The Washington times., 1937-02-22
By THOMAS A. LoAYZA

By THOMAS A. LOAYZA
MADRID, Feb. % Q.N.S).
Fiercely battling against a new,
major insurgent offensive, loyalist
troops today continued to main
tain their positions on the south
ern Aragon front, according to
claims of leftist authorities.
Object of the insurgents was
described as an attempt to drive
a wedge through the Aragon Sec
tor to the sea, thus isolating Va
lencia from Barcelona.
InSurgent block houses in the
Perdiguera sector were occupied by
government troops, greatly i'm
proving the leftist front line, Of
ficials here stated and loyaliSt
patrols surprised and dispersed in
Surgents who had taken up van
guard positions near Los Petrusos.
An inSurgent communique is
sued at Salamanca, however, said
the eighth insurgent division re-
PEELED an attack by loyalistS at La
Robla, and that leftiSt attack
on all positions on that front was
defeated with enormous govern
ment losses, including annihilation
of a complete battalion of leftiSt
miltiamen.
On the Madrid front, the insur-
gents claimed, insurgent troops
.repulsed a loyalist attack in the
West Park section with heavy
losses.
A Barcelona announcement said
there was intense insurgent activ-
- in the extreme couthern sector
as part of the insurgent offensive
on the Aragon front, but that
government troops repulsed ter
rifle attacks.
An official statement here said
80 persons were killed and more
than 100 of the civil population
wounded as result Of an air raid
on Albacette.
It also was claimed that loyal
lists on the Jarama front captured
positions dominating one Of the
most important communication
lines of the enemy"
Government planes, Swooping
on inSurgent trenches in a syn
chronizing attack with loyaliSt
infantry, formed the terminating
factor in heavy fighting on the
Jarama front, authorities here
said.
Under a barrage Of artillery on
the inSurgent positions, leftiStS,
aided by tanks, advanced along a
five-mile front in the neighbor-
hood of San Martin de La Vega.
The insurgents put up vigorous
defense, but after two hours, fight
ing the government troops took
the rebel trenches.
After loyalist planes sprayed
the insurgents with machine-gun
bullets, hand-to-hand fighting
ensued and the insurgents finally
retired to their supporting posi-
tions.
Hold Main Road
Casualties in the battle were
given as 400 dead and wounded
and the loyalists claimed to have
captured a large amount Of
weapons and ammunition.
AS a result, it was claimed,
loyaliStS now have the main road
over which insurgents have been
bringing men and supplies to the
front under fire.
AT the same time, Asturian
miners, it was claimed, battled
their way into Oviedo and now
hold strategic points within that
important city, dominating the
town, where desperate street
fighting was said to be continu-
ing. Oviedo has been the objec-
tive of a loyalist siege which has
lasted for many weeks.
BAYONNE, France, Feb. %
Q.N.S0 Spanish loyalist troops
have virtually surrounded the i'm
portant northern city of Oviedo,
government communique claimed
today. The troops are approach
ing the center of the city after
bitter fighting in which inSurgent
losses have been heavy, it was an
nounced. Many prisoners were
reported captured.
Other troops hold virtually every
point of Importance surrounding
Oviedo, the government leaders
asserted.
GIBRALTAR, Feb. % 0.N.SO.
Loyalists attacks we're driven off
by Spanish insurgents today on
the Leon, Asturias. Madrid and
Sierra Nevada fronts, the insurg-
ent radio at Seville announced.
The broadcast stated a loyaliSt
battalion was captured and two
others were decimated in the AS
turias region.