Punishment for a symbolic Republican city

One of the main barracks set up in Eibar was located in Errebal. The Amuategui Battalion was housed opposite the Armoury School in the Franciscan Convent whilst the Errebal Augustine Recoletas convent was home to other Battalions. The latter was one of the main targets for Italian and German planes and the guns located in Arrate, Karakate and other places. In 1939, Hugo Sperrle “Sander”, chief commander of the German Condor Legion acknowledged Von Richthofen as chief planner of the bombing “Experiments” in Gernika, Durango or some in Eibar. 

Picture taken from an Italian plane whilst bombing Eibar. The smoke from the three impacts show that they hit the Errebal and Ibarrecruz neighbourhoods (see below). On the left, places such as the Town Hall and bullring are easy to identify. You can spot places of interest by following the outline of the main road, the same as the current road. © Sociedad de Amigos de Laguardia.   

There were three types of buildings in pre-war Eibar: buildings exclusively used for housing, others for factories and some that combined both functions. Little by little in the 1930s, reinforced concrete buildings went up to replace the wooden houses. Many of these companies were located in areas outside the town centre. They are simple buildings with masonry walls, wooden structures and tiled roofs, with transparent floors and large openings for light. Most of the industry was concentrated in areas around Matxaria (BH), Txonta (GAC), Urkizu (Orbea) and Pº San Andrés (Alfa) irrigation channels. After the war they were swallowed up by the urban spread in an attempt to cover the river and fill in empty spaces.

Three particular types of bombs were used in the air raids: 50 kg bombs that destroyed the roof framework and the top floor without particularly threatening the lower floors of the building and the neighbouring constructions, 50 kg bombs with a delayed fuse that went through the roof and detonated on the second roof and 100 kg bombs that completely destroyed a 4 storey home.

The General Operations Plan for Bizkaia was drawn up by German Lieutenant Colonel of Staff Wolfram von Richthofen, working with the logistics services in the Condor Legion and Franco's Colonel Vigón, who had different “intents for action by the Condor Legion”. One of them indicated that "Forces will attack local reserves and sectors WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE CIVIL POPULATION."

Now we will watch a video recorded by Mussolini's Italian fascists just a few hours after their massacre in Eibar showing the enormous destruction that they caused.

Headlines from the Italian newspaper “La Domenica del Corriere” on 9th May 1937 on the destruction of Eibar, laying blame on “the reds”.

Eibar 1937

7.000 kilos de bombas contra Eibar

Main image:
Errebal was razed to the ground. This shows the façade of the former market and St Andrew's parish church. © Eibar Municipal Archive. Author: Indalecio Ojanguren.