elrectanguloenlamano

miércoles 1 de julio de 2009

ROBERT CAPA IN CERRO MURIANO AND ESPEJO: THE DAYS IN WHICH REALITY SURPASSED IMAGINATION (10th Part):

Professor José Manuel Susperregui solves the mystery of the location of the Falling Soldier photograph: It was in Espejo (Córdoba).

By José Manuel Serrano Esparza. LHSA. Espejo (Córdoba). 16 de Junio 2009

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

First of all I do wish to congratulate Professor José Manuel Susperregui and publicly proclaim my error: I firmly believed that Capa made his famous Falling Soldier picture depicting the instant death of a Republican militiaman in Cerro de La Coja, a little hill on the east outskirts of Cerro Muriano village.

Photo: Robert Capa/© ICP

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

Vast majority of researchers coincided on it. The resemblance between one point of the slope of Cerro de La Coja little knoll and the background of the Falling Soldier photograph is great, including the shooting ground and the Cerro de Los Santos, which feature a high similarity with the lowest right angle of Capa´s most famous picture.

Point of Cerro de La Coja on which it was believed that Capa made the Falling Soldier photograph.

Photo: ROBERT CAPA / © by Cornell Capa / Magnum Photos

In the same way, most inhabitants of Cerro Muriano and Obejo village, specially the oldest ones, are convinced that the famous picture was taken in Cerro de La Coja, to such an extent that there are currently two conmemorative signposts on Cerro de La Coja in remembrance of the Falling Soldier photograph, and a lot of people - including me- thought that it had been made there.

On the other hand, there isn´t any doubt and it has been proved that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro were in Cerro Muriano area on September 5th 1936 practically the whole day, from early in the morning (progressively being in Cerro de La Coja area, Piedra Horadada, the Old Foundry of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd, Cerro Muriano village, Las Malagueñas, etc), as verified by Clemente Cimorra´s chronicle in La Voz Madrid newspaper in which he describes his encounter with Robert Capa and Gerda Taro on Las Malagueñas hill (4th Part of my research, together with the previous discovery of this chronicle by Francisco Moreno Gómez in mid eighties and the important restudy of it by Dr.Catherine Coleman - this chronicle appears on page 63 of the ICP/STEIDL book This is War! Robert Capa at Work - .

There have also been some documentary films, above all Los Héroes Nunca Mueren, directed by Jan Arnold, in my viewpoint the best one made till now on this topic, in which the certainty that Capa´s most famous picture was made on Cerro de La Coja slope was expressed, something on which coincided Francisco Moreno Gómez, Patricio Hidalgo Luque and Fernando Penco Valenzuela, three very important investigators having made in-depth studies on Robert Capa in Cerro Muriano on September 5th 1936.

In my opinion, Cerro Muriano and Obejo inhabitants can go on being greatly in the same way as before and very proud of their history, because though we know now that the Falling Soldier Picture was made in Espejo (another village of Córdoba province), Robert Capa and Gerda Taro were in different points of Cerro Muriano area on practically the whole September 5th 1936 when General Varela´s three columns attacked the Republican forces defending the area with eclectic forces made up with loyalist officers and militiamen, specially anarchists who had arrived from Alcoi and who would reach fame because of their fierce fight against the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares soldiers when the latter tried to assault Las Malagueñas hills.

And to add more conviction to the topic, there have been through years a lot of authentic testimonies of survivors of that September 5th 1936, stating that there were Alcoyanos Republican militiamen that day making drills and sleeping from very early on different areas of Cerro de La Coja knoll and above all defending Las Malagueñas hill, where the Republican headquarters was in the Casa de Las Malagueñas mansion on top of it.

Likewise, there have been very old inhabitants of Cerro Muriano (who were children that September 5th 1936, some of them appearing in the documentary film Los Héroes Nunca Mueren) who remember very well to have seen the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares soldiers of Sáenz of Buruaga´s column arriving at the surroundings of Cerro de La Coja in the morning of that day, going on their march through one side of the Old Foundry of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd to fulfil the encircling manoeuvre and attack Las Malagueñas hill. Even, some of these very old men and women remember the tremendous fight brought about between the
Alcoyanos anarchist militiamen and the Tabor of Regulares men.

At the same time, elrectanguloenlamano proved a few months ago that the hypothesis of Patricio Hidalgo Luque regarding that the two photographs (two, not one as usually said) in which appear a Republican soldier with helmet and Gerda Taro behind him, had been made in the Old Foundry of the Cordoba Copper Company Ltd in Cerro Muriano (very near Cerro de La Coja and Piedra Horadada) was true:
http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2009/05/robert-capa-in-cerro-muriano-day-in.html

On the other hand, Capa made around midday of September 5th 1936 one picture of refugees in the south area of Cerro Muriano village near the level crossing and fleeing from the nearby cortijos in Torreárboles zone; another picture in a street of Cerro Muriano village of Josefa and his son Juanito on a donkey, together with a walking girl eating something around three o´clock in the afternoon, and some more pictures of refugees abandoning Cerro Muriano in north direction towards Obejo Train Station and El Vacar. Most of the spots where Capa made these photographs of the refugees were discovered by elrectanguloenlamano and are explained in the Chapter 2 of our research.

In any case, Robert Capa´s famous Falling Soldier picture was not made in Cerro Muriano area, but in Espejo, and the historical merit of this discovery belongs to Professor José Manuel Susperregui.

Photo: Robert Capa / © ICP

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY BY JOSÉ MANUEL SUSPERREGUI
José Manuel Susperregui, Professor of Audiovisual Communication at the País Vasco University, has made an important discovery, finding in Espejo (a village of Córdoba province) the skyline appearing in an until recently unknown picture made by Robert Capa, belonging to the Falling Soldier series, and recently unveiled by the ICP, including it (among some dozens new ones) both in the itinerant exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at War and the catalogue book of the exhibition bearing the same title.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

There isn´t any doubt that Professor José Manuel Susperregui is right regarding the location of the picture in Espejo as the place where Capa made the picture, though we don´t agree at all with respect to his statement that the picture is false and The Falling Soldier got up again after Capa made the photograph.

For elrectanguloenlamano, both the authenticity of the picture and the real death of two men (one of them instantly - the first and most famous Falling Soldier because of a 7 x 57 mm bullet shot by a Tabor of Regulares sniper piercing his heart- and a second one - the second falling soldier being shot by a second 7 x 57 mm bullet fired by the same Tabor of Regulares sniper with his Spanish Mauser 1893 long barrel rifle, not being instantly killed, but very seriously injured and dying within a few minutes as we know now-) go on being very clear, even more than before, and Robert Capa didn´t use any trick, ruse or tripod to make his famous Falling Soldier picture.

Photo 07b: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

Photo 07: In the background, slope by Espejo on which Robert Capa made his famous

picture Death of a Loyalist Militiaman. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

The two Republican militiamen killed were not because of rebel troops attacking, since there weren´t any Francoist troops attacking. They were shots made by a sniper.

It´s not a coincidence that the three last photographs of the Falling Soldier series are the Falling Soldier itself, the second militiaman shot very seriously wounded on the wheat covered ground the slope, and this same second militiaman shot already dead with his corpse having been taken to a lower area of the slope and his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 caliber 7 x 57 mm crossed on his belly and grabbed by his left hand, probably with propagandist aims, something common in both sides during the Spanish Civil War.

Elrectanguloenlamano travelled to Espejo (Córdoba) and after a strenuous research on the spot under brutally harsh conditions in the middle of a scorching sun and temperatures of 42º C, (this is one of the hottest areas of Spain together with Ecija) we were able to utterly verify from a number of different angles and distances Professor José Manuel Susperregui´s significant finding: the skyline with Sierra de Cabra mountains beyond Llano de Banda area coincides exactly with the background appearing in the last picture of the Falling Soldier series unknown till now until it was unveiled by the ICP photographic itinerant exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at War.

This already aforementioned picture shows the corpse of the second falling soldier (not instantly killed as the first and most famous one, but very seriously injured and dying within a few minutes as we know now), already dead and lying on the wheat covered ground of the slope, with his Mosquetón Mauser having been crossed by somebody on his belly and with its buttock leaned on the terrain, while the left hand fingers of the body have also been put holding the rifle.

