XYZ Line

XYZ Line
Part of the Spanish Civil War

Nationalist Moroccan troops in Rubielos de Mora, 1938.
Date18–24 July 1938
Location
East Central Spain
Result

Republican victory[1]

Belligerents
 Spanish Republic  Nationalist Spain
 Italy
 Germany
Commanders and leaders
Second Spanish Republic General Leopoldo Menéndez Lopez[2][3]
Second Spanish Republic Colonel Carlos Romero[4]
Second Spanish RepublicColonel Ernesto Güemes[4]
Second Spanish Republic Colonel Gustavo Duran[2][5]		 Spain José Solchaga[5]
Spain José Enrique Varela[5]
Spain Rafael Garcia Valiño
Mario Berti[5]
Strength
125,000[6] 125,000[6]
900[3]-1,000 cannons[6]
400 aircraft[5]
Casualties and losses
5,000[7] 20,000[7]

The XYZ Line (Spanish: Línea XYZ), also known as the Matallana Line, was a system of fortifications built in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War to defend Valencia, the capital of the Second Spanish Republic. The XYZ Line was a simple system of trenches and bunkers, built to withstand heavy artillery or 450-kilogram (992 lb) aerial bombs, and took advantage of some of the most difficult terrain in Spain in the Iberian System ranges to the north and northeast of Valencia.[4] The XYZ Line was successful at halting the Nationalist advance on Valencia, being one of the last Republican victories of the war, and allowed the Republicans to start the Battle of the Ebro.

  1. ^ Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2006. pages 347 and 429
  2. ^ a b Preston, Paul. The Spanish Civil War. Reaction, Revolution & Revenge. Harper Perennial. 2006. London. p.287
  3. ^ a b Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p. 808
  4. ^ a b c Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p. 812
  5. ^ a b c d e Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London. p. 810
  6. ^ a b c Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p.346
  7. ^ a b Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p.348