ful, terrible picture Of the war Of
the goth century.
Madrilenos were on their way to
work or war, militiamen and civil
ians, strolling along the streets stop
ping occasionally W stare and chat
about o building that showed a
gaping hole from nationalist air
bomb or artillery shell. In insurgent
fleet Of five bombing planes and
nine pursuit planes appeared over
the city, and circled tauntingly
above 1t. AS watched, along with
Madrid's people, ~ loyalist biplanes
roared over the city, moving at ter
rife speed. The nationalist planes,
manned by experts, moved as II in
parade formation upward, trying to
get out Of danger. The sun was brill
liant, after days Of bad weather,
and In the clear sky 1t became diff
cult to sc them. Hornet like, the
loyalist planes got near the nation
alists and opened machine gun fire.
Down In the streets, staring out Of
Window and In doorways Of shops,
we could hear the staccato bursts Of
machine gun fire.
Saw Three Fall
I saw three planes falling. fiut-
tering down one after the other. A
pilot parachuted from one. The ma
tionalist planes fought back. But
so nthey gave 1t up, and wheeling
toward the suburbs they moved
back on their base. The loyalist
planes, their mission done, gave up
the pursuit. It seemed that every
one In the city who had eyes and
could move to a vantage point saw
the battle. People stood as II en-
tranced, motionless, watching the
planes as they moved.
A plane would dip or swoop from
the tangled battlefield high over the
city. A chasing plane would maneu-
yer to get 1t In the line Of fire, and
then would come the crackle OF the
machine guns as the wings OF the
planes caught the sun and glinted
In the almost binding sunlight.
! and other United Press corre-
spondents saw only three planes
fall. But the government announced
1t as official that the loyalists shot
down six nationalist planes and
admitted loss Of two Of Its own.
Cause Of Rebel Delay
Talavera De La Reina, Nov. 10
(U.P.)-Nationalist officers said to-
day that loyalist artillery had rain
cd gas shells on their front line
south Of Madrid and caused many
casualties.
Coincidently, nationalist sources
admitted that their attack on Mad
rid had ben slowed and said that
1t might take several days more to
effect occupation. They insisted that
delay should not be interpreted as
failure.
Disclosure that the nationalist
attack has been put behind sched-
ule came from John De Gandt,
United Press STAFF correspondent at
Avila. IN O dispatch passed by the
censor there.
Difficulties which the nationalist
met, De Gandt wired, were partly |
the result Of the desperate loyalist
resistance, partly the desire OF the
nationalist command to damage the
capital as little as possible. To these
factors may be added bad weather
which has been severe handicap
Russian Ship Seized
Washington, Nov 13-(U.P.) - A
Spanish insurgent warship has cap
tured the Soviet freighter Sojus
Bodnikov. repeatedly en- route TO a
Spanish port with munitions and
supplies FOR the loyalists, unofiicial
dispatches received here said today.
The vessel It was said, was seized
Wednesday In the Mediterranean
Rebel warships escorted the Sous
Bodn.kov to Spanish Morocco
port, where 1t was interned, the re-
port said.
Recently the insurgents warned
Russia tina tany ships bearing arms
or supplies to the loyalists would be
seized II they attempted to run the
blockade Of rebel Warships.