Texto y Fotos Indicadas: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
ENGLISH
Hoy se cumple el 75º Aniversario del 5 de Septiembre de 1936, día en que se produjo la precipitada huida de los habitantes de Cerro Muriano (Córdoba), al ser bombardeado el pueblo por aviones franquistas procedentes del aeródromo de la Electromecánica -que estaba situado unos 7,8 km al oeste de Córdoba capital, cerca de Medina Azahara-, durante la sobremesa de dicha jornada, en la que tres columnas bajo el mando global del general Varela atacaron Cerro Muriano (más concretamente la Loma de Las Malagueñas y la Cota Torreárboles, ubicadas muy cerca del pueblo, y cuya captura era clave para la ulterior conquista del mismo, que se produjo al día siguiente).
Photo: Hans Namuth /Georg Reisner. Cerca de la salida norte de Cerro Muriano. Sobremesa del 5 de Septiembre de 1936. Acaba de cundir un enorme pánico colectivo provocado por el bombardeo del pueblo por parte de aviones franquistas, intensificado a partir de aproximadamente las 15:00 h de la tarde. Todo el mundo cree que las tropas marroquís de tabor de Regulares están a punto de entrar en el pueblo, lo cual cataliza la precipitada huida masiva tanto de la población civil como de numerosos milicianos que se hallaban en el casco urbano de Cerro Muriano.
La realidad es que los mandos franquistas no tienen intención alguna de entrar en el pueblo durante el 5 de Septiembre, y mientras, el verdadero frente de combate se halla en Las Malagueñas, Torreárboles y la Finca de Villa Alicia, donde abundantes contingentes de milicianos y soldados republicanos luchan contra las tropas franquistas que tratan de tomar por asalto ambas cotas vitales para la ulterior conquista del pueblo de Cerro Muriano.
Incluso, el propio Franz Borkenau comenta en su obra El Reñidero Español, que la línea del frente (Las Malagueñas, Finca de Villa Alicia y Torreárboles), a diferencia de la guardia del pueblo, se mantuvo firme en todo momento.
Obsérvese que presa del miedo y deseando emprender la fuga a toda costa, un hombre que huía a pie acaba de saltar al camión y es ayudado por uno de sus ocupantes que le agarra del pantalón, cayendo a continuación de cabeza dentro de la plataforma trasera del vehículo, donde han subido ya seis habitantes del pueblo y dos milicianos, uno de los cuales mira fijamente al fotógrafo, en medio de una gran tensión, ya que es grande el temor a ser alcanzados por las columnas franquistas.
Han pasado casi treinta años desde que Richard Whelan, máximo experto en Capa de todos los tiempos, entrevistó al fotógrafo Hans Namuth en 1982, y éste le aseguró que las fotografías hechas por Robert Capa de refugiados huyendo de un pequeño pueblo cerca de Córdoba capital, correspondían a Cerro Muriano, ya que él mismo, en compañía del también fotógrafo Georg Reisner y del escritor Franz Borkenau, habían estado igualmente dicho día en Cerro Muriano.
Hans Namuth confirmó a Richard Whelan que no vieron ni se cruzaron en ningún momento con Robert Capa ni Gerda Taro, pero que cuando varias semanas después contempló las fotografías de refugiados aparecidas en el número de la revista francesa Vu de 23 de Septiembre de 1936, se dió cuenta de que sin ningún género de dudas Robert Capa y Gerda Taro habían estado allí, al reconocer a algunas personas atemorizadas que huían del ataque aéreo franquista a las que él mismo también había fotografiado ese día, así como algunos de los lugares que se distinguían en las imágenes.
Dada la enorme complejidad de los hechos, los muchísimos años transcurridos - nada menos que tres cuartos de siglo-, el carácter caótico de los primeros meses de la contienda civil en que las más veces los milicianos muertos en combate eran enterrados rápidamente sobre el terreno, familias enteras de civiles se veían obligadas a huír para salvar la vida y quedaban frecuentemente desarraigadas conforme evolucionaban los frentes, perdiendo sus viviendas y propiedades y yendo a parar a distintas ciudades y pueblos por toda España, en condiciones generalmente lastimosas, sumado todo ello a una pléyade de diferentes factores, la investigación sobre los acontecimientos que tuvieron lugar en Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) el 5 de Septiembre de 1936, ha sido ciertamente árdua, resultando finalmente que Hans Namuth, Georg Reisner y Franz Borkenau llegaron a Cerro Muriano el 5 de Septiembre de 1936, aproximadamente a las 15:30 h de la tarde, mientras que Capa y Gerda Taro llevaban en la zona de Cerro Muriano desde aproximadamente tres días antes:
http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2011/09/cerro-muriano-75th-anniversary-capa-and.html
UN MISTERIO RESUELTO
Muy recientemente, elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com ha podido descubrir las claves de la precipitada huida de los refugiados de Cerro Muriano el 5 de Septiembre de 1936 y cual fue la verdadera causa del ataque aéreo franquista sobre el pueblo, presenciado en directo por Franz Borkenau, que en su libro El Reñidero Español comenta al recordar los hechos que en todo momento se quedó muy extrañado al constatar el pequeño tamaño y peso de las bombas lanzadas por los aviones franquistas (de aproximadamente 50 kg de peso), su escasa precisión y daños causados y muy especialmente algo inexplicable: las tropas marroquíes pudieron tomar el pueblo con relativa facilidad durante el 5 de Septiembre, pero no lo hicieron.
" A las tres y media de la tarde del 5 de septiembre llegábamos al pueblo de Cerro Muriano. Aquello era un auténtico pandemonium. A poca distancia del pueblo, hay una pequeña colina arbolada donde, de vez en cuando se oía ruido de fusiles y ametralladoras. A la derecha del pueblo, el bombardeo de la mañana había incendiado el bosque. En el momento de nuestra llegada, la lucha no era, evidentemente muy intensa.
Pero presenciamos una escena que yo no conocía más que por los relatos de la Guerra de los Treinta Años. Toda la población estaba huyendo: hombres, mujeres y niños, a pie, en burro, en carro, en coches o en camiones que habían estado concentrados a la entrada del pueblo opuesta al frente para transportar tropas, municiones y comida.. Todo ésto, naturalmente en medio de un gran caos.
Las mujeres llevaban a sus hijos en brazos y al ganado atado con cuerdas. Ellas sollozaban, los niños lloraban y los hombres intentaban cargar con todas las pertenencias de que eran capaces en medio de las prisas. En pocos minutos, el pueblo quedó desierto. El pueblo había sufrido durante toda la mañana un bombardeo contínuo desde el aire, de vez en cuando acompañado de fuego de artillería.
Luego se había hecho la pausa, acostumbrada desde más o menos la hora de la siesta, aproximadamente desde la una hasta las tres y media de la tarde, rito que observaban los dos bandos desde el principio de la guerra. Los habitantes se habían abalanzado sobre los vehículos, y, o bien se los llevaban ellos mismos (los pocos que sabían conducir), o bien, fusil en mano, habían obligado a los conductores a desobedecer las órdenes, abandonar el campo de batalla y transportar a los fugitivos.
Muchos de los que huían llevaban en su gorro la insignia de la C.N.T y portaban sus fusiles no para usarlos contra el enemigo, sino contra cualquiera que intentase impedirles la huída."
75 años después de los hechos, cuatro copias de fotografías rescatadas del olvido, de procedencia desconocida, adquiridas a finales de los años noventa en uno de los puestos existentes en el Rastro de Madrid, entre la Plaza del Campillo y la c/ Mira El Sol, y que creemos fueron realizadas prácticamente con el 100% de certeza por Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner en Cerro Muriano el 5 de Septiembre de 1936 (ya que el fondo de la derecha correspondiente a la salida norte de Cerro Muriano y que aparece en dos de ellas coincide con el fondo de la derecha de otras fotos hechas dicho día por Hans Namuth / Reisner y Capa), junto con un hallazgo sorprendente en una inscripción que aparece en la zona superior de un autobús utilizado para correo en la provincia de Alicante y requisado por los milicianos, han permitido el esclarecimiento de los hechos y discernir cual fue el verdadero motivo del bombardeo del pueblo por los aviones franquistas durante la sobremesa del 5 de Septiembre de 1936, mucho más intensificado que el realizado durante la mañana: hacer creer a las tropas republicanas -para fijarlas en sus posiciones- ubicadas dentro del pueblo de Cerro Muriano, a las situadas frente a la Estación de Tren de Cerro Muriano (el más importante objetivo del ataque franquista sobre el pueblo, que tendría lugar al día siguiente 6 de Septiembre de 1936 a primera hora de la mañana) y a la fuerza republicana situada en los Lavaderos y Fundiciones de la Cordoba Copper Company al este del pueblo, que las tres columnas del ataque franquista iban a intentar tomar el casco urbano de Cerro Muriano durante dicha sobremesa, justo después del bombardeo aéreo.
