Bombing of Alicante
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| The Market Bombing of Alicante 25 May 1938 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||
 The current central market of Alicante | |||||||
| |||||||
| 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 | ||||||
One of the worst bombing attacks on civilian population in Alicante during the Spanish civil war. This particular attack was one of many against the Spanish city of Alicante and it occurred on 25 May 1938, perpetrated by the Legionary Air Force, an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force, allied with Franco. The attacking planes were based in Mallorca. It is even considered by many to be one of the deadliest aerial bombings of the entire Spanish Civil War with many bombs dropped on a strictly civilian population with no military targets within a short amount of time. It was heavily reported by witnesses that the planes dove low shooting at civilians randomly.
After the Aragon Offensive, Franco wanted to eliminate the Republican maritime commerce and destroy the Republican morale, so 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.[1]
