227th Mixed Brigade (Spain)

This article is about the Spanish military unit. For the British formation, see 227th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom).

227th Mixed Brigade 227.ª Brigada Mixta
Flag of the 42nd Division, Spanish Popular Army
Active	1938–1939
Country	Spain
Branch	Spanish Republican Army
Type	Mixed Brigade
Role	Home Defence
Size	Four battalions: The 905, 906, 907 and 908
Part of	42nd Division (1938 - 1939)
Garrison/HQ	La Pobla de Massaluca
Engagements	Spanish Civil War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Tomás Guerrero Ortega

View of La Picossa where the 227th MB camped during the northbound withdrawal that followed the bloodbath of the Battle of the Ebro

The 227th Mixed Brigade (Spanish: 227.ª Brigada Mixta),^[1]^[2] was a mixed brigade of the Spanish Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War. It was formed in the spring of 1938 in Catalonia and had four battalions, the 905, 906, 907 and 908.

History

The 227th Mixed Brigade was established on 22 April 1938 and placed under the 42nd Division of the XV Army Corps, at the time part of the Agrupación Autónoma del Ebro (A.A.E.). The command of the unit was assigned to Militia Lieutenant Tomás Guerrero Ortega. The Chief of Staff leader was Tomás Sánchez Lorda and the political commissar was Lorenzo Arcones Grande.^[1]

Battle of the Ebro

On 25 July 1938 the 227th Mixed Brigade was camped in Almatret and the following day it crossed the Ebro River as part of one of the operations that marked the beginning of the Battle of the Ebro. Its main efforts were directed at recapturing Fayón from the rebel faction, but it was not able to achieve is aim. After lingering for two weeks in the bridgehead area it reached the Auts on 5 August, having to cross back the Ebro on 7 August.^[1]^[2]

Since it had suffered grievous losses, the 227th Mixed Brigade was moved to La Pobla de Massaluca in order to be reorganized and on 14 September it crossed the Ebro again in order to relieve the forces of the 3rd Division in the Vilalba-Corbera-Vértice Gaeta triangle.^[3] On 22 September it replaced units of the 45th Division in the Coll del Coso sector, where it remained until it was replaced by the 44th Division on 6 October.

Owing to the steady and relentless advances of the rebels the brigade returned to first-line combat, defending Miravet on 4 November while initiating the withdrawal along the right bank of the Ebro. It arrived to Benissanet on 5 November and camped at La Picossa by Móra d'Ebre on 7 November. Finally it reached Ascó on 12 November where, after a great number of casualties, it had to abandon the bridgehead.^[1]

Catalonia Offensive and extinction of the brigade

At the beginning of the Catalonia Offensive the 227th Mixed Brigade was in La Granadella, under the command of Major Bermejo and commissar Modesto Castrillo, for Major Guerrero was missing in action. On 5 January the brigade was in full withdrawal, marching northeastwards to Vinaixa, where it tried unsuccessfully to defend its road junctions. While the rebels advanced in full force, attacking the retreating Republican troops, the 227th Mixed Brigade continued withdrawing across the Serra de Prades, L'Espluga de Francolí, Alcover and La Selva.

After reaching the Gaià River line, the brigade continued fleeing before the enemy advance. It reached the Tibidabo mountain shortly before the Fall of Barcelona on 25 January. By then the 227th Mixed Brigade had been reduced to a handful of ill-equipped, hungry and demoralized volunteers. Nevertheless, they continued to fight while slowly withdrawing northwards, until they reached the border town of Portbou and crossed the mountains into France on 9 February.^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 5 SBHAC - Brigadas Mixtas del Ejército Popular, 227ª Brigada Mixta
1 2 Carlos Engel, Historia de las Brigadas Mixtas del E. P. de la República, 1999
↑ Vertex Gaeta

External links

Mixed brigades of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th XI XII XIII XIV XIV Bis XV 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th 120th 121st 122nd 123rd 124th 125th 126th 127th 128th CXXIX 130th 131st 132nd 133rd 134th 135th 136th 137th 138th 139th 140th 141st 142nd 143rd 144th 145th 146th 147th 148th 149th 150th CL 151st 152nd 153rd 154th 155th 156th 157th 158th 159th 160th 161st 162nd 163rd 164th 165th 166th 167th 168th 169th 170th 171st 172nd 173rd 174th 175th 176th 177th 177th 179th 180th 181st 182nd 183rd 184th 185th 186th 187th 188th 189th 190th 191st 192nd 193rd 194th 195th 196th 197th 198th 199th 200th 201st 202nd 203rd 204th 205th 206th 207th 208th 209th 210th 211th 212th 213th 214th 215th 216th 217th 218th 219th 220th 221st 222nd 223rd 224th 225th 226th 227th 228th 229th 230th 231st 232nd 233rd 234th 235th 236th 237th 238th 239th 240th 241st 242nd 243rd 244th 245th 246th

International Brigades (in Roman numerals) Fifth Regiment Central Region Army Group Eastern Region Army Group List of Spanish Republican divisions

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