And the resemblance is even greater regarding another of the new unknown till now pictures ( also recently unveiled by the ICP and included both in the itinerant exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at Work and the ICP/STEIDL book bearing the same title) in which there are five militiamen simulating to open fire against non existing Francoist troops attacking them (for details on the recently unveiled twenty one 35 mm negatives from The Falling Soldier series, whose black and white contacts appear on page 67 of the This is War! Robert Capa at Work ICP/STEIDL catalogue book, see Chapter 9 of my research).

Professor José Manuel Susperregui´s discovery is also important because it adds even more drama to the events, since Espejo was the place where on September 23, 24 and 25 1936 one of the most fiercely fought battles of the Spanish Civil War took place between two Francoist columns under the command of majors Sagrado and Baturone ( with a lot of years of previous combat experience in Africa, featuring high tactics knowledge, discipline and morale) and the legendary loyalist Republican officer major Pérez Salas, sporting an impressive talent to use artillery with high levels of accuracy against rebel troops, along with the Battalion of Anarchist militiamen from Alcoy, which faced bravely against the Tabor of Regulares men on the quoted three days, dying to the last man on their posts.

EXACT LOCATION OF THE FALLING SOLDIER PICTURE

Llano de Banda is the great plain appearing in the background of the picture showing five militiamen simulating to open fire against non existing enemy forces, with the mountains of Sierra de Cabra in the background.

This great plain also appears clearly discernible in the last picture of the Falling Soldier series depicting the corpse of the second falling soldier on the wheat covered slope, having being taken to a lower area of the little hill and appearing with his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 Model having been put leaned on his belly and left hand by somebody, probably because of propagandist reasons, something common to both sides during the whole Spanish Civil War.

Capa made his famous Falling Soldier picture on Senda de Hornijeros, a point of the big slope by the south of Espejo village, currently full of olive trees, which in 1936 was covered by wheat (the village of Espejo was completely surrounded by wheat fields until approximately 30 years ago, when olive trees were planted everywhere because of their greater income yield capacity).

ELRECTANGULOENLAMANO DISCOVERS THE WHITE HOUSES IN THE BACKGROUND IN CAPA´S PHOTOGRAPHS
None of the white houses currently seen in the background on Llano de Banda from Senda de Hornijeros or Espejo village itself are the white colour houses which can be observed in the background of the pictures of page 77 and 85 of This is War! Robert Capa at Work ICP/STEIDL exhibition catalogue book.

The same applies to the picture appeared in The Observer on Sunday 14 June 2009 (in my opinion an online newspaper having the merit of having firstly reported about Professor José Manuel Susperregui´s significant finding of the skyline to spot the location where Capa made the picture, which was undoubtedly Espejo). The white houses which can be discerned now from the distance on Llano de Banda are modern.

After a very hard research on the spot with exceedingly high temperatures and a scorching sun present at every moment, elrectanguloenlamano has very recently identified the old houses visible in the background of the quoted pictures:

a) The big house appearing on top of page 77 picture (the one showing five militiamen with one knee on the wheat covered slope and simulating to aim at non existent attacking rebel troops) just on the right of the dark cap of the fourth Republican militiaman from the left is the CORTIJO DE CASALILLA, a very old Andalusian country home, currently abandoned and deteriorated, greatly in ruins, with its roof having disappeared, its main walls presenting huge gaps, the layer covering the stones of its structures having been highly spoilt, the supporting timber beams either visible or scattered on the inner ground, curved roof tiles everywhere, and a very dense vegetation invading the whole place.

In any case, and in spite of its bad condition, this classical Andalusian cortijo oozes impressive charm and you feel that it has been witness of a lot of stories and personal experiences through centuries.

Old Cortijo de Casalilla. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de junio de 2009.

Very important image to understand Capa´s shots with his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939)

and a Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2. Picture taken by elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com

from inside the old Cortijo de Casalilla. In the far background can be seen the slope

by Espejo village on which Robert Capa made his famous photograph The Falling

Soldier in 1936 and the rest of pictures taken that day, including the one depicting

five militiamen with one knee on the ground of the then wheat covered slope, holding

their rifles and simulating to be aiming at really non existing attacking Francoist troops.

Impossible to express with words the more than strong emotion and thrill felt by

elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com on verifying Bob´s diagonal shot trajectory

once he aimed with his rangefinder camera at the five militiamen with this Cortijo

de Casalilla and the three Oil Mills in the background. This picture taken

on June 16 2009 by elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com, together with other ones made from Senda de Hornijeros and from the

second Oil Mill (currently the best preserved, only existing nowadays two of

them), verified without any doubt that Robert Capa made the Falling Soldier photograph in

Espejo and not in Cerro Muriano as believed till now.

For a lot of years, I had thought that Capa made the picture in Cerro de la Coja,

so this instant also verified my error. Photo: José Manuel Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

Old Cortijo de Casalilla. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de junio de 2009.

b) The three big white houses appearing in the aforementioned picture on top of the third Republican militiamen from the left are the so called LOS MOLINOS DEL CAMPO.

There were three mills, visible in Capa´s picture and very near one another.

Currently only two of them have survived:

One is in very good condition bearing in mind the 73 years elapsed and still preserving the stateliness and grandeur it featured in its halcyon days with many of its structures and walls being a treat to watch and a kind of almost three quarters of a century frozen time when you climb and glance inside it. Definitely, this place exerts enthralment.

Los Molinos del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mills). Approaching to the middle one and currently best preserved. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

The middle one currently best preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill). Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

Image taken with the middle one currently best preserved Molino del Campo

or de Aceite (Oil Mill) behind the camera. In the far background can be seen

the slope by Espejo village on which Robert Capa made the Falling Soldier

picture. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

The middle one currently best preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill)

is surrounded and partially concealed by olive trees in a wide percentage of its

surrounding area. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

A big olive tree greatly hiding a lateral view of the middle one currently best preserved

Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill), whose walls and roof tiles are in acceptable

good condition bearing in mind the 73 years elapsed since 1936.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

Three olive trees frame a lateral section of the middle one currently best preserved

Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill).

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

View of the corner of a lateral section of the middle one currently best preserved

Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill), with a vertical crack visible on the right,

along with some bricks and stones in the open air, mainly on the lower area.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

Some very old broken tiles fallen on the ground by a wall of the middle one currently

best preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill).

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

Another image showing more very old broken tiles on the ground by a wall of the

middle one currently best preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill).

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de junio de 2009.

One more image of a lateral section of the wall of the middle one currently best

preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill), on which three air intakes

can be seen. Needless to say that summer temperatures in this area of

Córdoba province are exceedingly scorching, usually oscillating between 40º C

and 46ºC. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

A more spoilt zone of the wall of the middle one currently best preserved Molino del

Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill), with part of its top torn up, a large percentage of its

mortar in the open air and surprisingly well preserved timber beams on top right.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

A further view of a lateral wall of the best preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite

(Oil Mill). Though most of the white colour paint has disappeared and the appearance

is somewhat filthy, the condition of it is rather acceptable, though now and then the 73

years elapsed are revealed with patches on which bricks and rocks of the mortar are

visible. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

One of the corners of the wall of the best preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite

(Oil Mill). Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

A longitudinal view of one of the lateral walls of the best preserved Molino del Campo or de

Aceite (Oil Mill). Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

The only broken gap in the aforementioned lateral wall. A lot of vintage bricks and rubble are visible. To peer inside through this spot was something amazing and very thrilling, since it is greatly as it was in 1936, 73 years ago. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.

16 Junio de 2009.

A close-up of the quoted broken gap in the aforementioned lateral wall.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio 2009

Looking inside. Classical olive treatment facilities, silent witnesses of its halcyon days.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio 2009

An astounding freezing in time. A wide perspective of the olive treatment facilities inside

the best preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite, in 1936 a thriving rural production center, nowadays abandoned but in spite of the widespread weeds, grass and plants having grown everywhere since 1936, it still keeps on exuding charm and history. Of yore, a lot of people worked here. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio 2009.

Close-up of a stone made olive treatment device, rather well preserved. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio 2009.

