captured Quijorna after fifteen hours of bloody, bitter handrtoe
hand fighting. We were fighting side by side with the crack
troops of the Spanish Army. The next day Villanueva de la
Pardillo was captured. Four towns in five days. Nice going.

The Spanish People’s Army was on the offensive. It had
been coordinated and -unified under a single command. We
now had unlimited reserves. The Spanish People’s Army was
showing the world that it could drive back fascism. One hundl
red square miles of fascist held territory was recaptured‘. On
the fifth day we rested. By July 13th we had advanced be’
yond Brunete and the Fifteenth Brigade, of which our battalr
ion was a part, was given the task of holding a ridge a few
kilometres south of Brunete.

’The fields stank with the smell. of the dead. It was hori
rible. The fascists had not been able to bury their dead. They
had left their wounded on the field. We had the job of tak’
ing care of their wounded and of burying their dead. The
ridge we were supposed to take was called Mosquito Hill. But
we were tired. God, we were tired.

We had advanced so fast that our kitchen supplies had
not kept up with us. Again no water. Perhaps if at this time
new reserves had been brought in we would have advanced
further but the boys in the trenches which we had built hast»
ily were physically exhausted. We attacked Mosquito Hill
three times but they had strong machinergun positions and our
artillery and planes did not go into action then.

Our aviation and artillery had blasted the hell out of the
fascists during the first days of the offensive, preparing our
advance. We saw air duels over our heads and cheered our’
selves hoarse as we saw our speedy pursuit planes bring down
the Italian Fiats and German Heinkels. But now after the ad’
Vance our planes were being kept in reserve for a new offensi
ive that was yet to come.  

Ed. Ceci1’Smith was wounded and new company command’
_.__ 19 -...