Battle of Valsequillo The Battle of Valsequillo , also known as Battle of Peñarroya , was a diversionary Republican offensive which took place in Extremadura between 5 January and 4 February 1939 during the Spanish Civil War . The main goal of the offensive was to detain the Nationalist offensive against Catalonia , but after occupied 500 square kilometres the Republican advance halted and the offensive failed after a Nationalist counteroffensive . Background . After the defeat of the Battle of Ebro , the Republican Army was broken and would never recover . The Republicans had lost most of their armament and experienced units . At the beginning of December , the Nationalists concentrated an army of 300 , 000 - 340 , 000 men led by General Davila in order to conquer Catalonia . Then , Vicente Rojo , decided to launch a diversionary offensive in the central zone in order to divert Nationalists forces from the Nationalist offensive against Catalonia . Plan P . In 1937 , the Commander in chief of the Republican army , Vicente Rojo , had planned an offensive through Extremadura towards the Portuguese frontier in order to cut in a half the Nationalist held zone ; the plan for this offense was code named " Plan P " . However , the Republican government rejected the plan . In December 1938 , Rojo decided to launch the offensive anyway . One Republican army would attack through Extremadura towards Cordoba while one brigade would land at Motril , advance towards Malaga and start an uprising in Andalusia against the Nationalists . The offensive was intended to start on 8 December , but the amphibious assault at Motril was called off just as the troops were ready to leave and the Generals Miaja and Matallana rejected the plan . The Republican offensive on Extremadura did not start until 5 January , after the start of the Nationalist offensive against Catalonia . The Battle . Opossing forces . The Republicans had assembled the Estremadura Army , to be led by the General Antonio Escobar Huertas . Among its constituent units were with the XXII Corps led by Colonel Juan Ibarrola , consisting of the 47th Division , 70th Division , and the 10th Divisions , the Agrupacion Toral led by the Major Nilamon Toral , consisting of the 6th , 28th and 52nd divisions . Additionally four mixed brigades of infantry and cavalry were attached to the army in a formation referred to as Column F . Despite its size , many of its troops lacked weapons and equipment . Opposing the Republicans , the Nationalists had seven divisions ( 10th , 40th , 74th , 81st , 60th , 112th and 122nd divisions ) led by Queipo de Llano . Republican Offensive . On 5 January , the XXII Corps began the offensive , breaking the Nationalist lines at Hinojosa del Duque and opening a breach of 8 km long in the Nationalist forces . On 6 January , the Republican forces broke the Nationalist ' s second line and occupied Fuente Obejuna and on 7 January they occupied Los Blazquez and Peraleda del Zaucejo . But the Republican advance halted before Peñarroya . The Republican offensive was halted by the Nationalists air attacks and the adverse weather conditions causing the Republican tanks to become bogged down in mud . At the time the Republican offensive was halted , it had taken 500 square kilometres of little strategic value . Nationalist counteroffensive . On 17 January , the Nationalists began a counteroffensive , retaking Peraleda del Zaucejo on 22 January and Fuente Obejuna on 25 January . By 4 February , the Nationalists had regained all the territory conquered by the Republicans and the General Escobar ordered the remaining Republican forces to withdraw . Aftermath . The offensive was a complete failure . The republican forces occupied briefly a large territory , but the Nationalist offensive against Catalonia continued and on by February all Catalonia had been occupied by the Nationalists .