Detail of a house used as a storehouse inside the currently best preserved Molino del

Campo or de Aceite. It´s in very good condition, including its roof tiles, though a large

stretch of white paint on the right has disappeared.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

Panoramic view of the best preserved Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill) in all its

extension. On the right far background can be seen the slope on which Robert Capa

made the Falling Soldier photograph and also the one with the five militiamen simulating

to be aiming against non existing Francoist troops attacking. In this latter photograph

both the Cortijo de Casalilla and the three Molinos del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mills)

of which this currently preserved one is the middle one (the second one being nowadays

rather spoilt and the third one - which was then the nearest to Espejo village- not existing

any more, appear in the background of the quoted image, along with the Sierras of

Montilla and cabra, which are the mountain ranges visible in the distance.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio 2009.

Another wide panoramic view of the currently best preserved Molino del Campo or de

Aceite (Oil Mill) on the right of the image. Immediately on its left, in the far background

we can see the slope by Espejo village, discovered by elrectanguloenlamano, on which

Robert Capa made his famous Falling Soldier picture and also the aforementioned one

depicting five militiamen holding their Mauser rifles, with the Cortijo de Casalilla and

Los Molinos del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mills) appearing in the background. We

can realize the diagonal trajectory of Capa´s shot with his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939)

with a non coated Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 lens.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

The second one, that we reach after walking approximately fifty meters from the just previously
quoted, is highly deteriorated and greatly hidden by surrounding trees and lavish vegetation.

Approaching to the third old Molino del Campo or de Aceite, currently very spoilt and

abandoned, in the same way as the second one (being in the middle of the three in

Capa´s picture of the five militiamen, the first one nearest to Espejo not existing today).

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

Another view of the third old Molino del Campo or de Aceite. It´s in a very bad condition,

with its architectural profile visible, but highly torn up and covered and surrounded by

a wide range of weeds, trees and vegetation everywhere.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

View of a lateral wall of the third old Molino del Campo or de Aceite, greatly hidden by

olive trees. Temperature at this spot was very scorching and almost unbearable.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio 2009.

Another view of a lateral wall of the third old Molino del Campo or de Aceite, fairly

concealed by olive trees. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de junio 2009.

Its architectural scheme can be still traced, but its walls and arches are very spoilt, with huge areas revealing bricks in the open air, large breaches, visible old metal pipes, etc.

The inner area of this third old Molino del Campo or de Aceite has almost completely

disappeared and is overcrowded by all kind of lavish weeds, trees, branches and

vegetation making difficult to walk. No trace of the olive treatment devices which

had to exist inside.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.

A further view of the inside of the third Molino del Campo or de Aceite, with plentiful

vegetation, weeds and trees reigning supreme. Only occasional bricks and rubble

on the ground are testimony of its blossoming past activity in 1936.

A very interesting image, taken with the third Molino del Campo or de Aceite (Oil Mill)

just behind the camera. On the right, we have the second Molino del Campo or de

Aceite, the one currently best preserved, and in the background the slope by Espejo

village on which Robert Capa made his famous The Falling Soldier picture along with

the rest of images made by him and Gerda Taro. On that slope Capa made also the

two decisive pictures who have made possible the identification by Professor Susperregui

of Espejo as the village in which Capa made the Falling Soldier Picture.

In one of them (page 77 of the This is War! Robert Capa at Work ICP/Steidl exhibition

catalogue book), there are five militiamen holding their rifles and simulating to be aiming

at really non existing Francoist attacking troops, being visible in the background the

Cortijo de Casalilla (on top middle of the picture, on the right of the dark cap of the second

militiaman from right), the three Molinos del Campo or de Aceite (on the cap of the third

militiaman from right) and barely discernible the Casilla de Los Taladores, far on the

background, on the left of the three Molinos del Campo or de Aceite (of which the first one

nearest to the five militiamen doesn´t currently exist) and the mountain ranges of Montilla

and Cabra in the horizon, the other decisive picture being the one on page 85 of the

aforementioned ICP/Steidl catalogue book in which appears the body of a loyalist

militiaman on the ground of the then wheat covered slope by Espejo village, with his

Mosquetón Mauser 1916 model caliber 7 x 57 mm crossed on his belly and resting on

his left hand and being visible in the background the three Molinos del Campo or de

Aceite on top right, the Casilla de los Taladores barely discernible. Also, in the horizon

you can see the mountain ranges of Montilla and Cabra.Bearing in mind the shadows in the two aforementioned pictures, Capa had to make

the photographs approximately at 17:30 h in the afternoon, because the sun rises

from the right corner of the 71. jpg image and Capa makes the pictures pointing the

non coated Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 lens of his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) towards

the southeast. Therefore, when Capa makes the pictures, the sun is on the left upper

half of the 71.jpg image.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

Highly profuse vegetation swaddles the third Molino del Campo or de Aceite.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

Of yore, this was a wealthy mill, but now its interior has almost fully disappeared and is overcrowded with very plentiful foliage, various trees, bushes, weeds, branches, stubbles, stones of different sizes sparsed everywhere, etc.

Another wider view of the third Molino del Campo or de Aceite, with the wrapping weeds,

vegetation and trees. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.

A diagonal view of one lateral section of the third Molino del Campo or de Aceite, literally

encircled by trees, weeds and highly plentiful vegetation.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 Junio de 2009

A highly spoilt inner area of the third Molino del Campo or de Aceite, full of invading trees

and vegetation. A naked aluminum pipe can be seen protruding from the wall, along with

rubble in the open air next to it. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio 2009

An image epitomizing the rather torn up condition in which the third Molino del Campo

or de Aceite is currently. Both the arch and the ground by it are utterly overcrowded by

weeds and vegetation having grown there after 73 years having elapsed since Capa and

Gerda Taro were in Espejo. Some naked aluminum pipes protrude from top of the arch,

the rubble of the mortar appears visible and very torn up and the white paint over the arch

has vanished. Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

The third mill doesn´t exist any more. It seems to have been razed to the ground some decades
ago and only very few and small scattered remnants of its walls, curved roof tiles, etc, can be tracked paying top attention to the ground. This mill was around fifty meters walking from the
aforementioned second one in rather good condition.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

THE TOPIC OF THE IDENTITY OF THE FALLING SOLDIER
Now we know with 100% certainty that the man really dying in the Falling Soldier picture made by Robert Capa in Espejo (Córdoba) is not Federico Borrell García.

Nevertheless, the historical merit of dicovering that the Falling Soldier is not Federico Borrell García belongs to Miguel Pascual Mira, a Spanish Civil War historian from Alcoi (Alicante), currently in my opinion the highest authority in the world regarding the knowledge of anarchist militias and anarchism in Alcoi during thirties.

Miguel Pascual Mira, the historian from Alcoi who discovered in 2004 that the man appearing in the photograph Death of a Militiaman made by Robert Capa was not Federico Borrell García, something which he said for the first time in the documentary film Los Héroes Nunca Mueren directed by Jan Arnold.

In 2004, Miguel Pascual Mira discovered inside the Alcoi Archive (whose director is José Luis Santonja) a very important obituary letter written by the anarchist militiaman Enrique Borrell Fenollar in Puerto Escandón (Teruel) in remembrance of his comrade Federico Borrell García sent to Alcoi (Alicante) and published in the anarchist newspaper number 13 Ruta Confederal of October 23th 1937, one year and thirty eight days after his death. This newspaper was shown for the first time by Miguel Pascual Mira in the documentary film Los Héroes Nunca Mueren, directed by Jan Arnold.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza.

Both the content of this obituary letter sent by Enrique Borrell Fenollar and the decisive role performed by Miguel Pascual Mira as the researcher who discovered that the man appearing in the Falling Soldier picture is not Federico Borrell García, are explained in:

http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2009/06/robert-capa-in-cerro-muriano-day-in_8173.html

The brilliant discovery of Professor José Manuel Susperregui has also had an added benefit: it has utterly proved that the Alcoi historian Miguel Pascual Mira was right: the Falling Soldier is not Federico Borrell García, but another anarchist militiaman.

I go on thinking that the militiaman appearing in the Falling Soldier picture, was killed in Espejo by a 7 x 57 mm bullet shot by a Tabor of Regulares sniper with his Mauser 1893 Model rifle.

CAMERA AND LENS USED BY CAPA TO MAKE THE FALLING SOLDIER PICTURE
Robert Capa didn´t use a Leica II during the Spanish Civil War.

