Evening star., 1937-08-03
REBELS TAKE FORT,
CUT MADRID LINE
loyaIists Are Driven From a
Main Stronghold and Iso-
.Iated-Huge Stores Lost.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
In the thirteenth month OF cipil
tpdr, rebel chiettnin, Gen. Francisco
Franco, is trying still to take
Madrid II the current dripe is
successful, the Loynlist forces miN
be split, for Madrid is the inland
headquarters and Valencia, the
other stronghold, is on the coast.
By the Associated Press,
HENDAYE, Franco-Spanish FROM
tier, August 3-TWo insureent bri-
gades were reported today to have
driven Madrid-Valencia troops from
their principal mountain fortification
on the Teruel front near Bezas and
to have cut their main communica-
tlons artery.
An official insurgent communicate
recounted in detail the twin opera
tlons, the latest developments in
Generalissimo Francisco Frances ef-
fort to hammer wedge into govern
ment territory in Eastern Spain and
split the liaison between inland Ma
Grid and coastal Valencia, temporary
seat OF the republican government
The two-headed thrust brought cap
ture Of the government field head
quarters at the summit of 1000
foot plneclad mountain and huge
stocks of munitions and supplies, the
Communique said, and at least 100
government dead we're left in Bezas
by the routed troops.
But perhaps the most important
result of the attack was the govern
ments loss of a secondary roadway
linking its forces in that sector of the
Teruel front.
Reinforced by Italians.
Bezas, southwest of Teruel, is about
Is miles north of the Cuenca road, an
immediate object of Frances drive
toward the main Madrid Valencia
highway.
The Cuenca highway, an improved
throughfare. offered Frances legions
full play for their mechanical equip
ment-lf they could reach 1t. Once
on it Franco might quickly paralyze
the provincial capital, Cuenca, and
then strike directly at the Madrid
Valencia highway with which the
road connects.
But between the spearhead of the
insureent Aragon or Teruel offensive
lay desolate stretches of mountainous
country such as was the setting for
yesterdays fighting near Bezas.
O
Teruel army was recently reinforced
by Italian troops from Cadiz.
The government admitted losses in
the Bezas sector, but asserted it had
taken the town of Pancrudo. 81 miles
north of Teruel, and nearby Corral
Nuevo and Ba2uenas, in a fanking
drive. The Madrid-Valencla commu-
nlque also claimed capture of La Man
ga and Clmero on the Biscayan front
in Northern Spain
$50 Square Miles Taken.
Frances Salamanca report, at the
same time, described "annihilation"
of four government battalions on the
Austrian front in the Spanish mort
west.
The insurgent successes in the
Bezas sector were said to have added
about $50 square miles of territory
to the ever deepening pocket" about
100 miles east of Madrid
Many of the government soldiers,
put to flight at Bezas, were reported
by the insurgent communique to be
deserting to the insurgents.
The communiQue said the war stores
captured at Bezas included ammuni-
ton. grenades and other equipment,
sufficient to equip a battalion, more
than 1000 pairs of shoes and enough
food to feed two regiments for a
month.
Insurgent dispatches also reported
seven government planes dropped 20
bombs on the outskirts of Bureos,
Francois former general headquarters.
One person was killed and two in
jured. Damage was only minor. it
was said.