5th Regiment. Paris Commune Battalion.
This was the most famous and well-known of all the Republican Militia units. Created by Enrique Castro Delgado, Vittorio Vidali and Valentín González, it was considered an elite regiment that, despite its communist origins, attracted volunteers from different ideologies for its good training and performance. NCO's and junior officers were elected by their soldiers, but, unlike other Militia units, once appointed, they could not refuse to obey their orders.
After January 1937, with the reforms that created the Republican People's Army (that put an end to the multitude of militias that mostly only obeyed the leadership of their own trade union or political party), the 5th regiment become the hard core of Enrique Lister's 11th Division. As such, they saw a lot of action, with their most famous battle being their last stand on the Maestrazgo mountains.
With the Republican government in the desperate hope that the start of the war between fascism and democracy in Europe would turn the adverse tide of SCW in their favor, they ordered the 11th Division to maintain the vital Maestrazgo line for as long as possible. The 11th were finally overcome after bitter resistance that caused a high and unexpected rate of casualties to the attacking nationalist forces.
At the Maestrazgo trenches was where my grandfather (mother's side) died. Being a dredger's boat captain and a married grown up man with children, he was in situation to avoid conscription. But seing the Republic loosing the war, he volunteered instead. They grave never found.
Again, another SCW's vehicle rarity. This 6-ton Vickers type B was a veteran and survivor of the Chaco War. Bought in 1932 by Bolivia, captured by Paraguayans at the Battle of Campo Via, sold in 1937 to the Swiss arms dealer Thorvald G. Elrich who sold it to the Republican government for 1.040 sterling pounds.
This vehicle certainly reach Spain (the selling also included 7 Krupp 1907 mountain guns, 300 machine guns of several kinds, thousands of Mauser rifles and lots of ammunition...) but impossible to track what happened after. My guess is that it was probably refitted with a T-26 brand new turret and, due to the similarities to the Russian tank, only his crew knew it was a different vehicle. But for obvious raisons I have keeped the original configuration.
Minairons, BUM, Caesar, Hat and Waterloo figures. First to Fight Vickers and S-Model T-26.
Warm regards.
Joan