He used a Leica III (Model F 1933-1939), very similar to the Leica II (Model D 1932-1948), but with the addition of slow shutter speeds, which are controlled by a dial mounted on the camera front and cover the range 1 second to 1/20 second, without forgetting two new important features: the rangefinder magnification was increased to 1.5X and carrying strap lugs were also
incorporated for the first time.

The Leica II doesn´t sport carrying strap lugs.

There´s an important picture showing Gerda Taro in Guadalajara Front during 1937, in which she appears holding a Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) and a rigid Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 lens.

I´m persuaded this is the same camera and lens used by Robert Capa to make the Falling Soldier famous photograph ten months before in Espejo (Córdoba), with the tremendous levels of dramatism it adds, since Gerda Taro would be soon rolled over by a tank in Brunete (a village of Madrid province) dying two days later in El Escorial hospital as a consequence of her wounds, with Robert Capa being by her.

Body of Leica III (Model F 1933-1939), the 35 mm rangefinder camera with which Robert Capa made his famous picture Death of a Loyalist Militiaman in Espejo. We can clearly see the carrying strap lugs incorporated in this model and non existent in the Leica II (Model D).

On the other hand, I do believe the not distorted at all proportions of the arms, legs and head of the most famous militiaman with respect to the rest of landscape and background along with the aesthetic of image of the Falling Soldier picture, are yielded by the quoted rigid Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 in non collapsible mount, featuring 6 elements in 4 groups connected to the Leica III (Model F 1933-1939). In my viewpoint the fingerprint of this image corresponds to a classic non coated standard 50 mm Gauss optical scheme.

Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) with a collapsible non coated Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2.

I don´t believe at all that this picture was made by Capa with Gerda Taro´s Rolleiflex Standard medium format camera as suggested by Professor José Manuel Susperregui´s theory on this respect appearing in his book Sombras de La Fotografía, because a 6 x 6 cm b & w negative would render more image quality regarding level of detail, lack of grain, tonal range, etc, always understanding that apparent losses of quality are produced from the very moment of printing on photographic paper from the original 2 1/4 x 2 /14 square inches negative, and even more on transferring the image of that first copy on b & w photographic paper copy to the newspaper or magazine photomechanic machines (in 1936 it was very frequent to work from copies on black and white photographic paper which were made from the original negative to their distribution; id est, newspapers and magazines often didn´t work with original negatives, but with paper copies; without forgetting that the texture of the newspapers and magazines like Vu in 1936 and Life in 1937 had a powerful influence on even a further loss of quality, it all being enhanced by the blur of the photograph, so a number of different factors affect the final image quality of the published images.

Another beautiful view of the same Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) with the collapsible non coated Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2.

It´s true that in 1936 all b & w emulsions available, both for 35 mm format and 6 x 6 cm format were rather grainy, but for obvious reasons of difference in negative surface size, it affected more to 35 mm emulsions than 120 monochrome roll films.

But in any case, it seems clear that Capa made the famous Falling Soldier picture with his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) rangefinder 35 mm camera and an uncoated Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2.

Back view of the same Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) rangefinder camera model.

In my opinion, and always understanding that the Falling Soldier picture is slightly out of focus, the very abundant grain observable on the right arm and leg, black leather beltings, a kind of big wallet on his right side and the trousers of the militiaman, together with the rather limited grey scale don´t seem actually to have been yielded by a 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 Rolleiflex Standard medium format camera featuring an uncoated Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 7,5 cm f/3.8 taking lens, the same
objective used by the 1937 medium format 6 x 6 cm camera Zeiss Ikon Ikonta B 521/16 on 120 film, though there´s also the possibility that Taro´s Standard Rolleiflex had a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 75 mm f/4.5 lens also shared by the 4.5 x 6 medium format camera Zeiss Ikon Ikonta A 520 from early thirties.

Close-up of the collapsible non coated Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 of the Leica III Model F (1933-1939). We can observe on the left the dial mounted on the camera front for slow shutter speeds between 1 sec and 1/20 sec, another new feature introduced with this model and non existing in the Leica II (Model D) either.

In spite of being a non coated lens, the impeccable centering of the objective and the big surface of negative (a 400% bigger than 35 mm format) make that both the Rolleiflex Standard 6 x 6 cm medium format camera used by Gerda Taro and the Zeiss Ikon Ikonta B 521/16 on 120 film, deliver much higher quality than a Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 lens with 24 x 36 mm film, specially in terms of little grain, capturing of detail and tonal range, even when these vintage medium format cameras from thirties (both the binocular and folding ones) usually sported resolving powers in the range of 35-45 lines per millimeter. The much bigger size of negative surface had
a very significant influence for a superior image quality when compared with 35 mm format.

Collapsible non coated Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 lens.

Definitely, I don´t think at all that Robert Capa used Gerda Taro´s Rolleiflex Standard to make the picture of the Falling Soldier.

It was a rangefinder Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) camera with an uncoated non collapsible Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 standard lens and 35 mm b & w Kodak nitrate panchromatic film featuring a sensitivity approximately equivalent to a modern ISO 40 film - though in that period there weren´t asa, iso or din systems, but Weston scale-.

On the other hand, the Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 7, 5 cm lens of Gerda Taro´s Standard Rolleiflex, is a very classic lens belonging to the legendary family of the Tessar 4 elements in 3 groups design created by Paul Rudolph of Carl Zeiss in 1902, featuring a moderate luminosity but great sharpness and excellent optical qualities, that evidently don´t have anything to do with the Falling Soldier picture, an extraordinary and very important photograph, but whose image quality regarding resolving power, contrast, sharpness, tonal range attained, etc, is poor.

Rigid non coated Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 lens.

For example, in Gerda Taro´s right picture of page 74 of the This is War! Robert Capa at Work ICP/STEIDL book, we can see what the Carl Zeiss Tessar 7,5 cm f/3.5 4 elements in 3 groups lens of Gerda Taro´s Rolleiflex Standard is able to do paying attention to the great level of detail rendered on the ammunition leather poach, tendons of his arm, veins of his hand and foldings on his turned up sleeves and the top wrinkles of his trousers in the CNT anarchist militiamen from Alcoi nearest to the camera.

THE TOPIC OF THE DIFFERENT FORMATS IN WHICH THE FALLING SOLDIER PICTURE WAS REPRODUCED ON VU SEPTEMBER 23ND 1936 AND LIFE JULY 12TH 1937 MAGAZINES

Professor Susperregui´s Theory of Capa using the Rolleiflex Standard to make the Falling Soldier photograph is greatly based on the fact that the Falling Soldier picture included inside Vu magazine of September 23th 1936 is very rectangular and horizontally elongated in such a way that it hasn´t got a 3:2 Leica 24 x 36 mm ratio, but a 3.75 : 2.15 one, while this same picture appearing in Life magazine July 12th 1936 has got a 13:10 ratio still rectangular but approaching much more to a square than the photograph of Vu magazine.

Professor Susperregui states that the editors of the magazines made the different cropping adjustments from an bigger original than the published versions and that if Capa had used his Leica the adjustment made by Vu magazine was possible but the one made by Life was impossible because the 24 x 36 mm black and white negative (because of its 3 : 2 ratio) wouldn´t contain the top area of sky appearing in the Falling Soldier picture reproduced in Life magazine.

I don´t agree with this theory, because of two hypotheses highly making sense:

a) I do believe that both Vu magazine of September 23rd 1936 and Life magazine July 12nd 1937 didn´t work from the original 35 mm negative of the Falling Soldier, but with a medium size copy made on b & w photographic paper, because in that time it was very frequent to make different copies on paper from the original negatives, positives which were distributed to different newspapers, magazines, etc.

The original 24 x 36 mm black and white negative of the Falling Soldier picture was probably bigger on the right and higher on top than the image appearing in Vu and Life magazines which are the ones more or less known by everybody.

I do believe that Csiki Weisz, the expert darkroom man working for Capa in Paris, took the decision of cropping the proportions of the 2: 3 ratio original negative ( featuring more surface on the right and on top than the iconic image we know) on working with the enlarger in order to make several copies in four thirds proportion on black and white photographic paper.

It all spins around the four thirds format, without any doubt the most suitable for newspapers and magazines reproduction of pictures.

