Evening star., 1938-04-21
Northern Catalonia Towns,
Railways and Troop
Centers Attacked.
FRENCH MEDICAL AID.
CALLEDTO PUIGCERDA
Aerial Assaults Coincident With
Scheduled Arrival of Men
From Barcelona.
BACKGROUND -

Spanish rebclS closing IN on
Barcelona, provisional seat OF the
government, from ,Uest and south
after hauing cut Loydlist territory
by driving to sea at Vindroz, near
Tortosa. Forces OF Gen Francisco
Franco hare been unable to take
key city OF Tortosu. ho,reuer, and
driue has been launched southUdrd
against Valencia.
By the Associated Press.
PERPIGNAN, France, April 21.-
Spanish insurgent airmen today bonn
barded towns, troop concentrations
and one of the principal railways OF
Northern Catalonia in drive to
smash the remaining land links be-
tween Catalonia and France.
At least % civilians we're killed and
80 injured at Puigcerda. Pyrenees
gateway, where a Catalonian railway
reaches the French border at one OF
the three frontier passes remaining
under government control.
ala liOuiS dllCI Tic
bombardment crews digging in the
debris of the railway station and other
Puigcerda buildings reported recovery
of % bodies
Sweeping low to rain bombs and
machine gun bullets, Generalissimo
Francisco Frances planes raided 40
mile branch railroad between Puig.
cerda and Ripoll in Upper Corona
Province. This spur from the main
line to Barcelona was cut in three
places
Three trains in the Puigcerda yards
were struck by bombs. One, loaded
with chemical products" from
France, burned fiercely.
French and Spanish authorities
summoned first-aid workers from both
sides Of the border Spanish frontie,
guards, however. refused to permit
any except French physicians to cross
into Spain and held back Spanish
civilians seeking to fee into France.
Reports telephoned to Bourg.
Madame, France, said the aerial as.
saults conceded with the scheduled
arrival time Of troop trains from
Barcelona to reinforce government,
forces against the insurgent push
along the frontier.
Villages were attacked on either
side of the Branch Railway. Bombs
even fell on isolated farmhouses.
Assault Began at Noon.
The bombardment of Puigcerda be.
gan at noon when four bombers ano
four pursuit planes swept in over the
Pyrenees. The attack lasted almost
half An hour, with one bomb dropped
every minute.
Then the planes wheeled and
bombed SEQ de Urgel, Is miles south
west Of Puigcerda.
French authorities took prompt pre-
cautions against any spread of the Of
fensive to French soil. French mobile
guards reinforced frontier posts and
French anti-aircraft gunners fired red
rockets to warn the insurgent airmen
Some of the rockets burst among the
planes. The attackers remained on
the Spanish side of the border.
Eleven bombs fell on French soil
January "a in the last previous bonn
bardment of Puigcerda. Twenty
three persons were killed and II in
jured in Puigcerda in that attack
Spanish frontier guards, apparently
acting under orders, formed strong
blockade all along the border, refusing
to allow the terror stricken population
to rush across into France Guards,
however, did permit evacuation of
some wounded into Bourg- Madame.
Insurgents Strike at Madrid.
HENDAYE, France, April 2l (P-
The insurgents are striking with sud-
den force at the weakened defenses
of Madrid and have driven back the
government lines in the western out
skirts of the long besieged city.
Insurgent reports reaching the bor-
der disclosed that the dormant CEN
trail front once again was active, with
Gen. Frances troops fighting their
way forward in Madrid's suburban
west park.