Pero la realidad es que el ataque diseñado por el general Varela, militar de amplísima experiencia en Marruecos en despiadada guerra colonial, tenía un inevitable punto débil: para la conquista del pueblo de Cerro Muriano era totalmente imprescindible tomar previamente por asalto las cotas de Las Malagueñas y Torreárboles (que es donde en realidad estuvo el frente durante todo el día 5 de Septiembre), repletas de milicianos, para lo cual el factor decisivo era el Tabor de Regulares de Melilla nº 3 al mando del comandante López Guerrero y los escuadrones de Regulares a pie Ceuta nº 3 y Alhucemas al mando del comandante Gerardo Figuerola, que constituían la columna de la derecha franquista bajo el mando global del coronel Sáenz de Buruaga.
Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
Estas tropas de élite marroquís, con muy abundante experiencia en guerra colonial en El Rif durante los años veinte y primera mitad de los treinta, son las encargadas de realizar la maniobra envolvente por la vertiente norte y sus alrededores de las citadas cotas, para caer sobre la espalda de las tropas republicanas que defendían las cimas y vertientes sur de dichos vértices del ataque frontal de las otras dos columnas franquistas.
Lo que ocurre es que aproximadamente a la 1 del mediodía del 5 de Septiembre de 1936, se produjo una situación verdaderamente alucinante, descubierta por Francisco Moreno Gómez a mediados de los años ochenta y que alteró los planes de ataque del general Varela durante muchas horas: el Tabor de Regulares de Melilla nº 3 bajo el mando del comandante López Guerrero con tropas marroquís a caballo, intentó penetrar hacia la cota de Las Malagueñas a través de una barranca ubicada por detrás de la zona de Lavaderos y Fundiciones de la Córdoba Copper Company, tratando de envolver la Loma de Las Malagueñas y el puesto de mando avanzado republicano en la zona (comandantes Juan Bernal, Balibrea, Armentia y Aviraneta), momento en que un nutrido grupo de milicianos alcoyanos que se hallaban en las proximidades, al percatarse de tal ataque, se lanzaron en tromba sobre los soldados profesionales marroquíes, abriendo fuego a discreción y obligándoles a aferrarse defensivamente a sus posiciones, por lo que al no poder envolver, el avance de las otras dos columnas franquistas (la de la izquierda mandada por el comandante Baturone -cuyo objetivo es Torreárboles- y la del centro mandada por el propio general Varela -cuyo objetivo es Las Malagueñas- ) quedó también frenado.
Es un momento crítico para el ataque franquista, no sólo porque su éxito depende en gran medida del tabor de regulares de Melilla nº 3 de López Guerrero y los escuadrones de Regulares de Ceuta nº 3 y Alhucemas de Gerardo Figuerola, ambos encuadrados en la columna de la derecha, bajo el mando global del coronel Sáenz de Buruaga, y del desarrollo de su maniobra envolvente, sino porque al haber sido momentáneamente frenados por el furioso ataque de los alcoyanos y hallarse estáticos en esos instantes, luchando frontalmente contra los milicianos, si se produjera a partir de esos momentos un ataque perpendicular o diagonal de más fuerzas republicanas procedentes de Cerro Muriano pueblo o la zona de Lavaderos y Fundiciones de la Córdoba Copper Company, o incluso de refuerzos llegados desde El Vacar, las tropas marroquíes tendrían muchas dificultades para poder adaptarse a dichas nuevas amenazas y seguir enfrentándose a la vez a los alcoyanos.
El coronel Sáenz de Buruaga, que está en permanente comunicación con el general Varela, le informa de la situación, y deciden intensificar el bombardeo del pueblo para que los efectivos republicanos ubicados en él, crean que las tropas franquistas van a atacar el casco urbano y queden fijadas en él, cuando en realidad sus objetivos más importantes el 5 de Septiembre de 1936 son Las Malagueñas, la Finca de Villa Alicia y Torreárboles, por lo que no tienen intención alguna de atacar el pueblo hasta que no hayan capturado dichas cotas.
Obviamente, ésto es una canallada, ya que la gente del pueblo (mujeres, niños, niñas, ancianos y muchos padres) está en esos momentos mayormente comiendo - en las fotos hechas por Capa a los refugiados que huyen del pueblo se ven algunas madres que llevan el delantal puesto- y las bombas, aunque de pequeño tamaño - unos 50 kg de peso tal y como explica Franz Borkenau - lanzadas de modo aleatorio, provocan con sus explosiones el pánico tanto de la población civil, que huye rápidamente en dirección norte, como de los milicianos que se hallan dentro del pueblo, que suben raudos a los camiones y abandonan también Cerro Muriano en dirección norte.
Photo: Hans Namuth /Georg Reisner. Cerca de la salida norte de Cerro Muriano. 5 de Septiembre de 1936
Todo el mundo cree que las tropas franquistas van a entrar rápidamente en el pueblo en cuestión de minutos tras el bombardeo, cuando en realidad, las tres columnas franquistas atacantes están teniendo muchas dificultades para poder capturar Las Malagueñas y Torreárboles - cuya toma no podrán llevar a cabo hasta aproximadamente las diez de la noche- y la supervivencia y ulterior avance envolvente del Tabor de Regulares de Melilla nº 3 con tropas marroquís a caballo (comandante López Guerrero) y de los escuadrones a pie de Ceuta nº 3 y Alhucemas con tropas a a pie también marroquís (bajo el mando del comandante Gerardo Figuerola) depende de que ningún otro contingente republicano procedente del pueblo les ataque.
EL PEQUEÑO AUTOBÚS CORREO SANTA POLA-ALICANTE
elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com ha podido descubrir también una evidencia que verifica sin ningún género de dudas la abundante presencia de milicianos alcoyanos de la CNT y de la FAI en Cerro Muriano el día 5 de Septiembre de 1936. Se trata de un pequeño autobús correo que aparece en segundo término en una de las fotografías hechas por Hans Namuth/Georg Reisner, del que se aprecia parte de sus dos ruedas delanteras y área superior delantera, en cuya zona alta aparece un cartel en el que se lee CORREO SANTA POLA-ALICANTE.
Photo: Hans Namuth /Georg Reisner. Cerca de la salida norte de Cerro Muriano. 5 de Septiembre de 1936
Es una imagen repleta de tensión, ya que está tomada durante la huida de la población civil de Cerro Muriano por la salida norte del pueblo durante la sobremesa del 5 de Septiembre de 1936.
Hay tres hombres que se han subido a lo alto de este autobús correo Santa Pola- Alicante (requisado en la provincia de Alicante varias semanas atrás por los milicianos alcoyanos), mientras un hombre vestido de traje está hablando con ellos para que le dejen subir.
Y a la vez, muy próximo a la cámara, aparece parte de la cabina y rueda izquierda de un camión en el que van subidos cinco hombres habitantes del pueblo - uno de ellos un anciano con boina- y un miliciano de la CNT con barba, lleno de tensión, que mira fijamente al fotógrafo. Todo el mundo quiere huir subiéndose a los camiones, ya que ha cundido el pánico y se cree en esos momentos que las tropas franquistas están a punto de entrar en el pueblo, por lo que todos están convencidos de que escapan por los pelos, exactamente lo que Varela, Sáenz de Buruaga y Baturone quieren que crean y para lo cual han ordenado intensificar el bombardeo aéreo sobre Cerro Muriano a partir de aproximadamente las 15:00 h de la tarde.
Los mandos franquistas son militares muy experimentados, curtidos en muchas batallas en Marruecos desde la época de Abd-El-Krim, luchando contra los durísimos rifeños desde principios de los años veinte, han estudiado a fondo los mapas cartográficos de la zona y saben que la clave de la batalla no está en Cerro Muriano, sino en Torreárboles y Las Malagueñas, las cotas que constituyen la clave para la posterior conquista de Cerro Muriano y donde se hallan la mayor cantidad de fuerzas republicanas y las mejor armadas, así como el puesto de mando avanzado republicano en la Mansión de Las Malagueñas.