And from two of these 4:3 format paper copies both Vu and Life magazines editors worked, obviously having been bigger the cropping made by the French magazine editor than that implemented in the American one.

In any case, this would explain that both the 3.75 : 2.15 ratio Falling Soldier picture appearing in Vu magazine and the 13:10 ratio Falling Soldier picture appearing in Life magazine keep identical lower area of the image while at the same time the Life magazine photograph has got a much larger sky area over the head of the Falling Soldier which would evidently be impossible if the two pictures had been made from an original 35 mm negative featuring a 24 x 36 ratio coinciding exactly with the lower area of Vu and Life magazines.

This probable hypothesis of an original 35 mm negative of the Falling Soldier having more exposed surface (which was cropped to make the copies on b & w photographic paper in a four thirds ratio much suitable for the newspapers and magazines of the period) on his right and top than what we see in the images of Vu and Life magazines, would mean approximately a 30% bigger original image both horizontally on the right and vertically really captured by Capa in Espejo during the photographic act, which was subsequently cropped by Csiki Weisz on using the enlarger in his Paris darkroom to make some 4:3 format copies on paper for their distribution to different media. And subsequently, on their turn, the editor of each magazine chose his own paging criteria to make further crops in different ratios or leaving it as it was.

b) It can´t be excluded at all a second hypothesis, maybe more probable than the first one: that Life magazine, even having a medium size 3:2 aspect ratio copy on b & w photographic paper made from the original 24 x 36 mm Falling Soldier negative exposed by Robert Capa, extended the top area by cloning sky through some printing, retouching or photomechanic technique over the high border limits of the 3 : 2 proportions of this hypothetical copy on paper in order to adapt it to the 4:3 aspect ratio of picture needed by Life.

Obviously, there wasn´t any photoshop or digital media to implement such a filling of sky over the proportions of an original 24 x 36 mm or copy on paper respecting the 3 : 2 ratio, but we know that from around the times of the Russian revolution it was a common practice to use different methods to add or remove things in important photographs. And this was a very important picture.

I´m not saying at all that if this happened it was a serious manipulation, because we´d be speaking about cloning sky by means of an analog technique or retouching, increasing it upwards beyond the top boundary of a 24 x 36 mm original negative or copy on paper in 3 : 2 ratio until attaining a four thirds image necessary for Life magazine, something very different for instance to the extensively frequent manipulation of photographs made during the Stalinist regime in Russia (erasing of Trotsky in some pictures being by Lenin - celebrating the second anniversary of the Russian Revolution in Red Square and in other picture in which he´s in uniform beside a wooden pulpit on which Lenin rallies the troops to fight Poland-; removal of Nikolai Yezhov, chief of the Soviet secret police of the original picture in which he appears walking by the Moscow Volga Canal with Stalin, Molotov and Voroshilov on left of the image; etc.

AN AUTHENTIC PHOTOGRAPH

The Falling Soldier is too on the left in the image we all know. This is an authentic photograph, not a fake, stage, ruse using a tripod or anything like that, and the man appearing in it (independently on the location where the picture was taken and his real identity) is killed because of a high velocity 7 x 57 mm bullet.

If it had been a stage, fake, etc, made with a tripod - or without it-, the militiaman wouldn´t be so on the left, everything would be more perfect and the cut of the lower border of the frame wouldn´t be so tight almost cutting the feet. And the photographer wouldn´t have cut part of the butt of the Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle being held by the militiaman´s right hand.

It´s absolutely evident that Capa didn´t use a tripod to make the Falling Soldier picture and the following one (the second militiaman shot and not instantly killed but very seriously injured) and there wasn´t any tripod either when Capa made the previous photograph to the Falling Soldier in which there are other three militiamen running down the wheat covered slope on a near point, but with Capa grabbing with his hands his Leica III Model F (1933-1939) more horizontally.

In both the Falling Soldier picture and the immediately previous photograph, Capa strives after getting the best pictures he can do, moving his camera and making a kind of panning following the militiamen and searching for the best framing feasible, until he decides pressing the shutter release button of his 35 mm camera.

Capa doesn´t wait until the Falling Soldier (and the other three militiamen of the previous picture) enters the frame, but strives after following him with the rectangular viewfinder to frame him while he´s in motion.

It seems clear that the Falling Soldier comes running down the slope and is very near Capa (though not as near as the previous three militiamen running down - two of them visible, while we can only see the barrel tip of the Mauser rifle of the third one protruding on top left of the image- ) when he makes him the picture.

Bearing in mind that Capa was using his Leica with a 50 mm lens when he made this picture, he had to act very quickly to make the picture of the Falling Soldier who came running down near him.

That´s why the Falling Soldier is so on the left. Very clearly this is not any kind of stage or posing. This is a highly instinctive picture taken by Capa as fast as he could, because on being using a 50 mm lens, waiting only a split second more would have rendered an image with lower area of the legs and the feet under the bottom border of the frame, id est, out of the picture. Photographic instinct and talent.

The famous militiaman comes very quickly towards Capa, and the best war photographer of al time needs to press the shutter release button of his Leica camera as soon as possible, because the margin of manoeuver of a standard 50 mm lens in this context is more limited than a 35 mm or 28 mm wideangle lens.

This is rather an imperfect and bad quality picture to be a stage, beginning with the highly significant fact that the features of the Falling Soldier can´t be discerned, along with the aforementioned location of the body excessively on the left, with part of the Mauser rifle butt cropped.

Capa wasn´t a photographer following the steps of Henri Cartier-Bresson regarding masterful composition and geometric balance or infused with highly stylist ways of making things like Edward Steichen or Cecil Beaton.

Capa´s way of working was essentially based on a tremendous sense of timing (perhaps the most gifted war photographer ever in this regard along with Marc Riboud) and always approaching to the limit with respect to the human beings he photographed, along with great speed of movements, framings and pressing of his cameras shutter release buttons, thanks to his remarkable athletic condition and a tremendous steady yearning for being at the most suitable moment in the best possible spot to make the picture and above all taking to the limit the gist of his photography: maximum approach to his subjects and capturing of the most interesting instants with lenses between 28 and 50 mm, the core of legendary top-notch photojournalism.

We´ve got a lot of examples epitomizing this: his picture on November 7th 1938 during the Republican offensive on Rio Segre, of a Republican soldier in the throes of death on a stretcher, covered by a blanket, with a big bloodied dressing and his left cheek and nose even more bloodied, saying his last words to his relatives before dying while a comrade is writing them down on a notebook; the Chinese child killed while trying to save his chicken and piglet during the Battle of Tai´erzhuang, on the Xuzhou Front (China), in 1938 during the war between China and Japan; the highly confused old woman walking mislead around a carriage after the caravan of refugees escaping from Tarragona to Barcelona has just suffered a fascist air attack on January 15th 1939; covering the D-Day landing on June 6th 1936 going among the troops and risking his life once more; the famous "Last Shot" picture made by Capa in Leipzig in an apartment at the corner of Lütznerstrasse and the Jahnalle on April 18th 1945 while he was accompanying a platoon of machine gunners showing an American soldier dead on the ground with a blood puddle immediately after being shot by a German sniper (this killed American machine gunner and some more had been previously photographed by Capa for some minutes while they installed a machine gun on the balcony of the apartment. Capa made the pictures with both a 35 mm Contax camera and a medium format 6 x 6 cm Rolleiflex. Needless to say that of course Capa didn´t use any tripod), etc.

I don´t think at all that the Falling Soldier picture made in Espejo was a fake, stage, tripod mounting ruse or anything like that. And indeed it wasn´t that way.

The picture is authentic and the man appearing on it was really killed by a high velocity 7 x 57 mm bullet shot by a sniper.

THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE SNIPER GAINS EVEN MORE MOMENTUM
As proved by elrectanguloenlamano in http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2009/06/robert-capa-in-cerro-muriano-day-in_21.html there weren´t any Francoist troops attacking the Republican militiamen while Robert Capa and Gerda Taro were taking all the pictures belonging
to the Falling Soldier series (both the already known and the new ones unveiled by ICP with the exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at War in its chapter devoted to the Falling Soldier famous photograph).

And it is highly evident that they didn´t try to deceive future observers of the pictures into believing that there was real fight against rebel forces, something very apparent in a high percentage of the quoted photographs (a total of approximately 40 between Capa and Taro).

