The conquest of Karakate, Elgoibar, Arrate, Akondia and Kalamua

What only hours before have been the initial moves in the African colonies by the reactionary powers to overthrow the Second Spanish Republic, become a violent coup d'état and the start of the civil war on 18 July 1936. In Euskal Herria (the Basque Country) the situation is diametrically opposite in the two territories of the interior (Araba and Nafarroa), on one hand, and in the two coastal territories (Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia). In the first case, these are entirely under the control of the insurgents, except for a small part of Araba in the valley of Aiaraldea, bordering Bizkaia. In Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, on the other hand, loyalty to the legitimate power of the Republic is maintained.

When the insurgents plan the military strategy prior to the uprising they establish gaining control of the border of Irun as a fundamental objective, in this way to prevent the government of the Republic from receiving supplies of arms from the French leftist government of Leon Blum and from other countries. After the fall of Irun on 5 September, and that of Donostia on the 13th of the same month, the pro-coup forces will devastate Gipuzkoa during the summer of 1936 on their way towards Bizkaia.

Franco’s troops parading past the Alderdi Eder Gardens in San Sebastián.

The insurgents have three lines of advance. The Los Arcos group will invade the central area of Gipuzkoa using the road between Tolosa and Azpeitia as an axis, and its route will end between Arrasate and Elgoibar. The Iruretagoyena group will advance along the Gipuzkoa coast and, finally, that of Colonel Camilo Alonso Vega, architect of the revolt in the garrison of Gasteiz, will advance through the port of Arlaban towards Deba Garaia. Within a few days of the fall of Donostia the different columns will converge in the vicinity of Eibar. Given the disproportionate resources it seemed a question of hours before they entered the city.

The occupation of the line of the Deba river by the insurgents is carried out with rapid, combined movements. On 22 September 1936 they occupy Soraluze. The troops of Pérez Salas leave Azkoitia and advance as far as Karakate via the slopes of Irukurutzeta and Atxolin, and from there they drop down to Soraluze at dusk, while Los Arcos complement the action along the coast, reaching the outskirts of Deba and Mutriku. In that week they will attack Arrate church with heavy shelling, during which the lateral facade will suffer serious damage, as can be seen in the photograph. Numerous trenches had been dug in Arrate by the Amuategui Battalion in the preceding weeks to fortify its defence, given that it was the natural access via the mountains from Elgoibar to Eibar and to the coastline of Bizkaia.

Franco’s troops evacuating an injured man in the Elgoibar Subsector. © Ministry of Education and Science. Author: Andrés Erich.

The troops of Díez de Rivera, situated in Elgoibar, are attacked fiercely from Arrate and Mount Urko, and at their maximum depth reach the hermitage of San Pedro in Elgoibar, where the 2nd Company of the Carlist Regiment of Lácar is taking shelter. On the 22nd the rebels occupy the road between Elgoibar and Malzaga but, little by little, the resistance from the Republicans is more effective, since the weapons they are supplied with allow them to more effectively contain the advance of the insurgents.

In the area of Akondia, Kalamua and Arrate a line of attack is formed which is maintained from 2 to 8 October. Cayuela attacks the Urkarregi on 28 September with the intention of continuing his advance towards Markina, while Díez de Rivera does the same in Kalamua and Arrate with the aim of winning Eibar. The counter-attacks are fierce on 29 and 30 September and on 2 and 8 October. On the 2nd, the casualties among the rebels in Arrate reach 60. Reinforcements for the insurgents arrive from the coast on the 5th, and take position on Mount Urkarregi, to the north of Kalamua, on the road from Markina to Elgoibar. In Urkarregi, the position was essentially defended by nationalists who had arrived from Bilbao and its surroundings, “gudaris” (Basque soldiers) who took up position to the left of the road rising up from Markina and Etxebarria. The attack positions of Díez de Rivera are marked by the lines joining the Urkarregi, Kalamua, the hermitage of San Pedro above Elgoibar and the sanctuary of Arrate.

Franco’s troops in the Akondia Subsector. © Bergarako Udal Artxiboa. Toribio Jauregi Collection. Author: Toribio Jauregi.

Main image:
Arrate Sanctuary destroyed by the effects of cannon perforations made by the rebels from Karakate in September 1936. © Archivo Municipal de Eibar. Author: Indalecio Ojanguren.