Además, si intentan capturar primero el pueblo de Cerro Muriano, dejarían a su espalda a muchos abundantes contingentes de milicianos y soldados republicanos que se hayan en las cimas y aledaños de dichos vértices, bien armados con armas automáticas y artillería, y que son los que constituían en gran medida una amenaza para Córdoba capital desde el punto de vista franquista desde finales de Agosto de 1936, tal y como demostró Francisco Moreno Gómez con su hallazgo a mediados de los años ochenta de una página del diario Ahora de Madrid del 6 de Septiembre de 1936 (con información de aproximadamente una semana antes y fotografías tomadas muy probablemente entre el 31 de Agosto y el 2 de Septiembre de 1936), en cuyas imágenes de Torreárboles( dos fotografías con milicianos ocupando su cresta y con sus armas en dirección sur hacia Córdoba capital) y Las Malagueñas (una fotografía con soldados republicanos con cascos que apuntan sus fusiles), se aprecia que hay abundante presencia de milicianos y soldados republicanos que llevan tiempo ocupando ambas cotas en disposición defensiva, provistos de fusiles Máuser 7 x 57 mm y ametralladoras.
Volviendo al tema de la fotografía, muy probablemente, este autobús formaba parte de la ya mencionada columna que salió de Alcoy el 7 de Agosto de 1936, una parte de la cual marchó hacia Cerro Muriano. Los indicios apuntan a que este pequeño bus correo que se aprecia en la imagen, estaba aparcado dentro del pueblo de Cerro Muriano y fue capturado por varias personas en desbandada, tanto milicianos como civiles, para subirse a él rápidamente y huir lo antes posible. De ahí el notable stress que se observa en la fotografía, ya que todos temen ser alcanzados por las tropas marroquís.
Y a la derecha de la imagen, se aprecia a un miliciano muy corpulento, que por su indumentaria podría pertenecer a la F.A.I, que está lanzando mantas y diversa ropa al interior del camión, posiblemente para intentar subir a continuación. El paisaje que se ve al fondo a la derecha pertenece a la salida norte de Cerro Muriano, y coincide con el de otras fotos hechas por Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner y Capa durante la sobremesa de este mismo día 5 de Septiembre de 1936.
LAS FOTOS DEL PERIÓDICO FRANCÉS L´INTRANSIGEANT DEL 21 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1936
Hans Namuth/Georg Reisner hicieron también en Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) durante la sobremesa del 5 de Septiembre de 1936 otras cuatro fotografías y que aparecieron en el rotativo francés L´Intransigeant del 21 de Septiembre de 1936 a media página, dieciséis días después de los hechos. Dos de las imágenes son ya conocidas (fueron analizadas en http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2010/05/hay-personas-que-incluso-despues-de-su.html) y aparecen fuertemente recortadas con respecto a las fotografías originales, mientras que las dos imágenes inferiores son en gran medida desconocidas e igualmente experimentaron fuertes recortes del editor con respecto a su aspect ratio 2:3 original:
Photo: Hans Namuth /Georg Reisner. Cerca de la salida norte de Cerro Muriano. 5 de Septiembre de 1936
Entendemos que esta fotografía de Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner, en nuestra opinión verdaderamente impresionante, es muy importante para comprender el contexto de esta huida precipitada motivada por el pánico.
Obsérvese como la madre, atenazada por la ansiedad y llorando amargamente, camina con toda la presteza posible, llevando a su hijo en vilo con su brazo y mano izquierdos apoyados en su cadera, mientras posiblemente -fuera de imagen- agarra con su mano derecha varias pertenencias personales que habrá podido salvar in extremis. El nivel de esfuerzo físico, nerviosismo y temor por la vida de su hijo en esta mujer, son enormes, y constituyen la esencia de un documento gráfico de primer nivel que verifica el excelente trabajo fotoperiodístico desarrollado por Hans Namuth/Georg Reisner en Cerro Muriano, quizá no valorado suficientemente durante las últimas décadas.
FRANZ BORKENAU, HANS NAMUTH Y GEORG REISNER SE REFUGIAN EN UN TÚNEL BAJO LA VÍA DEL TREN
Otro elemento clave en nuestra investigación para poder entender los hechos, es el relato que hace Franz Borkenau en su obra El Reñidero Español cuando menciona que tras entrar en Cerro Muriano con Hans Namuth y Georg Reisner y observar que todas las casas habían sido abandonadas, constataron que pese a ello, el frente se mantenía firme, y que llegaron a una zona en la que el flanco izquierdo de Cerro Muriano está protegido por un terraplén por donde pasa la vía férrea y que resultó una defensa muy valiosa.
Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
Recuerda también que estuvieron en un puesto de Cruz Roja que había sido improvisado por las tropas republicanas en la parte delantera del pueblo, utilizando un antiguo barracón, y que de repente una bomba de aviación estalló muy cerca.
Franz Borkenau informa asimismo de que a continuación, trataron de llegar de nuevo a la línea del frente, pero el intenso fuego de las ametralladoras se lo impidió, por lo que decidieron refugiarse en el túnel que pasaba bajo las vías del tren, desde cuya boca vieron estallar una bomba a pocos metros, cuya onda expansiva les empujó hacia atrás.
Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
Entrada al túnel bajo la vía férrea que discurre por el flanco izquierdo de Cerro Muriano y en el que se refugiaron Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth y Georg Reisner aproximadamente a las 17:30 h de la tarde del 5 de Septiembre de 1936, tras haber llegado a la salida norte de Cerro Muriano alrededor de las 15:30 h y después de visitar un improvisado puesto de Cruz Roja republicano ubicado en la parte delantera del pueblo en torno a las 16:30 h. Tanto el fotoperiodista suizo como los dos fotógrafos que le acompañaban trataron de llegar a la zona del frente de la Finca de Villa Alicia y Torreárboles (la otra se hallaba en Las Malagueñas), pero les fue imposible debido a la presencia de pequeños contingentes de soldados marroquís de Tabor de Regulares que abrían fuego de fusil Mauser y ametralladoras para impedir cualquier movimiento de tropas republicanas o personas civiles que intentaran bajar desde el pueblo de Cerro Muriano. Tuvieron que refugiarse en este túnel para protegerse del intenso fuego de ametralladora franquista así como de las bombas de aviación que seguían cayendo. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
Túnel en el que se refugiaron Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth y Georg Reisner, con la vía del tren visible sobre él. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
75 años después. Vista interior del túnel en el que se refugiaron Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth y Georg Reisner aproximadamente a las 18:00 h de la tarde del 5 de Septiembre de 1936. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
Y a continuación comenta que algunos artilleros marroquís se acercaban por la izquierda, desde el otro lado de la vía férrea, y habían superado el flanco izquierdo de las líneas del gobierno, sin hallar oposición, por lo que podrían entrar en el pueblo en cualquier momento. Franz Borkenau comenta con extrañeza que sin embargo, no lo hacen.
La realidad es que las temidas tropas marroquís de tabor de Regulares tienen órdenes muy estrictas de no intentar entrar en el pueblo hasta que se hayan capturado Las Malagueñas, Torreárboles y la Finca de Villa Alicia, y que el grueso del tábor de Regulares de Melilla bajo el mando de López Ochoa está luchando en esos momentos a brazo partido con los milicianos alcoyanos que llevan varias horas frenando su avance en la zona próxima a la Loma de Las Malagueñas, lo cual ha ralentizado también la progresión de las otras dos columnas franquistas (la de la izquierda al mando de Baturone y la del centro al mando del General Varela).
Pero los mandos franquistas han enviado pequeños contingentes de soldados marroquís a las proximidades de la vía férrea adyacente al flanco izquierdo de Cerro Muriano, con instrucciones de que abran fuego de ametralladora y de artillería de pequeño calibre, para que los milicianos que defienden el pueblo crean que les van a atacar rápidamente. E igualmente, desde bien temprano por la mañana, han situado otros pequeños contingentes de los temidos soldados marroquís en las inmediaciones de Piedra Horadada, donde se mostrarán durante todo el día a los soldados republicanos y milicianos ubicados defensivamente en los Lavaderos y Fundiciones de la Córdoba Copper Company, en la zona de su límite visual, para hacerles creer que pueden atacarles en cualquier momento (algo que no ocurrirá hasta el día siguiente) y fijarles también en sus posiciones.
La intención es conseguir por todos los medios fijar a las fuerzas republicanas que defienden Cerro Muriano en sus posiciones, y que no haya ningún movimiento de tropas republicanas desde el pueblo hacia los alrededores de la vertiente norte de Las Malagueñas, ya que los alcoyanos han atacado en tromba al tabor de López Ochoa, que está en esos momentos clavado en sus posiciones sin poder avanzar ni envolver, por lo que si dicho tabor es atacado por nuevas fuerzas republicanas desde diferentes ángulos, podrían sucumbir.
Copyright Texto: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.
