71st Mixed Brigade

71st Mixed Brigade
71.ª Brigada Mixta
Active	January 1937–March 1939
Country	Spain
Allegiance	Republican faction
Branch	File:Red star.svg Spanish Republican Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Engagements	Spanish Civil War: Battle of Guadalajara
Commanders
Notable commanders	Eduardo Rubio Funes

The 71st Mixed Brigade was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army that participated in the Spanish Civil War, deployed on the Guadalajara front.

History

The unit was created in January 1937 from the militarization of the "Espartaco", "Apoyo" or "Alicante Rojo" militia battalions, constituting in its place the 71st Mixed Brigade. The unit was placed in the 12th Division and sent to the Torija sector on the Guadalajara front. At the beginning of March, after the CTV attack in this area, the 71st Mixed Brigade fully intervened in the battle of Guadalajara. Before the enemy push, on March 8 the "Alicante Rojo" battalion had to withdraw up to km. 103 of highway N-II. During those battles, the brigade suffered serious losses – the 281st and 282nd battalions added more than 600 casualties.

After the fighting the unit was withdrawn to Madrid to undergo a reorganization. It was briefly attached to the 11th and 17th divisions, although it eventually returned to the 12th Division. The 71st Mixed Brigade remained for the rest of the war at the Guadalajara front, dissolving itself on March 27, 1939.

Publications

The brigade edited a publication, "Alicante Rojo", directed by Juan Francisco Alted.

Command

Commanders

• Infantry Commander Eduardo Rubio Funes;

Commissars

• Antonio Barea Arenas, of the CNT;
• Carlos Codes Guerra;

Chief of Staff

• Militia Captain José M. Navarro Abad;