Battle of Minorca (1939)

The Battle of Menorca took place in Menorca between 7 and 9 February 1939 during the Spanish Civil War.

For other battles for control of Menorca, see List of invasions of Menorca.
Battle of Menorca
Part of the Spanish Civil War

Balearic islands. Menorca in blue
Date7–9 February 1939
Location
Menorca, Balearic Islands Spain
Result
  • Surrender of the Republican garrison.
  • Nationalist occupation of Menorca.
Belligerents
 Spanish Republic  Nationalist Spain
Fifth Column
Commanders and leaders
Luis González de Ubieta
Marcelino Rodríguez †		 Juan Thomas
Strength
1 brigade 3 battalions[1]
Casualties and losses
1 killed unknown

Background

After the fall of Catalonia, the island of Menorca, the only Balearic island held by the Republic, was isolated from other Republican-held territory by the Nationalist naval blockade. Francisco Franco informed the British government that Mussolini's Italian troops would abandon the Balearic Islands after the war and the British government agreed to arrange the surrender of the Republican garrison.[2]

The rising

On 8 January 1939 Admiral Luis González de Ubieta was transferred to Menorca to take the command of the Spanish Republican naval base at Puerto Mahon. He also was given the authority to command all the Republican military forces on the island.[3]

On 7 February, the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Devonshire came to the Mahón harbour with a Nationalist emissary, Fernando Sartorius, on board. Sartorius said to the Republican commander, Luis González Ubieta, that the Nationalist forces would occupy the island on 8 February, but the Republican officers and supporters would abandon the island. The same day, three battalions of the Republican garrison, led by a member of the Fifth column, the officer Juan Thomas, occupied Ciutadella, after killing the Republican commander Marcelino Rodríguez. One brigade of Republican troops arrived from Mahon, and defeated the rebel troops after a brief engagement and surrounded Ciutadella. Nevertheless, the Republican officers believed that the fight was useless, desired to abandon the island and the British arranged the surrender of the island to the Nationalists on board of HMS Devonshire. On 8 February, Italian and Spanish Nationalist bombers attacked Mahón. The same day the Devonshire sailed to Marseille with 452 Republican refugees on board.[4] On 9 February, the 105th division of the Nationalist Army disembarked at the Ciudadela and the Republican troops surrendered.[5]

Aftermath

After the surrender of Menorca, many Republican officers in the central zone believed that they would negotiate a deal with the Nationalists, and then started to plan a coup against the Negrín government.[6]

References
  1. Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p. 860
  2. Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. THe Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p. 385
  3. Diario oficial nº22, 22 de enero de 1939
  4. Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p. 861
  5. Salas Larrazábal, Ramón & Jesús (1986). Historia general de la Guerra de España.Rialp, p. 393. ISBN 84-321-2340-4 (in Spanish)
  6. Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p. 861

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