Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-11

ture city, Which tell to Gen. Fran
cisco Franco in famous Alcdzar
battle last October.
Fighting also continues around
Madrid and Bilbao, NTH insurgent
troops rapidly closing In on Basque
capital.
BY the Associated Press.
TOLEDO, May l1.-Eleven attacks
against this insurgent stronghold, 40
miles from Madrid, were repulsed with
more than 1000 government cas-
ualties, an insurgent communique re.
ported today.
The governments field batteries
sent shells screaming into the in
surgents' supply roads and camps be-
hind the lines in a pre-dawn prelude
to their big push yesterday.
At 7 am. g am. Eastern standard
time) the government militiamen
leaped over their parapets and
streamed across open fields Of the
wide front toward the trenches OF the
defending insurgents.
In some sectors where the terrain
permitted, the infantrymen were pre-
ceded by large cannon-carrying tanks.
The insurgents met the attacks with
heavy fire Of rifles and machine guns
and hand grenades.
Insurgent artillerymen, meanwhile.
pumped shells over the battlefield into
reinforcements being concentrated be.
hind the government lines.
Fell Last October.
Toledo, ancient imperial city south
and slightly west of Madrid, fell 70
Generalissimo Francisco Franco last
October when his forces rescued the
Alcazar garrison from weeks Of
dynamite Enforced starvation siege
Since then government forces have
drawn close, but only recently showed
signs Of major offensive aimed at
recapture of Toledo.
Within the city non-combatants
defed stray bullets and shells and
perched on rooftops to watch the battle
raging in the distance.
The governments push continued in
q series Of attacksll in all--untll
pm. when official dispatches reported
the attackers had retired In disorder
while Frances men pursued them TO
their own trenches.
A large quantity Of war material was
reported captured in the insurgents
follow-up, including a RuSian-mad
tank.
Northwest Of Madrid. in the FL
Escorial sector, Gen. Jose Miaja was
said to have conducted q less fierce
attack against insurgent siege lines.
That action also failed with numerous
government casualties, it was reported.
Bilbao Raided From Air.
BILBAO May II LPJ.-Eleven in
surgent air raids within less than five
hours blasted the outskirts Of Bilbao
today.
The first armada of German-ma dc
bmbers appeared over the city at
$50 am. BY IL am. successive fleets
bombing the fringes of tie city had
kept the refugee-swelled population
Of more than 100000 In a steady
scurry for shelter.
Although the most densely inhabi-
tated sections Of the center of Bilbao
were unscathed, alarm spread that
the air raids were a dress rehearsal
for Gen. Emilio Mola's warning that
insurgent forces would bomb the
city by land. sea and air without
mercy unless Bilbao surrenders by
Wednesday tomorrow"
The threat was made in pamphlets
dumped into the city by insurgent
planes. Ondcias of the Basque au-
tonomous government so far have
| ignored it.
Bernhard Insurgents
A heavy artillery bombardment, COW
ering the operations of a defense army
OF about $4,000 Basques and Their
Asturian allies, was reported today 10
have slowed up tine insurgent en-
enactment north Of Amorebieta.
While woeful caravans Of women
and children continued to stream into
the city, seeking evacuation, govern
ment reports said Gen. Mola's In.
surgent forces gained ground in their
push on Bilbao only by sacrifice Of
hundreds Of lives.
A late communique from the front
acknowledged insurgent advances near
Rigoitia, east OF Guernica. but said
grimly resisting Basques yielded only
q slight distance.
The defense forces, it said. still
held the summit of SOLITUDE hill, east
OF Bilbao, after beating back An in
surgent attack and inhicting heavy
casualties on Gen. Mola's army
A friar was killed in an insurgent
air raid when shell burst in mon.
astery at Arsarenas, coastal town
at the mouth of the Nervion River,
Bilbao's outlet to the Bay Of Biscay,
Basques Reinforce Lines.
Troops holding third-rate road
from Mugica, southwest Of Guernica,
to about 3 miles east of Galdacano
were reinforced by the Basques after
fierce battle at Bizkargi
Defenses in the north. or coastal.
| SeCtOTS also were strengthened. BIZ
bao, on the Nervion River, lies q few
miles inland. War ragged in q score
or more villages.
An Asturian brigade was reported
to have regained lost ground on the
sharp slopes Of Mount SOLITUDE, . key.
point in Bilbaos ring Of defenseS
Insurgents apparently sought to cut
Bilbao's water supply in bomb At
tacks yesterday on the villages Of
Guenes and Zollo.
Basque officials said 7,400 non
combAtants had been evacuated from
Bilbao In the last six days.
Congress in Brief