Inscrito en el Registro Territorial de la Propiedad Intelectual de Madrid
Otros artículos sobre Cerro Muriano el 5 de Septiembre de 1936:
Cerro Muriano: Descubierta y Ubicada Una Nueva Fotografía Hecha por Robert Capa el 5 de Septiembre de 1936: Momentos de PreMuerte ( I I )
Gerda Taro: Centenario de su Nacimiento e Identificación en una Fotografía Hecha el 5 de Septiembre de 1936 en la zona de Cerro Muriano
Cerro Muriano : Ubicación de Cinco Fotografías Más Hechas por Capa y Publicadas en el Illustrated London News del 24/10/1936
Descubierta la Ubicación de Tres Fotografías Más Hechas por Robert Capa en Cerro Muriano y sus Proximidades
Dos Fotografías Más Hechas por Robert Capa en Cerro Muriano y Desconocidas Hasta Ahora, Descubiertas y Ubicadas: Momentos de Premuerte
Cerro Muriano: Hallada y Ubicada una Nueva Fotografía Hecha por Capa o Gerda Taro el 5 de Septiembre de 1936
domingo, 4 de septiembre de 2011
CERRO MURIANO 75TH ANNIVERSARY ( I I ): THE KEYS OF THE ESCAPE OF THE VILLAGE CIVIL POPULATION DURING THE AFTERNOON DECIPHERED
Text and Indicated Photos: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
SPANISH
Today is the 75th Anniversary of September 5, 1936, the day in which there was the rushing escape from Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) made by its inhabitants, when the village was bombed by Francoist aircraft coming from Electromecánica airdrome, which was located around 7.8 km in the west of Córdoba City, during the afternoon in which the three columns under the global command of general Varela attacked Cerro Muriano (more specifically Las Malagueñas Hill and Torreárboles Hill, located near the village, and whose capture was essential for the subsequent conquest of it, which happened the following day) having gone out from Córdoba City very early in the morning, at 5:30 a.m.
Near the north exit of Cerro Muriano. Afternoon of September 5, 1936. A huge collective panic has just spread, raised by the bombing of the village by Francoist aircraft, intensified from approximately 15:00 h in the afternoon. Everybody believes that the Moroccan troops of tabor of Regulares are about to enter the village, which catalyzes the hasted generalized escape, both by the civil population and the numerous militiamen who were inside Cerro Muriano village. Photo : Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner
Reality is that the Francoist commanders haven´t any intention to enter the village on September 5, 1936, and while, the true combat front is in Las Malagueñas, Torreárboles and the Finca of Villa Alicia, where abundant contingents of militiamen and Republican soldiers fight against the Francoist troops striving for assaulting both hills, whose capture is necessary for the subsequent conquest of Cerro Muriano village.
Even, Franz Borkenau, in his book The Spanish Cockpit tells that unlike the village guard, the front line (Las Malagueñas, Finca of Villa Alicia and Torreárboles) remained firm at every moment.
It can be seen that panic-stricken and wishing to flee by all means, a man who was escaping walking has just jumped on the truck and is helped by one of his occupants grabbing him in his trousers, subsequently falling upside down inside tha back platform of the vehicle, where six inhabitants of the village have already mounted, together with two militiamen, one of whom is staring at the photographer, in the midst of a great stress, because the fear to be reached by the Francoist columns, specially the Moroccan troops, is big.
Thirty years have almost elapsed since Richard Whelan, the greatest expert on Capa ever, had a meeting with Hans Namuth in 1982, and this assured him that the pictures taken by Bob of refugees fleeing from a little village near Córdoba City, belonged to Cerro Muriano, because he had likewise been that day in Cerro Muriano together with the also photographer Georg Reisner and the writer Franz Borkenau.
Hans Namuth confirmed Richard Whelan that they didn´t see or came across Capa and Gerda Taro at any moment, but some weeks later, when he watched the pictures of refugees taken by Bob in the number of the French magazine Vu of September 23, 1936, he realized that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro had undoubtedly been there, on recognizing some frightened people escaping from the Francoist air raids, whom he had also photographed, along with some of the places appearing in the images.
Bearing in mind the huge complexity of the events, the very high figure of years elapsed - three quarters of a century- , the chaotic nature of the first months of the Spanish Civil War in which most times the militiamen killed in combat were quickly buried on the spot, complete families of civil citizens were bound to go away to save their lives often remaining uprooted as the front lines evolved, losing their dwellings and properties and finally arriving at different cities and towns all over Spain, usually under pitiful conditions, together with a lot of different factors, the research on the happenings which took place in Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) on September 5, 1936, has certainly been strenuous, and finally it has revealed that Hans Namut, Georg Reisner and Franz Borkenau arrived at Cerro Muriano on September 5, 1936 at around 15:30 h in the afternoon, while Capa and Taro had been in Cerro Muriano area for approximately three days: http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2011/09/cerro-muriano-75th-anniversary-capa-and.html
A SOLVED MYSTERY
Very recently, elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com has been able to discover the keys of the hurried escape from Cerro Muriano of its inhabitants on September 5, 1936 and which was the true reason of the Francoist air raid on the village, watched live by the Swiss journalist Franz Borkenau, who when remembering the facts in his book The Spanish Cockpit explains that he became rather puzzled on realizing the small size and weight of the bombs (roughly 50 kg) dropped by the Francoist aircraft, their scarce accuracy and brought about damages and very specially something unexplainable: the Moroccan troops of tabor of Regulares could have captured the village with relative ease during September 5, 1936 day, but they didn´t do it.
´ At 15:30 h in the afternoon of September 5, we arrived at the village of Cerro Muriano. That was a full-fledged pandemonium. At a short distance from the village, there´s a little hill full of trees where now and then you could hear the noise of rifles and machine gun opening fire. On the right of the village, the bombing in the morning had fired the wood. At the moment of our arrival, the fight was not evidently very intense.
But we were witnesses of a scene that I didn´t know but within the stories of the Thirty Years War. The whole civil population was fleeing from the village: men, women and children, walking on donkeys, by cars or by trucks which had been gathered at the entrance of the village opposite to the front, so as to transport troops, ammunitions and food. It all, obviously, in the middle of a great chaos.
The women took their children in their arms and the cattle was tied with ropes. They sobbed, the children cried and the men tried to load all the personal belongings they could in a rush. After a few minutes, the village was empty. It had endured a steady bombing by aircraft for the whole morning, accompanied by artillery fire from time to time.
Later on, as usual, calm came from approximately the siesta hour, more or less between 13:00 h and 15:30 h in the afternoon, a rite observed by both sides from the beginning of the war. The inhabitants of the village had hurled themselves at the vehicles, and, either took them by themselves (the few ones who could drive), or with their guns in hand, had made the drivers disobey orders, abandon the battlefield and convey the runaway persons.
Many of the fleeing people bore the CNT badge on their bags and took their rifles not to use them against foe, but against anybody trying to prevent them from escaping. ´
75 years after the events, four copies of photographs rescued from oblivion and from an unknown origin, acquired during late nineties in one of the booths existing then in the Rastro of Madrid, between Square of Campillo and Mira El Sol Street, and which we do believe almost with 100% certainty that were made by Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner in Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) on September 5, 1936 (because the right background in two of them coincides with other pictures made by Hans Namuth/Georg Reisner and Capa such day), along with a surprising finding in an inscription appearing on the upper area of a little bus used as a courier coach in Alicante province and requisitioned by the militiamen probably during late July 1936, have enabled the unravelling of developments and discerning which was the actual wherefore of the bombing of the village by the Francoist planes during the afternoon of September 5, 1936, much more intensified than the one carried out during the morning: to make believe the Republican troops located inside Cerro Muriano village, in front of the Cerro Muriano Train Station (the most important target of the Francoist attack during the next day September 6, 1936 when the village was captured early in the morning) and the Republican contingent placed on the Washeries and Foundries of the Córdoba Copper Company on the east of the village, that the three columns of the Francoist attack were going to attempt taking Cerro Muriano village during such afternoon, just after the aerial bombing.
But truth is that the attack designed by General Varela, a military high officer featuring great experience in ruthless colonial war in Morocco, had a weak point: if they wanted to capture Cerro Muriano village, it was utterly indispensable to previously assault Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles Hills (which is where the front was really during the whole September 5, 1936), full of militiamen, an aim for which the key factor was the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares of Melilla Number 3 under the command of major López Guerrero (with troops on horseback) and the Moroccan Squadrons of Regulares of Ceuta Number 3 and Alhucemas, both of them under the command of major Gerardo Figuerola (with troops on foot), that made up the elite spearhead of the right Francoist column under the global command of colonel Sáenz of Buruaga. These Moroccan forces have got the mission to perform the encircling manoeuver through their north side and its surroundings of the quoted knolls, to fall on the back of the Republican forces defending the summits and south sides of those two hills from the frontal onslaught of the other two Francoist columns attacking through the south slopes.
