REBELS DRIVEN BACK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 91, 4 May 1937, Page 7

REBELS DRIVEN BACK

—Press Assn.—

Basque Forces Success Near Bilbao INSURGENTS TRAPPED

(By Teiegraph

-Copyright.)

(Received 4, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, May 3; The Times correspondent at Bilbao says the Basques treated as a picnio an attempted afternoon attaclc by the insurgents along the Bermeo Road. Senor Jose Rezola, the young Seeretary of Defenee, took a Tifle and joined a battalion of plain-clothes soldiers. The insurgents fled, dropping their iifi.es and abandoning material. Many rebels were killed. The wounded were admitted to hospital in Bilbao. An Italian prisoner deseribed the composition of the fleeing 1 rigade as one Italian to one-half Spansh and half Italian. On the centre front Government troops defeated the so-ealled Flechas Negras (Blaek Arrows). These are Spaniards commanded by Italian officers and non-commissioned officers. DeBertions from this corps have been numerous. All complain of inability to understahd -orders since their officers learned only Castilian, which is not understood locally. The Basques commemorated May Day by partly avenging Guernica and celebrating the destruction of the rebel battleship Esppana by an unexpectedlysuc.eessful counter-offensive. The Bilbao correspondent of The Times' says that the Basques were vic- ■ torions all along the line, the rebel

attacks failing at every point, with a loss of 2500 dead and wonnded. Basque reports increase this to 3500. Rebel r assages for reinforcements and ambulances were intercepted. The insurgents fell into a carefully prepared trap when pushing forward along the coastal road from Guernica. Without meeting with resistance they entered Berme, the former headquarters for the evacuation of refugees. At Berme Carlist voluuteer., received reinforcements, only to find themselves encirclued by Basque battalions and artillery.