LOYALIST GAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 7

LOYALIST GAIN.

IMPORTANT VICTORY.

San Rafael Captured After Bitter Struggle. rebel retreat menaced. United Press Association,—'Copyright. (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, August 5. According to advices from Spain, tiie Government claims to have captured San Rafael, in the Guadarrama mountains, where troops bombed and destroyed 40 lorries. 'Planes destroyed an insurgent battery at Palnia.

Earlier reports from Madrid stated that Government troops forced the rebels from an important pass at San Rafael after a day of fierce fighting, the famous sanatorium was blown to pieces. The town is littered with corpses.

The victory at San Rafael has given the .Loyalists possession of the hi"hwav running parallel with the Guadanama laiige and connecting Segovia and Vallaclolul with Madrid. This will enable them to cut off the rebel retreat from tiie northern slopes, also the Navacerrada and Somosierra passes, from winch they were recently dislodged. A bitter conflict lasted Tour hours. No quarter was given or taken. The Loyalists, consisting largely of youths, clemered a surprise attack supported by aeroplanes. They outflanked and repulsed the insurgents, who rallied and counterattacked, but were again defeated owing to their employment of cavalry from Salamanca against machine-guns on completely unfavourable ground.

Go\ eminent troops in the south seem to be holding their own, but the rebels are preparing a further advance to offset the Loyalist successes in Granada and Cadiz provinces.

The rebel city of Oviedo, Northern Asturias, is in flames. Members of the Popular I'i'ont handed the authorities £*5,000 found in Carabella convent and the bishop's palace at Alicante.

Police in Madrid rounded up Monarchists and Fascists and arrested 019, including Senor Melquiades Alvarez, exPrcsident of the Cortes. DEATH IN GARDEN. Englishwoman Hears Shot that Killed Husband. TERROR IN TALAVERA. (Received 2.30 p.m.) LOXDON, August 5. Mrs. Diana Avail, daughter of RearAdmiral Claude Cumberlege, whose husband was shot in disturbances near Toledo, reached London with other refugees. .

'"When the troubles started," she told an interviewer, "we left my husband's farm and stayed with friends at Talavera. A week later a gang hammered on the door at 3 a.m. and asked for onr host, his son and my husband. "They went into the garden while we waited in agony. We heard three shots three minutes later. Then I knew my husband was dead.

"Two poachers whom my husband once caught stealing had told a mob he was a Fascist. That was his death warrant.

"Next morning armed youths threatened us from behind the garden trees. A maidservant went to the town hall clandestinely and impressed our papers with Government stamps, enabling us to go to Valencia, where we boarded H.M.S. Devonshire.

"Everything we had is destroyed or stolen. My father reached his yacht in time to escape the rabble or he would also have been shot."

EX-KING ALFONSO'S SON

WILL FIGHT AS PRIVATE,

LISBON, August 5.

Prince Juan, youngest son of ex-Iving Alfonso, accompanied by Prince Joseph, of Bavaria, .is reported to have entered Spain through Navarre. Both were dressed in overalls and wore red caps. On their way to Burgos, the Princes lunched with aristocrats. Later they went by train to Soinos Sierra to fight as privates. General Mola, the rebel leader, learning of their arrival, sent them a message of thanks.

Mr. Campbell Black, noted British airman, left Burgos by car for Paris. It is understood that the aeroplane in which he flew to Lisbon was sold here.