© José Manuel Serrano Esparza
© José Manuel Serrano Esparza
But a highly amazing situation discovered by Francisco Moreno Gómez in mid eighties happened which altered the battle scheme devised in advance by General Varela: at roughly 13:00 h in the afternoon of September 5, 1936, the Tabor of Regulares of Melilla Number 3 under the command of major López Guerrero with Moroccan soldiers on horses, tried to penetrate towards the Hill of Las Malagueñas through a ravine located behind the area of Washeries and Foundries of the Córdoba Copper Company, with the aim of encircling Las Malagueñas Hill and the advanced Republican command post (majors Juan Bernal, Balibrea, Armentia and Aviraneta) placed on top of it, when suddenly, an abundant contingent of militiamen from Alcoy (Alicante), on becoming aware of the attack, thrust en masse against the Moroccan professional soldiers, firing at will and forcing them to defensively get stuck to their positions, so on not being able to fulfill the encircling manoeuvre, the advance of the other two Francoist columns (the left one under the command of major Baturone - whose target is Torreárboles- and the middle one under the command of General Varela (whose target is Las Malagueñas) also came to a standstill.
This is a critical moment for the Francoist attack, not only because its success depends to a great extent on the Moroccan tabors of Regulares of the right column (under the command of colonel Sáenz de Buruaga) and the implementation of the encircling manoeuver, but also because on having been stopped by the furious attack of the Alcoyanos and being static at those instants, fighting frontally agaisnt the militiamen, if there was from then on a perpendicular or diagonal attack on the tabor by other Republican forces coming from the village of Cerro Muriano or the area of Washeries and Foundries of the Córdoba Copper Company, or even from reinforcements arrived from El Vacar, the Moroccan troops would have great difficulties to adapt themselves to those new menaces and at the same time going on fighting against the Alcoyanos.
Colonel Sáenz of Buruaga, who is in permanent communication with general Varela, reports him about the real situation, and they decide to intensify the bombing of the village with the Francoist aircraft in order that the Republican troops inside it believe that they are going to attack Cerro Muriano and remain there fixed, when actually the most important targets of the Francoist attacks are Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles Hills (where are most of the Republican forces in the area with the best automatic weapons and artillery), and they haven´t got any intention of assaulting Cerro Muriano village until next they.
Obviously, this is a despicable act, because the inhabitants of the village (mostly mothers, boys, girls, children, babies, old men, old women and many fathers) are mainly having lunch at those moments - a number of mothers still with their aprons on can be seen in some of the pictures of refugees of Cerro Muriano fleeing from the village and taken by Capa- and the bombs, albeit sporting a little size - weighing approximately 50 kg, as explained by Franz Borkenau- and dropped by the Francoist aircraft in an aleatory way from high altitude, bring about with their explosions the panic of both the civil population, hastily escaping northbound towards Obejo Train Station and El Vacar, and the militiamen inside the village, who quickly mount on the trucks and also abandon Cerro Muriano with north direction.
Photo: Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner. Near the north exit of Cerro Muriano. Afternoon of September 5, 1936.
Everybody believes that the Francoist troops, specially the feared Moroccan tabors of Regulares, are about to enter the village within a few minutes immediately after the bombing, when really, the three attacking Francoist columns are having a lot of difficulties to capture Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles Hills - whose assault they won´t be able to perform until approximately ten o´clock in the night- and the survival and further encircling advance of the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares of Melilla Number 3 (under the command of major López Guerrero) and of the Squadrons of Ceuta Number 3 and Alhucemas with Moroccan troops on foot (both of them under the command of major Gerardo Figuerola) depends on the certainty that no other contingent of Republican troops coming from Cerro Muriano village attacks them.
THE LITTLE COURIER COACH SANTA POLA-ALICANTE
elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com has been able to also discover an evidence verifying without any doubt the lavish presence of CNT and FAI militiamen from Alcoy (Alicante) in Cerro Muriano on September 5, 1936.
It is a little courier bus appearing in the background of one of the pictures made by Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner, of which we can glimpse part of its two front wheels and forward upper area, on whose top zone appears written the inscription CORREO SANTA POLA-ALICANTE (COURIER COACH SANTA POLA-ALICANTE).
Photo: Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner. Near the north exit of Cerro Muriano. Afternoon of September 5, 1936
It´s a photograph oozing a lot of stress, since it is taken during the escape of the civil population of Cerro Muriano across the north exit of the village in the afternoon of September 5, 1936. There are three men who have climbed on top of this courier coach Santa Pola-Alicante (probably captured during late July 1936 in Alicante province by the militiamen from Alcoy), while a man wearing formal clothing is talking to them.
And at the same time, very near the camera, we can see part of the cabin and left wheel of a truck on which there are five inhabitants of the village (one of them being an old man wearing a beret) and a highly fidgety CNT bearded militiaman, staring at the photographer. Everybody wants to escape mounting on the trucks, because a great fear has spread and common belief at those moments is that ferocious Moroccan troops of tabors of Regulares are about to enter the village, so all the persons depicted in the photograph are convinced that they are making a hairbreadth escape, exactly what Varela, Sáenz de Buruaga and Baturone want they to believe, and for which they have increased the bombing of the village with their aircraft from approximately 15:00 h in the afternoon.
Very probably, this little bus was included in the aforementioned column which went out of Alcoy on August 7, 1936, going to Córdoba province, and on arriving at Pedro Abad, it split into two halves, one of them going to Cerro Muriano village. It seems apparent that this little courier coach was parked inside Cerro Muriano village and was captured by some people in full helter-skelter flight, both militiamen and civil citizens, who jumped on it quickly to get away as soon as possible. That´s the reason of the walloping restlessness visible in the picture, since all of them are afraid of being reached by the Moroccan troops and are convinced that they have just achieved a hairbreadth escape, exactly what the Francoist commanders want them to believe.
The Francoist commanders are very experienced military high officers, toughened by many battles in Morocco since Abd-El-Krim times, fighting against the very strong men of the Rif from early twenties. They have thoroughly studied the cartographic maps of the area and know that the key of the battle is not in Cerro Muriano, but in Torreárboles and Las Malagueñas, the hills whose capture is indispensable for the subsequent conquest of the village of Cerro Muriano, and where vast majority of republican forces and the best armed are, along with the advanced Republican command post in the Mansión de Las Malagueñas, a big and very beautiful countryside house on top of this knoll.
Besides, if Francoist troops try to firstly capture the village of Cerro Muriano, they would leave on their back a lot of abundant contingents of both militiamen and Republican soldiers placed on the summits and surroundings of such hills, well equipped with rifles, machine guns and artillery, and evidently, from the Francoist viewpoint, they are greatly the ones being a significant menace for Córdoba City since late August of 1936, such as was discovered by Francisco Moreno Gómez with his finding in mid eighties of a page of the number of September 6 of Ahora newspaper of Madrid (with information dating back to approximately one week before and including pictures taken in Cerro Muriano area probably between August 31 and September 2 of 1936) in whose images of Torreárboles (two photographs with militiamen occupying its crest and with their rifles and machine guns oriented towards the south, in the direction of Córdoba City) and Las Malagueñas (a picture with Republican soldiers wearing helmets and aiming their rifles), it can be clearly seen that there are great numbers of militiamen and Republican soldiers who have been occupying both hills in a defensive scheme, having lavish quantities of Mauser 1893 caliber 7 x 57 mm rifles, Mosquetones Mauser 1916 caliber 7 x 57 mm and machine guns (mainly Hotchkiss and Maxim Sokolov).
Coming back to the photograph of the little courier bus, on the right of the image can be seen a very sturdy militiaman, who bearing in mind his attire, could belong to the FAI. He is throwing blankets and various clothes inside the truck, possibly to subsequently trying to mount on it. The landscape on the right background belongs to the north exit of Cerro Muriano village and coincides with the one appearing in other photographs made by Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner and Capa on that same day September 5, 1936.
THE PICTURES OF THE FRENCH NEWSPAPER L´INTRANSIGEANT OF SEPTEMBER 21, 1936
During the afternoon of September 5, 1936, Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner made other four pictures which appeared in the number of September 21, 1936 of the French newspaper L´Intransigeant, in half a page, sixteen days after the events. Two of the images are already known, were explained in http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2010/05/capa-and-refugees-of-cerro-muriano.html and appear strongly trimmed with respect to the original 35 mm negatives, while the two lower photographs are greatly unknown and likewise endured a lot of reframing by the editor regarding their true original aspect ratio 2:3:
Photo: Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner. Near the north exit of Cerro Muriano. Afternoon of September 5, 1936
We do believe that this picture made by Hans Namuth /Georg Reisner is really impressive and very significant to understand the context of this hasty escape raised by collective panic. It can be seen how the mother walks very fast, taking his baby with her left arm and hand leaned on her hip, while probably - out of image - she grabs with her right hand some personal belongings which she will have been able to save in the last moment.
