221st Mixed Brigade (Spain)

This article is about the Spanish Republican military unit. For the Scottish formation, see 221st Mixed Brigade.

221st Mixed Brigade 221.ª Brigada Mixta
Military flag of the Popular Army
Active	1937–1939
Country	Spain
Branch	Spanish Republican Army
Type	Mixed Brigade
Role	Home Defence
Size	Four battalions: The 881, 882, 883 and 884
Part of	68th Division (1937) 71st Division (1937 - 1938) 49th Division (1938 - 1939) 15th Division (1939)
Garrison/HQ	Ciudad Real
Engagements	Spanish Civil War
Commanders
Notable commanders	José Torralba Ordóñez Jesús Rubio Cerón

Artana and its surroundings, where the 221st MB was reported to be located before it disappeared.

The 221st Mixed Brigade (Spanish: 221.ª Brigada Mixta),^[1]^[2] was a mixed brigade of the Spanish Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War. It was formed in the summer of 1937 in Ciudad Real and had four battalions, the 881, 882, 883 and 884.

Data are lacking regarding the final fate of this mixed brigade in the mountainous Artana sector of the Eastern Iberian System. The families of the deceased soldiers speculate that the bodies of the disappeared members of this unit may have ended up in mass graves.^[3]^[4]

History

The 221st Mixed Brigade was established in the summer 1937 in Ciudad Real with young men of the following call-up years: 1930, 1937 and 1938. The first commander of the unit was Infantry Commander José Torralba Ordóñez, a former retired Captain. The commissar was Antonio Romero Cebriá who belonged to the Izquierda Republicana party.^[1]

First phase

Although it was placed under the 68th Division of the XX Army Corps the 221st Mixed Brigade could not be formed until November.^[1]

Already in December 1937 the 221st Mixed Brigade was transferred to the 71st Division of the XXIII Army Corps of the Levantine Army (Ejército de Levante) and moved to Albuñol. In the new location the command of the 221st Mixed Brigade went to Militia Major Jesús Rubio Cerón.^[1]

By 11 June 1938, as the situation in the Eastern Front grew critical, the 221st Mixed Brigade was placed under the 49th Division of the XX Army Corps and went to the combat line by the Mijares (Millars) river.^[1]^[2]

Unknown end of the brigade

On 4 July 1938 the 221st Mixed Brigade was defending the area of La Vall d'Uixó and Alfondeguilla, from where it slowly withdrew until reaching the protection afforded by the XYZ Line. Between the 7 and 10 November it took part in an unsuccessful attack against the rebel lines in Nules and Castellón.^[1]

On 4 February 1939 it joined the 15th Division of the XX Army Corps, substituting the 75th Mixed Brigade in the road from Artana to the Aigualit Creek.^[1] The final fate of this mixed brigade is still a mystery.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 SBHAC - Brigadas Mixtas del Ejército Popular, 221ª Brigada Mixta
1 2 Carlos Engel, Historia de las Brigadas Mixtas del E. P. de la República, 1999
↑ Elche - Memoria Digital, 221 Brigada Mixta
↑ Re: Necesito ayuda datos de la brigada mixta 221 y 222 en Castellon y Valencia

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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