DESPERATE BATTLE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 223, 3 September 1936, Page 7

DESPERATE BATTLE

Hand-to-Hand Conflict with Loyalists HEAVY CASUALTIES (Bv Telssrspb—Press Assn.—Copyrishi.l (Received 3, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 2.

Fighting on the Irun front in Spain has resumed, machine-gun and artillery exchanging bombardments. The rebels gained a strategic point, and also captured Mount Turiarte, opening the way to the main road to San Sebastian. A hurricane of fire developed when General Mola ordered a general bombardment of Irun, to which the defenders, aided by an armoured train, desperately replied. The loyalists finally succeeded in repulsing the strongest rebel attack yet launched on the Irun front, inflicting heavy losses, but the rebels desperately coun-ter-attacked later in the afternoon, engaging in a hand-to-hand conflict with the loyalists in machine-gun nests on the outskirts of the Franco-Spanish frontier village, Behobie. The foremost rebels are now within a mile of Irun.

Heartened by to-day ’» earlier sue cesses, the rebels to-night resumed a desperate attack on the Irun front. Despite strenuous resistance they captured Tort San Marcial, where the Carlist flag was hoisted. This is a most important point dominating Iron. Desperate street fighting is continuing at Behobie, causing grave danger to Behobie, on the French side of the nver, whore bullets are flying. The fall of Irun is regarded as imminent. The defenders express determination to fight to the last. It is feared the massacre which followed the fall of Badajon will bo repeated when Irun is captured.

To-day’s attack was accompanied by the heaviest land and sea bombardment ot the civil war. The defenders have threatened to shoot 25 hostages for every non-combatant killed. The Government claims a signal victory at Soto, 20 miles south-east of Oviedo.

A Hendaye message says that contact has been established between the envoys from Madrid and Burgos with a view to a discussion on the humanisation of warfare. Senor Castro represents the loyalists, and hopes to arrange with General Mola for discontinuance of the execution of hostages and prisoners.

Bebel aircraft dropped four bombs near the destroyer Worcester, also near the German destroyer, off Malaga. The Worcester steamed to Gibraltar undamaged. The Government claims that strong rebel attacks at Guadarrama and Siguenza were beaten off, and over 100 U rebels deserted to the Government.

Skirmishing is continuing on the Asturian fronts as rebels try to rescue the besieged garrison at Oviedo. An unofficial estimate of the killed ist Government forces, 34,000; rebels. 46,000.