The level of physical effort, nervousness and anxiousness for the life of his son in this woman are huge, and become the pith of this first class graphic document verifying the top-notch photojournalistic work made by Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner in Cerro Muriano village on September 5, 1936, perhaps not valued in its deserved measure during the last decades.
FRANZ BORKENAU, HANS NAMUTH AND GEORG REISNER TAKE SHELTER IN A TUNNEL UNDER THE TRAIN TRACK
Another key element in our research to be able to grasp the happenings is the description made by Franz Borkenau in his book The Spanish Cockpit, when he tells that after entering Cerro Muriano village with Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner and watch that every house had been abandoned, it dawned on them that in spite of it, combat front remained firm, and that then they reached an area in which the left flank of Cerro Muriano is protected by a bank on which the railway passes, turning out to be a higly valuable defense.
© José Manuel Serrano Esparza
He also remembers that the three of them were in a makeshift Red Cross post which had been built by the Republican troops on the front part of the village, using an old living quarter, and suddenly, an aviation bomb exploded very near.
Likewise, Franz Borkenau reports that a few hours later, they tried to reach the front line again, but the intense machine gun fire prevented them from attaining it, so they decided to take shelter inside the tunnel located under the train tracks, from whose entrance they saw a bomb explode at a few meters´ distance, and whose expansive wave pushed them backwards.
© José Manuel Serrano Esparza
Entrance to the tunnel under the train tracks going across the left flank of Cerro Muriano, inside which Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner took shelter approximately at 17:30 h in the afternoon of September 5, 1936, after having arrived at the north entrance of Cerro Muriano at around 15:30 h and after visiting an improvised Republican Red Cross post located on the front area of the village approximately at 16:30 h. Both the Swiss journalist and the two photographers going with him tried to arrive at the battle front area in Finca de Villa Alicia and Torreárboles (the other one was in Las Malagueñas), but it was impossible for them, because of the presence of small contingents of Moroccan soldiers of Tabor of Regulares, who opened fire with their Mauser rifles and machine guns to avoid any movement of Republican troops or civil persons trying to go down from the village of Cerro Muriano, so Borkenau, Namuth and Reisner had to take refuge in this tunnel to protect themselves from the intense Francoist rifle and machine gun fire, along with the aviation bombs which went on being dropped. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.
Tunnel where Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner took shelter, with the train track visible on top. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
75 years later. Inner view of the tunnel inside which Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner protected themselves from the aviation bombs, roughly at 18:00 h in the afternoon of September 5, 1936. © José Manuel Serrano Esparza.
And then, he explains that some Moroccan artillery soldiers approached on the left, from the other side of the railways, and had gone beyond the Republican lines, without facing any opposition, so they could enter the village at any moment.
However, Franz Borkenau remembers puzzled thay they didn´t do it.
Reality is that the dreaded Moroccan tabor of regulares troops have very strict orders not to try entering the village of Cerro Muriano until Las Malagueñas, Torreárboles and the Finca of Villa Alicia have been captured, and that 90% or more of theTabor of Regulares of Melilla Moroccan soldiers under the command of major López Guerrero are at those moments fighting with nails and teeth against the anarchist militiamen from Alcoy (Alicante), who have stopped their advance on the nearby area to Las Malagueñas Hill for some hours, which has also slowed the progression of the other two Francoist columns (the left one under the command of major Baturone and the middle one under the command of general Varela).
But the Francoist high officers have also sent small contingents of Moroccan Tabor of Regulares soldiers to the surroundings of the train track adjacent to the left flank of Cerro Muriano, with instructions to open machine gun fire small caliber artillery fire in order that the militiamen defending the village believe that they are going to attack them immediately. And likewise, from approximately 10:00 h in the morning, they have placed samll contingents of the dreaded Moroccan soldiers in the surroundings of Piedra Horadada, where they will show themselves during the whole day to the Republican soldiers and militiamen located defensively in the Washeries and Foundries of the Cordoba Copper Company, in the zone of their visual limit, to make them believe that they can attack them at any moment (something that will not happen until the next day) and fix them also on their positions.
The intention of the Francoist commanders is to fix the Republican forces inside Cerro Muriano village on their positions and avoid any movement of Republican forces from the village towards the surroundings of the north side of Las Malagueñas Hill, because the Alcoyanos have attacked en masse the Tabor of Regulares of Melilla under the command of major López Guerrero, which is at those moments stuck on their positions, without being able to advance or encircling, so if this Moroccan unit is attacked by other Republican forces from different angles, they could be wiped out.
Copyright Text and Indicated Photos: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.
Inscribed in the Territorial Registry of the Intellectual Property of Madrid
Cerro Muriano : Identified the Authorship and Location of Three New Pictures Made by Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner on September 5, 1936, Published in Le Soir Illustré Belgian Magazine of October 3, 1936
SPANISH
Today is the 75th Anniversary of September 5, 1936, the day in which there was the rushing escape from Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) made by its inhabitants, when the village was bombed by Francoist aircraft coming from Electromecánica airdrome, which was located around 7.8 km in the west of Córdoba City, during the afternoon in which the three columns under the global command of general Varela attacked Cerro Muriano (more specifically Las Malagueñas Hill and Torreárboles Hill, located near the village, and whose capture was essential for the subsequent conquest of it, which happened the following day) having gone out from Córdoba City very early in the morning, at 5:30 a.m.
Near the north exit of Cerro Muriano. Afternoon of September 5, 1936. A huge collective panic has just spread, raised by the bombing of the village by Francoist aircraft, intensified from approximately 15:00 h in the afternoon. Everybody believes that the Moroccan troops of tabor of Regulares are about to enter the village, which catalyzes the hasted generalized escape, both by the civil population and the numerous militiamen who were inside Cerro Muriano village. Photo : Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner
Reality is that the Francoist commanders haven´t any intention to enter the village on September 5, 1936, and while, the true combat front is in Las Malagueñas, Torreárboles and the Finca of Villa Alicia, where abundant contingents of militiamen and Republican soldiers fight against the Francoist troops striving for assaulting both hills, whose capture is necessary for the subsequent conquest of Cerro Muriano village.
Even, Franz Borkenau, in his book The Spanish Cockpit tells that unlike the village guard, the front line (Las Malagueñas, Finca of Villa Alicia and Torreárboles) remained firm at every moment.
It can be seen that panic-stricken and wishing to flee by all means, a man who was escaping walking has just jumped on the truck and is helped by one of his occupants grabbing him in his trousers, subsequently falling upside down inside tha back platform of the vehicle, where six inhabitants of the village have already mounted, together with two militiamen, one of whom is staring at the photographer, in the midst of a great stress, because the fear to be reached by the Francoist columns, specially the Moroccan troops, is big.
Thirty years have almost elapsed since Richard Whelan, the greatest expert on Capa ever, had a meeting with Hans Namuth in 1982, and this assured him that the pictures taken by Bob of refugees fleeing from a little village near Córdoba City, belonged to Cerro Muriano, because he had likewise been that day in Cerro Muriano together with the also photographer Georg Reisner and the writer Franz Borkenau.
Hans Namuth confirmed Richard Whelan that they didn´t see or came across Capa and Gerda Taro at any moment, but some weeks later, when he watched the pictures of refugees taken by Bob in the number of the French magazine Vu of September 23, 1936, he realized that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro had undoubtedly been there, on recognizing some frightened people escaping from the Francoist air raids, whom he had also photographed, along with some of the places appearing in the images.
Bearing in mind the huge complexity of the events, the very high figure of years elapsed - three quarters of a century- , the chaotic nature of the first months of the Spanish Civil War in which most times the militiamen killed in combat were quickly buried on the spot, complete families of civil citizens were bound to go away to save their lives often remaining uprooted as the front lines evolved, losing their dwellings and properties and finally arriving at different cities and towns all over Spain, usually under pitiful conditions, together with a lot of different factors, the research on the happenings which took place in Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) on September 5, 1936, has certainly been strenuous, and finally it has revealed that Hans Namut, Georg Reisner and Franz Borkenau arrived at Cerro Muriano on September 5, 1936 at around 15:30 h in the afternoon, while Capa and Taro had been in Cerro Muriano area for approximately three days: http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2011/09/cerro-muriano-75th-anniversary-capa-and.html
A SOLVED MYSTERY
Very recently, elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com has been able to discover the keys of the hurried escape from Cerro Muriano of its inhabitants on September 5, 1936 and which was the true reason of the Francoist air raid on the village, watched live by the Swiss journalist Franz Borkenau, who when remembering the facts in his book The Spanish Cockpit explains that he became rather puzzled on realizing the small size and weight of the bombs (roughly 50 kg) dropped by the Francoist aircraft, their scarce accuracy and brought about damages and very specially something unexplainable: the Moroccan troops of tabor of Regulares could have captured the village with relative ease during September 5, 1936 day, but they didn´t do it.
