Bombing of Sant Vicenç de Calders

Bombing of Sant Vicenç de Calders
Part of the Spanish Civil War

Present-day view of the Sant Vicenç de Calders railway junction.
Date8 October 1938
LocationSant Vicenç de Calders, Catalonia, Spain
Result Dozens of civilians killed. Six railway passenger wagons destroyed.
Belligerents
 Nationalist Spain
( Kingdom of Italy)		  Spanish Republic
Strength
One bomber
Casualties and losses
None 40 or 60 killed
100+ injured

The bombing of Sant Vicenç de Calders was an aerial bombing of the railway station of Sant Vicenç de Calders, Catalonia, during the Spanish Civil War. It was carried out on 8 October 1939 at the behest of Francisco Franco's nationalist government by the Aviazione Legionaria of its Fascist Italian allies.

History

Background

Sant Vicenç de Calders railway station is located at the important junction of the lines from Barcelona-Valencia, and Madrid-Barcelona railways. The two lines meet 3 km (2 mi) from the village of Sant Vicenç itself, and around the station at the junction there is the barri de l'estació, a railway town.

The railway junction was repeatedly bombed by the rebel faction during the Spanish Civil War, especially by bombers of the Aviazione Legionaria based in Palma de Mallorca, but occasionally as well by planes of the Condor Legion. The recurrent bombing of Sant Vicenç de Calders junction during the war killed a total of 83 persons and injured over 200, mostly civilians. Damaged railway lines were subsequently repaired.[1]

8 October bombing

The attack on 8 October 1938 was the deadliest, causing 40[1] or 60 deaths according to sources of the time.[2] The bombing hit a civilian passenger train travelling from Tarragona having entered the junction on its way to Barcelona.[2]

The attack was carried out by a single bomber that came from the sea[3] which after dropping the bombs and hitting the train made a pass and fired against it. Six passenger wagons were destroyed.[4] Other sources claim that the train was destroyed by a bomber flying at great altitude.[2]

60 people died and over 100 were injured. A number of victims had been trampled by others during the panic that followed the attack.[2]

See also

References

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