The Republican militiamen, many of them anarchists from Alcoi, are infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him -, from the moment the two photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or the wheat covered slope, etc, as we see in a lot of different pictures of the series, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Both Robert Capa and Gerda Taro are there and take the pictures to capture this very special revolutionary and overjoy experienced by the militiamen during those moments.

I don´t agree at all with José Manuel Susperregui´s statement saying that all the photographs of the Falling Soldier pictures are staged, if we mean with "staged" that they all were arranged by Capa and Taro who were placing the militiamen, photograph by photograph, previously to each picture.

I don´t think so, specially after having seen the 21 b & w contacts recently unveiled by ICP in the excellent ICP/Steidl book This is War! Robert Capa at Work and made from the 21 original 35 mm existing negatives of the Falling Soldier series made by Robert Capa with his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) 35 mm rangefinder camera.

It seems clear that in a very high percentage of the photographs the militiamen moved very quickly, being crazy to be photographed, and Capa and Taro did what they could to capture all that madness of runnings, simulating of aiming against non existing enemy troops attacking them, other militiamen pretending to be cocking the bolts of their Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifles, onslaughts holding their rifles with both hands against Francoist soldiers, occasional posings with their rifles pointing upwards, other groups of militiamen arranged in chaotic formation simulating to aim at the enemy with one knee on the ground and the barrels of their guns pointing in the most various directions.

In this regard, the middle left picture of This is War! Robert Capa at War ICP/STEIDL book in which we see six militiamen simulating to aim and shoot in front of Capa´s Leica, is very enlightening to explain what was happening while Capa and Taro made the pictures, without forgetting Taro´s picture on the left in page 74 of this book showing a slightly out of focus militiaman on the right aiming his rifle (out of image) at the sky, and a background in which we can see in smaller size the Falling Soldier aiming his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm rifle diagonally at the sky, while just on the right of him we can observe another militiaman holding his Mauser rifle vertically with its barrel pointing at the sky (this militiaman is the same being second from left in the page 61 picture of the book -which is very important to explain the context in which Capa and Taro make the Falling Soldier series as we´ll see now- being between the Falling Soldier instantly killed by a 7 x 57 mm bullet and the second falling soldier not instantly killed but dying within minutes because of a second 7 mm Spanish Mauser shot by the same sniper).

No soldiers on earth would behave this way if enemy soldiers are attacking them. It´s impossible that Capa and Taro want to deceive anybody into believing that there´s real combat in these two mentioned pictures. There are many more in which similar things happen and whose details are reported in Chapter 9 of elrectanguloenlamano research.

Through recent years, there have been a lot of people stating or suggesting that the pictures are not authentic, that they were fakes previously arranged by Capa and Taro, picture by picture, having given instructions to the militiamen in advance before each image.

But evidently, it didn´t happen that way with the immense majority of images making up the Falling Soldier series, the only exceptions being perhaps three pictures (pages 80, 81 and 82 of the book) in which Capa is inside the trench and clearly prepared in advance to make the pictures from bottom to top of the jumping militiamen, though there´s a high probability that Capa didn´t make things utterly 100% on his own, at free will, in these three pictures either.

Professor Susperregui´s discovery of Espejo as the location where Robert Capa made the Falling Soldier picture (and the rest of images making up the series, including the 21 b & w aforementioned 35 mm contacts) highly increases the hypothesis that there was at least one high rank loyalist officer and a political anarchist chief while Capa and Taro made the pictures, because there were very important Republican forces in Espejo, specially one part of the Alcoi Column -which had departured from Alcoy on August 7th 1936 going to Córdoba front, and which on arriving at Pedro Abad village was splitted into two: one marching towards Cerro Muriano (Córdoba) and the other one towards Espejo (Córdoba)- along with other units made up by both militiamen and loyalist regular troops, all of them under the command of major Perez Salas who had some light and heavy cannons.

In the important photograph of page 61 of This is War! Robert Capa at Work catalogue book, we can see ten militiamen (the Falling Soldier being the first from left) brandishing rifles on the trench, a loyalist Republican officer behind them wearing an army cap, and the sixth man from the left (only part of his head can be seen) who also appears in the 35 mm b & w contact number 869 of page 67 of the book with his Mauser rifle leaned on the trench border on his right while he´s got his right arm raised at the height of his head and apparently saying some words or giving instructions to other militiamen who are simulating to aim at attacking Francoist troops.

Though this man is clad in fatigue clothes and has got his sleeves turned up, his appearance and behaviour in the only two pictures in which he appears suggests a high probability that he can be a kind of political local chief or anarchist comissar.

It´s very important to bear in mind that during the Spanish Civil War, both sides used photographs with propagandist aims, and those made by Capa and Taro were no exception in this regard.

Actually, both foreign photographers had got special press authorizations and documents allowing them to travel across Spain without any problem on an official press car with a driver working for them.

But it doesn´t mean necessarily that Capa and Taro had 100% full powers to do what they wanted at every moment and everywhere, and I think that apart from the key factor of the overjoyed militiamen yearning after being photographed and making all kind of movements and runs to attain it, both the quoted loyalist officer and the other man perhaps having a political post inside the anarchist forces in Espejo, probably gave instructions at some moment for the militiamen to fulfil, maybe including the three photographs made by Capa from inside the trench and different militiamen jumping over the trench.

In any case, bearing in mind the previous circumstances, I´ve got a lot of doubts about the accuracy of calling "staged pictures" to the immense majority of photographs made by Capa and Taro on the wheat covered slope, because in my viewpoint they didn´t need to give any instruction or order the militiamen to make the pictures, but simply to pay top attention to their movements, running and overjoy, trying to capture the best moments depicting the unique atmosphere they were seeing.

All hints indicate that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro made the approximately 40 pictures of the Falling Soldier series in Espejo at the end of August 1936 or between 1-4 september 1936.

Even, there are 27 b & w original nitrate 35 mm Kodak panchromatic negatives appeared inside the Mexican case containing images of a lot of Republican militiamen - some of them exceedingly young - utterly exhausted after combats and sleeping on the ground by their weapons. These recently unveiled pictures would indicate that Capa and Taro really arrived at Córdoba front during the last week of August 1936, shortly after Miaja´s forces had been about to take the city on August 20th, and both of them were making pictures of Republican militiamen in the area between Córdoba capital and Cerro Muriano comprising Pedroches, Orive Bajo, Los Pradillos, Torreárboles, etc, because the city of Córdoba was highly menaced by Republican forces until September 5th 1936 in which fascist forces began its attack on Cerro Muriano which would end with the capture of the village on September 6th 1936.

In any case, it´s very difficult to pinpoint the exact spot near Córdoba city where Robert Capa made the quoted twenty-seven photographs in which most of the militiamen seem to Andalusian ones, different men and different place to the ones photographed by Robert Capa and Gerda Taro in the Falling Soldier series on the wheat covered slope of Senda de Hornijeros in Espejo, the latter being above all anarchist militiamen from Alcoi (Alicante).

And there are still more pictures made by Capa probably during the last week of August:

- A Republican militiaman appearing sat on a chair tilted backwards and leaned on a white wall, while the man holds vertically with his legs a rifle whose barrel tip has got a rose and a second chair can be observed on his right. This is a mysteryous photograph appearing on page 69 of the book Robert Capa Cuadernos de Guerra en España (1936-1939) Colección Imagen, whose original negative hasn´t appeared till now.

- A standing Republican officer clad in fatigue clothes making a speech for a lot of militiamen around him. His head is oriented towards the left of the image. There´s a car with its doors opened in the left background, and the whole photograph is framed on its top area by the leaves of an oak. This is a very eclectic group of men: there are a number of anarchists from CNT and FAI, a loyalist officer with army cap (on the left of the picture), a loyalist regular soldier with metal helmet (also on the left of the image, in the background), some Andalusian militiamen with the typical large hat of this area of Spain, some Andalusian peasants wearing bonnets, etc.

The original negative of this picture hasn´t appeared till now either.

So, the new discovery of Espejo as the real location where the Falling Soldier series of pictures was (including the 21 b & w contacts of the This is War! Robert Capa at Work ICP/STEIDL book) made, the two aforementioned photographs and the twenty-seven images of overexhausted and sleeping on the ground militiamen appeared in the Mexican case, would clearly prove that the various sources having stated for years that Capa and Taro arrived at the Andalusian front on September 5th 1936, after having departured the day before from Madrid, going to Montoro and subsequently to Cerro Muriano are wrong.