´ At 15:30 h in the afternoon of September 5, we arrived at the village of Cerro Muriano. That was a full-fledged pandemonium. At a short distance from the village, there´s a little hill full of trees where now and then you could hear the noise of rifles and machine gun opening fire. On the right of the village, the bombing in the morning had fired the wood. At the moment of our arrival, the fight was not evidently very intense.
But we were witnesses of a scene that I didn´t know but within the stories of the Thirty Years War. The whole civil population was fleeing from the village: men, women and children, walking on donkeys, by cars or by trucks which had been gathered at the entrance of the village opposite to the front, so as to transport troops, ammunitions and food. It all, obviously, in the middle of a great chaos.
The women took their children in their arms and the cattle was tied with ropes. They sobbed, the children cried and the men tried to load all the personal belongings they could in a rush. After a few minutes, the village was empty. It had endured a steady bombing by aircraft for the whole morning, accompanied by artillery fire from time to time.
Later on, as usual, calm came from approximately the siesta hour, more or less between 13:00 h and 15:30 h in the afternoon, a rite observed by both sides from the beginning of the war. The inhabitants of the village had hurled themselves at the vehicles, and, either took them by themselves (the few ones who could drive), or with their guns in hand, had made the drivers disobey orders, abandon the battlefield and convey the runaway persons.
Many of the fleeing people bore the CNT badge on their bags and took their rifles not to use them against foe, but against anybody trying to prevent them from escaping. ´
75 years after the events, four copies of photographs rescued from oblivion and from an unknown origin, acquired during late nineties in one of the booths existing then in the Rastro of Madrid, between Square of Campillo and Mira El Sol Street, and which we do believe almost with 100% certainty that were made by Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner in Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) on September 5, 1936 (because the right background in two of them coincides with other pictures made by Hans Namuth/Georg Reisner and Capa such day), along with a surprising finding in an inscription appearing on the upper area of a little bus used as a courier coach in Alicante province and requisitioned by the militiamen probably during late July 1936, have enabled the unravelling of developments and discerning which was the actual wherefore of the bombing of the village by the Francoist planes during the afternoon of September 5, 1936, much more intensified than the one carried out during the morning: to make believe the Republican troops located inside Cerro Muriano village, in front of the Cerro Muriano Train Station (the most important target of the Francoist attack during the next day September 6, 1936 when the village was captured early in the morning) and the Republican contingent placed on the Washeries and Foundries of the Córdoba Copper Company on the east of the village, that the three columns of the Francoist attack were going to attempt taking Cerro Muriano village during such afternoon, just after the aerial bombing.
But truth is that the attack designed by General Varela, a military high officer featuring great experience in ruthless colonial war in Morocco, had a weak point: if they wanted to capture Cerro Muriano village, it was utterly indispensable to previously assault Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles Hills (which is where the front was really during the whole September 5, 1936), full of militiamen, an aim for which the key factor was the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares of Melilla Number 3 under the command of major López Guerrero (with troops on horseback) and the Moroccan Squadrons of Regulares of Ceuta Number 3 and Alhucemas, both of them under the command of major Gerardo Figuerola (with troops on foot), that made up the elite spearhead of the right Francoist column under the global command of colonel Sáenz of Buruaga. These Moroccan forces have got the mission to perform the encircling manoeuver through their north side and its surroundings of the quoted knolls, to fall on the back of the Republican forces defending the summits and south sides of those two hills from the frontal onslaught of the other two Francoist columns attacking through the south slopes.
© José Manuel Serrano Esparza
© José Manuel Serrano Esparza
But a highly amazing situation discovered by Francisco Moreno Gómez in mid eighties happened which altered the battle scheme devised in advance by General Varela: at roughly 13:00 h in the afternoon of September 5, 1936, the Tabor of Regulares of Melilla Number 3 under the command of major López Guerrero with Moroccan soldiers on horses, tried to penetrate towards the Hill of Las Malagueñas through a ravine located behind the area of Washeries and Foundries of the Córdoba Copper Company, with the aim of encircling Las Malagueñas Hill and the advanced Republican command post (majors Juan Bernal, Balibrea, Armentia and Aviraneta) placed on top of it, when suddenly, an abundant contingent of militiamen from Alcoy (Alicante), on becoming aware of the attack, thrust en masse against the Moroccan professional soldiers, firing at will and forcing them to defensively get stuck to their positions, so on not being able to fulfill the encircling manoeuvre, the advance of the other two Francoist columns (the left one under the command of major Baturone - whose target is Torreárboles- and the middle one under the command of General Varela (whose target is Las Malagueñas) also came to a standstill.
This is a critical moment for the Francoist attack, not only because its success depends to a great extent on the Moroccan tabors of Regulares of the right column (under the command of colonel Sáenz de Buruaga) and the implementation of the encircling manoeuver, but also because on having been stopped by the furious attack of the Alcoyanos and being static at those instants, fighting frontally agaisnt the militiamen, if there was from then on a perpendicular or diagonal attack on the tabor by other Republican forces coming from the village of Cerro Muriano or the area of Washeries and Foundries of the Córdoba Copper Company, or even from reinforcements arrived from El Vacar, the Moroccan troops would have great difficulties to adapt themselves to those new menaces and at the same time going on fighting against the Alcoyanos.
Colonel Sáenz of Buruaga, who is in permanent communication with general Varela, reports him about the real situation, and they decide to intensify the bombing of the village with the Francoist aircraft in order that the Republican troops inside it believe that they are going to attack Cerro Muriano and remain there fixed, when actually the most important targets of the Francoist attacks are Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles Hills (where are most of the Republican forces in the area with the best automatic weapons and artillery), and they haven´t got any intention of assaulting Cerro Muriano village until next they.
Obviously, this is a despicable act, because the inhabitants of the village (mostly mothers, boys, girls, children, babies, old men, old women and many fathers) are mainly having lunch at those moments - a number of mothers still with their aprons on can be seen in some of the pictures of refugees of Cerro Muriano fleeing from the village and taken by Capa- and the bombs, albeit sporting a little size - weighing approximately 50 kg, as explained by Franz Borkenau- and dropped by the Francoist aircraft in an aleatory way from high altitude, bring about with their explosions the panic of both the civil population, hastily escaping northbound towards Obejo Train Station and El Vacar, and the militiamen inside the village, who quickly mount on the trucks and also abandon Cerro Muriano with north direction.
Photo: Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner. Near the north exit of Cerro Muriano. Afternoon of September 5, 1936.
Everybody believes that the Francoist troops, specially the feared Moroccan tabors of Regulares, are about to enter the village within a few minutes immediately after the bombing, when really, the three attacking Francoist columns are having a lot of difficulties to capture Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles Hills - whose assault they won´t be able to perform until approximately ten o´clock in the night- and the survival and further encircling advance of the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares of Melilla Number 3 (under the command of major López Guerrero) and of the Squadrons of Ceuta Number 3 and Alhucemas with Moroccan troops on foot (both of them under the command of major Gerardo Figuerola) depends on the certainty that no other contingent of Republican troops coming from Cerro Muriano village attacks them.
THE LITTLE COURIER COACH SANTA POLA-ALICANTE
elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com has been able to also discover an evidence verifying without any doubt the lavish presence of CNT and FAI militiamen from Alcoy (Alicante) in Cerro Muriano on September 5, 1936.
It is a little courier bus appearing in the background of one of the pictures made by Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner, of which we can glimpse part of its two front wheels and forward upper area, on whose top zone appears written the inscription CORREO SANTA POLA-ALICANTE (COURIER COACH SANTA POLA-ALICANTE).
Photo: Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner. Near the north exit of Cerro Muriano. Afternoon of September 5, 1936
It´s a photograph oozing a lot of stress, since it is taken during the escape of the civil population of Cerro Muriano across the north exit of the village in the afternoon of September 5, 1936. There are three men who have climbed on top of this courier coach Santa Pola-Alicante (probably captured during late July 1936 in Alicante province by the militiamen from Alcoy), while a man wearing formal clothing is talking to them.
And at the same time, very near the camera, we can see part of the cabin and left wheel of a truck on which there are five inhabitants of the village (one of them being an old man wearing a beret) and a highly fidgety CNT bearded militiaman, staring at the photographer. Everybody wants to escape mounting on the trucks, because a great fear has spread and common belief at those moments is that ferocious Moroccan troops of tabors of Regulares are about to enter the village, so all the persons depicted in the photograph are convinced that they are making a hairbreadth escape, exactly what Varela, Sáenz de Buruaga and Baturone want they to believe, and for which they have increased the bombing of the village with their aircraft from approximately 15:00 h in the afternoon.
