Bombing of Alicante

Bombing of Alicante
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Date May 25, 1938 Location Alicante, Spain Result Alicante severely damaged.
Belligerents
Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain Aviazione Legionaria
Commanders and leaders
?	?
Strength
Anti-aircraft artillery	7–9 Italian Sa-79 and Sa-81 bombers
Casualties and losses
275–393 civilians dead 1,000 civilians injured	None

The bombing of Alicante was an aerial attack against the Spanish city of Alicante on 25 May 1938. It was one of the deadliest aerial bombings of the Spanish Civil War.

Background.

After the Aragon Offensive, Franco wanted to eliminate the Republican maritime commerce and destroy the Republican morale and he authorized the Aviazione Legionaria and the Legion Condor to undertake indiscriminate bombings of the Republican cities. Valencia, Barcelona, Alicante, Granollers and other Spanish town and cities were bombed.

The bombing.

On 25 May 1938, between seven and nine Italian SM.79 and SM.81 bombers of the Aviazione Legionaria bombed the city of Alicante. The anti-aircraft artillery of the city was obsolete and the air-alarm system of the city didn’t work. The bombers dropped ninety bombs and many of them fell in the central market of the city. There were between 275 and 393 civilian deaths (100 men, 56 women, 10 children and more than 100 unidentified bodies), and 1000 wounded. Preston said that there were several hundreds of civilians killed.

Aftermath

The bombings of Alicante and Granollers, and the attacks against British shipping provoked protests in London.