There was some error in the origin of that piece of information.

It seems clear now that unlike Clemente Cimorra, Hans Namuth and Franz Borkenau, (who arrived by Republican press cars in Montoro and then Cerro Muriano on September 5th 1936), Robert Capa and Gerda Taro arrived at Córdoba Front during the last week of August 1936, going firstly to the north surroundings of Córdoba city (to make pictures of the Republican forces still besieging the capital of the High Guadalquivir) making the photographs of the exhausted mostly Andalusian militiamen, then to Espejo where was approximately the 60% of forces of the Columna Alcoyana with its famous anarchist militiamen, and from there to Cerro Muriano (a village 15 km in the north of Cordoba city) where they arrived on September 5th 1936, being there the whole day making pictures in different areas.

From a theoretical viewpoint, it would be impossible the real death of the Falling Soldier in Espejo the day Capa took the picture ( most probably during the last week of August 1936 or between 1-4 September 1936), because on those dates there weren´t any combats between Republican and Francoist units in Espejo.

The battle between attacking fascist troops and Republican defenders of Espejo didn´t happen until September 22nd 1936.

As reported by José Manuel Martínez Bande (the top specialist on Spanish Civil War in Andalucia together with Francisco Moreno Gómez), on September 21th 1936, colonel Sáenz of Buruaga, high commander of the Francoist troops in the area, organized two columns under the commands of majors Sagrado and Baturone, who respectively departing from Córdoba city and Montilla, should conquer Espejo and Castro del Río (Castro del Río had already been unsuccessfully attacked by General Varela on August 6th and 7th 1936, but he had to stop the attack because of the fierce defense made by the militiamen).

On September 22th 1936, the rebel troops start their advance from Córdoba city, capturing the cortijo of Torres Cabrera without any resistance, while the Republican forces retreated to the village of Espejo.

On September 23th 1936, the combined movements of both rebel columns take place: major Sagrado´s one seizes Santa Cruz and Baturone´s one is fixed at a distance of two kilometers from Espejo, stopped by the fire of abundant militiamen and refular loyalist forces under the command of major Pérez Salas, who makes a highly skilful and accurate use of his light and heavy batteries, provoking a lot of casualties among the attacking forces.

This is one of the most tremendous fights of the Spanish Civil War, not with such high numbers of effectives as for instance Gandesa during Ebro Battle in 1938, but on a par with it regarding resolve by both sides.

The rebel forces know the great importance of capturing Espejo village as soon as possible, and majors Sagrado and Baturone´s columns begin a new full scale onslaught against Pérez Salas Republican forces on September 24th 1936.

The new attack is devastating, taking part in it abundant fascist artillery and aviation, with a more than fierce attack by the Squadron of Regulares of Melilla (inside major Sagrado´s column together with the " Gran Capitán Battalion", a squadron of volunteers from Córdoba, two centurias of Falange, a section of Guardias Civiles, a 75 mm battery and a sappers section) and the Tabor of Regulares of Melilla (inside Baturone´s column, together with an incomplete battalion of Cádiz Regiment, a hundred requetés, a section of Guardias Civiles, a 105 mm battery and a sappers section) as spearhead of the thrust.

A pitched battle happens: the Alcoyanos anarchist militiamen face frontally the Tabors of Regulares (at this moment the best infantry in the world together with the legionnaires) and die on their posts to the last man, fighting heroically and being almost 100% annihilated.

Major Pérez Salas directs the Republican batteries with high efficiency, bringing about a lot of casualties among the attacking Francoist forces, but the advance of both rebel columns is inexorable until they make contact, preparing for the definitive assault of Espejo village the next day.

On the morning of September 25th 1936, major Pérez Salas and all the Republican forces defending Espejo manage to stop all the rebel attempts to advance towards both the village and the 380 hill.

After some hours of stalemate, at 1:00 pm in the afternoon, the rebel commanders decide making use of all their available artillery and aviation, bombing Espejo village and the hills on its east, after which three rebel companies attack through the west of the village of Espejo, being followed by an attack by the squadron of Regulares through the northwest, overwhelming the Republican artillery and trenches and finishing the conquest of Espejo village on capturing the castle using hand grenades, with a total of 108 dead Republican men and 22 rebel ones.

Bearing in mind that the famous Falling Soldier picture made by Robert Capa appeared in the French Vu magazine of September 23th 1936, it is evident that there weren´t any Francoist troops attacking the militiamen captured by Capa in the different photographs belonging to the Falling Soldier series, including the twenty-one images of the page 67 contacts of the ICP/STEIDL catalogue book, the moment of death photograph and the rest of pictures.

On his turn, the pro rebel witness José Cirre Jiménez praises the bravery of the Republican forces in this battle, and reports that the fight for Espejo lasted four consecutive days (September 22, 23, 24 and 25 of 1936).

But José Cirre Jiménez adds another significant piece of information regarding the previous weeks: while the combats in Cerro Muriano area were taking place on September 5th and 6th 1936, Republican General Miaja was in his headquarters of Espejo, where very abundant forces of the loyalist regular army in Levante area along with militias from Andalucia had been gathered.

If we bear in mind that the famous Columna Alcoyana ( with a total of 1224 men made up by 534 loyalist regular soldiers belonging to the Infantry Regiment Vizcaya nº 12 from Alcoi and 687 anarchist militiamen - most of them from the CNT - ) had departed from Alcoi on August 7th 1936 and on arriving at the village fo Pedro Abad (Córdoba) on August 9th 1936 had split into two: one going to Cerro Muriano under the command of the second lieutenant Melquiades Valiente together with Enrique Vañó Nicomedes as Chief of Militias, and another one going to Espejo under the command of lieutenant Roberto García, we must add the latter as part of the strong Republican forces defending Espejo.

Id est, the anarchist militiamen appearing in the complete Falling Soldier series, both those made by Robert Capa (the previous picture to the Falling Soldier with three militiamen running down the slope, the Falling Soldier itself, the next photograph after the Falling Soldier picture in which we see another anarchist militiaman very seriously injured, the last photograph depicting the corpse of the second militiaman shot grabbing his Mosquetón Mauser, the pictures of different militiamen jumping the trench and leaning on it simulating opening fire, all the twenty one images recently unveiled of the existing 35 mm negatives of the Falling Soldier and the also recently unveiled photographs made by Gerda Taro on the same wheat covered slope) and Gerda Taro, were in Espejo since August 9th 1936.

José Cirre Jiménez also reports: "After capturing Cerro Muriano village on September 6th 1936, the rebel commanders decide to reduce a bulge concentrated on Espejo and Castro del Río, which menaced Córdoba capital and cut the road from Córdoba to Baena. The liquidation of this bulge would utterly clear the pressure on the Cordovan capital". And after this, he goes on making a description of Espejo Battle events between September 22 and 25 1936 similar to the one made by José Manuel Martínez Bande.

Therefore, only from September 22nd 1936 on there was real battle between defending Republican forces and attacking rebel ones in Espejo area.

So, if both Robert Capa and Gerda Taro made the pictures between September 1nd-5th 1936 or September 7th-16th 1936 (the only two possibilities enabling their photographs arriving in time for being inserted in Vu magazine of September 23th 1936 (where the picture of the Falling
Soldier appears for the first time) and Regards September 24th 1936 magazine, and on those dates there weren´t any Francoist troops attacking Espejo, should we infer that Capa ordered the Falling Soldier to fall backwards, and after taking him the picture (of course with the help of a tripod), the militiaman got up again?

And even more: should we infer that the same happened with the second militiaman shot (not instantly killed, but very seriously injured and dying within minutes as we know with the unveiling by ICP of the last picture of the Falling Soldier series depicting the corpse of this second militiaman shot on a lower area of the wheat covered slope): Did Capa give him instructions to fall backwards exactly on the same point as the Falling Soldier and after he took him the photograph (of course with the help of a tripod) , this second shot militiaman also got up?

DEFINITELY, I DON´T THINK SO.