Very probably, this little bus was included in the aforementioned column which went out of Alcoy on August 7, 1936, going to Córdoba province, and on arriving at Pedro Abad, it split into two halves, one of them going to Cerro Muriano village. It seems apparent that this little courier coach was parked inside Cerro Muriano village and was captured by some people in full helter-skelter flight, both militiamen and civil citizens, who jumped on it quickly to get away as soon as possible. That´s the reason of the walloping restlessness visible in the picture, since all of them are afraid of being reached by the Moroccan troops and are convinced that they have just achieved a hairbreadth escape, exactly what the Francoist commanders want them to believe.
The Francoist commanders are very experienced military high officers, toughened by many battles in Morocco since Abd-El-Krim times, fighting against the very strong men of the Rif from early twenties. They have thoroughly studied the cartographic maps of the area and know that the key of the battle is not in Cerro Muriano, but in Torreárboles and Las Malagueñas, the hills whose capture is indispensable for the subsequent conquest of the village of Cerro Muriano, and where vast majority of republican forces and the best armed are, along with the advanced Republican command post in the Mansión de Las Malagueñas, a big and very beautiful countryside house on top of this knoll.
Besides, if Francoist troops try to firstly capture the village of Cerro Muriano, they would leave on their back a lot of abundant contingents of both militiamen and Republican soldiers placed on the summits and surroundings of such hills, well equipped with rifles, machine guns and artillery, and evidently, from the Francoist viewpoint, they are greatly the ones being a significant menace for Córdoba City since late August of 1936, such as was discovered by Francisco Moreno Gómez with his finding in mid eighties of a page of the number of September 6 of Ahora newspaper of Madrid (with information dating back to approximately one week before and including pictures taken in Cerro Muriano area probably between August 31 and September 2 of 1936) in whose images of Torreárboles (two photographs with militiamen occupying its crest and with their rifles and machine guns oriented towards the south, in the direction of Córdoba City) and Las Malagueñas (a picture with Republican soldiers wearing helmets and aiming their rifles), it can be clearly seen that there are great numbers of militiamen and Republican soldiers who have been occupying both hills in a defensive scheme, having lavish quantities of Mauser 1893 caliber 7 x 57 mm rifles, Mosquetones Mauser 1916 caliber 7 x 57 mm and machine guns (mainly Hotchkiss and Maxim Sokolov).
Coming back to the photograph of the little courier bus, on the right of the image can be seen a very sturdy militiaman, who bearing in mind his attire, could belong to the FAI. He is throwing blankets and various clothes inside the truck, possibly to subsequently trying to mount on it. The landscape on the right background belongs to the north exit of Cerro Muriano village and coincides with the one appearing in other photographs made by Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner and Capa on that same day September 5, 1936.
THE PICTURES OF THE FRENCH NEWSPAPER L´INTRANSIGEANT OF SEPTEMBER 21, 1936
During the afternoon of September 5, 1936, Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner made other four pictures which appeared in the number of September 21, 1936 of the French newspaper L´Intransigeant, in half a page, sixteen days after the events. Two of the images are already known, were explained in http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2010/05/capa-and-refugees-of-cerro-muriano.html and appear strongly trimmed with respect to the original 35 mm negatives, while the two lower photographs are greatly unknown and likewise endured a lot of reframing by the editor regarding their true original aspect ratio 2:3:
Photo: Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner. Near the north exit of Cerro Muriano. Afternoon of September 5, 1936
We do believe that this picture made by Hans Namuth /Georg Reisner is really impressive and very significant to understand the context of this hasty escape raised by collective panic. It can be seen how the mother walks very fast, taking his baby with her left arm and hand leaned on her hip, while probably - out of image - she grabs with her right hand some personal belongings which she will have been able to save in the last moment.
The level of physical effort, nervousness and anxiousness for the life of his son in this woman are huge, and become the pith of this first class graphic document verifying the top-notch photojournalistic work made by Hans Namuth / Georg Reisner in Cerro Muriano village on September 5, 1936, perhaps not valued in its deserved measure during the last decades.
FRANZ BORKENAU, HANS NAMUTH AND GEORG REISNER TAKE SHELTER IN A TUNNEL UNDER THE TRAIN TRACK
Another key element in our research to be able to grasp the happenings is the description made by Franz Borkenau in his book The Spanish Cockpit, when he tells that after entering Cerro Muriano village with Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner and watch that every house had been abandoned, it dawned on them that in spite of it, combat front remained firm, and that then they reached an area in which the left flank of Cerro Muriano is protected by a bank on which the railway passes, turning out to be a higly valuable defense.
© José Manuel Serrano Esparza
He also remembers that the three of them were in a makeshift Red Cross post which had been built by the Republican troops on the front part of the village, using an old living quarter, and suddenly, an aviation bomb exploded very near.
Likewise, Franz Borkenau reports that a few hours later, they tried to reach the front line again, but the intense machine gun fire prevented them from attaining it, so they decided to take shelter inside the tunnel located under the train tracks, from whose entrance they saw a bomb explode at a few meters´ distance, and whose expansive wave pushed them backwards.
© José Manuel Serrano Esparza
Entrance to the tunnel under the train tracks going across the left flank of Cerro Muriano, inside which Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner took shelter approximately at 17:30 h in the afternoon of September 5, 1936, after having arrived at the north entrance of Cerro Muriano at around 15:30 h and after visiting an improvised Republican Red Cross post located on the front area of the village approximately at 16:30 h. Both the Swiss journalist and the two photographers going with him tried to arrive at the battle front area in Finca de Villa Alicia and Torreárboles (the other one was in Las Malagueñas), but it was impossible for them, because of the presence of small contingents of Moroccan soldiers of Tabor of Regulares, who opened fire with their Mauser rifles and machine guns to avoid any movement of Republican troops or civil persons trying to go down from the village of Cerro Muriano, so Borkenau, Namuth and Reisner had to take refuge in this tunnel to protect themselves from the intense Francoist rifle and machine gun fire, along with the aviation bombs which went on being dropped. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.
Tunnel where Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner took shelter, with the train track visible on top. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza
75 years later. Inner view of the tunnel inside which Franz Borkenau, Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner protected themselves from the aviation bombs, roughly at 18:00 h in the afternoon of September 5, 1936. © José Manuel Serrano Esparza.
And then, he explains that some Moroccan artillery soldiers approached on the left, from the other side of the railways, and had gone beyond the Republican lines, without facing any opposition, so they could enter the village at any moment.
However, Franz Borkenau remembers puzzled thay they didn´t do it.
Reality is that the dreaded Moroccan tabor of regulares troops have very strict orders not to try entering the village of Cerro Muriano until Las Malagueñas, Torreárboles and the Finca of Villa Alicia have been captured, and that 90% or more of theTabor of Regulares of Melilla Moroccan soldiers under the command of major López Guerrero are at those moments fighting with nails and teeth against the anarchist militiamen from Alcoy (Alicante), who have stopped their advance on the nearby area to Las Malagueñas Hill for some hours, which has also slowed the progression of the other two Francoist columns (the left one under the command of major Baturone and the middle one under the command of general Varela).
But the Francoist high officers have also sent small contingents of Moroccan Tabor of Regulares soldiers to the surroundings of the train track adjacent to the left flank of Cerro Muriano, with instructions to open machine gun fire small caliber artillery fire in order that the militiamen defending the village believe that they are going to attack them immediately. And likewise, from approximately 10:00 h in the morning, they have placed samll contingents of the dreaded Moroccan soldiers in the surroundings of Piedra Horadada, where they will show themselves during the whole day to the Republican soldiers and militiamen located defensively in the Washeries and Foundries of the Cordoba Copper Company, in the zone of their visual limit, to make them believe that they can attack them at any moment (something that will not happen until the next day) and fix them also on their positions.
The intention of the Francoist commanders is to fix the Republican forces inside Cerro Muriano village on their positions and avoid any movement of Republican forces from the village towards the surroundings of the north side of Las Malagueñas Hill, because the Alcoyanos have attacked en masse the Tabor of Regulares of Melilla under the command of major López Guerrero, which is at those moments stuck on their positions, without being able to advance or encircling, so if this Moroccan unit is attacked by other Republican forces from different angles, they could be wiped out.
Copyright Text and Indicated Photos: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.
Inscribed in the Territorial Registry of the Intellectual Property of Madrid
Cerro Muriano : Identified the Authorship and Location of Three New Pictures Made by Hans Namuth and Georg Reisner on September 5, 1936, Published in Le Soir Illustré Belgian Magazine of October 3, 1936
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