THE TWO DEATHS WERE REAL, CAPA DIDN´T USE ANY RUSE WITH OR WITHOUT A TRIPOD TO MAKE THEM AND THE PICTURES ARE AUTHENTIC, THE TWO DEATHS BEING PROVOKED BY SHOTS MADE BY A SNIPER.

In order to properly understand the context in which combats took place in Andalusia at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, it´s very important to know that during July, August and September of 1936, the effectives of the feared troops of the Spanish Army of Africa were very few in numbers.

They had begun to be transferred mostly by plane and to a lesser degree by sea from the outbreak of the war.

An aerial bridge had to be improvised mainly taking Tabor of Regulares and legionnaires soldiers from Sania Ramel airdrome in Tetuán (Morocco) to the airdromes of Jerez de La Frontera, Cádiz and Tablada.

At the end of September of 1936, approximately 9,746 professional Spanish legionnaires and 9,183 Moroccan men belonging to Tabors of Regulares had arrived at Andalusia.That´s to say, a total of almost 20,000 troops, clearly a very low figure of men, who during the first three months of conflict were very often surrounded everywhere by overwhelmingly bigger quantities of Republican forces and the steady risk of being encircled and annihilated.

From the beginning, the rebel army commanders were forced to stretching lines to the maximum and thoroughly study in advance -often with weeks of anticipation- each area of future combats, spying the defensive Republican forces and the location of their trenches, doing their best to discern the best points of future attacks, because any error would be lethal due to the quoted very low number of effectives the Francoist troops had in Andalucia during the first months of the Spanish Civil War.

The accuracy of the best day and moment of attack was top priority and a question of survival for the Francoist forces in the south of Spain, who were isolated from the rest of rebel forces in the Iberian Peninsula and had great difficulties to replace their casualties.

These missions regarding the previous study of future combat operations zones, specially the
assault of villages defended by Republican forces (loyalist soldiers and officers and above all armed popular militias from CNT and FAI) was most times assigned to the Tabor of Regulares men, vast majority of them being great snipers attaining amazing levels of accuracy in long
distance shots with their long barrel Mausers 1893 model caliber 7 x 57 mm Mauser rifles.

On the other hand, these Moroccan Tabor of Regulares soldiers featured a huge experience of a lot of years making colonnial war based on advancing with a small column having few firing means (id est, with no artillery or only a few batteries) and going deeply into an enemy territory, so the column was in a steady risk of being encircled and wiped out.

And the war waged by the Army of Africa Francoist troops in Andalusia during the first year of the conflict in Andalusia was highly similar to that.

As aforementioned, the most experienced Tabor of Regulares men were constantly assigned the mission of spying with a lot of advance the Republican forces defending villages or strategic points and gather as much information as possible as to the quantity of enemy forces being there, exact location of the trenches, spots where batteries were deployed, levels of defence of the
vital (as we´ll see later) surrounding hills dominating the villages and strongholds in the hands of Republican troops, etc.

These Tabor of Regulares snipers checking enemy positions beforehand, had often a simultaneous role fixing enemy troops on their posts and preventing them from making any movement altering the lines, something which happened for instance during the whole September 5th 1936 in which the Francoist men didn´t assault Cerro Muriano village (they had some chances to do it), preferring to fix them with the Tabor of Regulares snipers of coronel Sáenz of Buruaga and waiting for the conquest of Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles hills to make a less risky and definitive coordinate assault between Tabor of Regulares and Varela´s and Baturone´s legionnaires during the dawn of September 6th 1936.

On the other hand, the Francoist troops from the Army of Africa, whose spearhead were the elite infantry made up by Moroccan Tabor of Regulares men and the legionnaires, did always their best to avoid purely frontal attacks, preferring to carry out the attack with different Tabors and from various directions, with the encircling manoeuvre as decisive goal.

Obviously, the quoted checking of the enemy missions performed by selected men belonging to
Tabor of Regulares small units called "mias" (companies on foot or on horses) were very risky, because the Moroccan scouters had to be prolongued elapses of time very near the enemy trenches, and if spotted, chances were of being killed, but they had got some important advantages:

- They were very skilful fighters on sloped and hill covered terrain.

- They had a great accuracy shooting with their 1893 Model Mauser rifles and their many years of combat experience in colonnial war enabled them to open fire very quickly keeping the precision even under the most stressful conditions, so if discovered, any enemy soldier trying to approach them would have been killed from a long or medium distance. The accuracy of the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares men had brought about a lot of fear since the times of Asturias Revolution in 1934, which was crushed by the Army of Africa in the middle of a great repression.

- They were highly deft camouflaging into the ground, and to spot them was not easy.

- The close combat factor: perhaps the most significant one, because nobody wished to fix bayonet against the Moroccan Tabor of Reguleres men, from a military viewpoint in 1936 the best infantry in the world also in this respect.

- The psychological factor: the Moroccan infantry of the Tabors of Regulares were very feared, and though the commanders of the Republican units knew that chances of proximity of Tabor of Regulares scouters spying them were high, wisdom made them to keep their own troops - both loyalist regular soldiers and militiamen- on their positions, since organizing sorties across open field trying to capture those Tabor scouters could be suicidal, in spite of having much higher own quantity of soldiers than them. The Moroccan snipers would undoubtedless have been able to make a very high number of casualties on any Republican troops going for them. To be on the trenches was definitely the most prudent action.

El control de la carretera que va de Córdoba a Baena y que pasa por Atalayuela, Torres Cabrera, Santa Cruz, Espejo, Castro del Río y Baena era un objetivo muy importante, así como el dominio y vigilancia de las carreteras secundarias que llevan a Nueva Carteya y Montilla.

Espejo and Castro del Río meant for the Francoist forces a dangerous cut between Córdoba city and Baena road, so they tried to reduce it from the first week of August 1936.

This way, general Varela made an attack trying to firstly capture Castro del Río and then Espejo, but the column attempting it (which had departed from Montilla) found a tremendous resistance by the anarchist militiamen, and had to come back to Montilla two days later.

But on 14th August 1936, two little rebel columns from Córdoba city and Ecija (in hands of Francoist troops) attacked on the west of Montilla (also under fascist rule) and conquered the villages of La Rambla, Montalbán and Santaella.

Bearing in mind that the important villages more in the south and west of Córdoba province
(Puente Genil, Aguilar de la Frontera, Moriles, Benamejí, Montilla, El Canuelo -on the north of Priego de Córdoba-, Castil de Campos -on the northeast of Priego de Córdoba-, Almedinilla -on the east of Priego de Córdoba, near the border with Jaén province-, Encinas Reales - in the south of Lucena, near the border with Málaga province-, El Tarajal - on the north of Priego de Córdoba-, Carcabuey -on the west of Priego de Córdoba-, Lucena, Rute, Priego de Córdoba) were in rebel hands since the beginning of the coup d´etat in July, and that other smaller villages in the south and east of Córdoba province were captured by rebel forces during the course of August 1936 (Fuente Tójar in the north of Priego of Córdoba, on 10th), Badolatosa (in the south of Puente Genil, on 11th ), Jauja (on the east of Badolatosa, on 13th), El Higueral (on the right of Rute and very near the frontier with Granada province, on 20th), Cuevas Bajas (in the south of Rute and beside the frontier with Málaga province, on 27th), El Remolino, Sotogordo -in the south of Puente Genil- and Palomar -immediately on the east area of Puente Genil- (on 29th), and after communication had been established on 24th between Rute and Iznájar (the latter being in the south east of Rute, very near the frontier with Granada province), it was clear that the next targets of Francoist troops would be Espejo and Castro del Río, two very important villages which meant two blocking spots on the vital Córdoba-Baena road, of top paramount significance for the fascist troops.

But this would be the maximum advance of Francoist troops on the south and southeast of Córdoba province during August, because their numbers of effectives were very low and top priority was to eliminate the pressure of general Miaja´s Republican forces trying to conquer Córdoba city and Alcolea from mid August, specially with assault attempts taken out from the north of the Higher Guadalquivir capital, with important loyalist effectives sparsed in Cerro Muriano village, Torreárboles, Las Malagueñas, etc, which were a constant threat for the city of Córdoba, so the onslaughts on Espejo and Castro del Río had tro be delayed until the end of September, because the Francoist troops hadn´t enough effectives to cover all the lines and at the same time defending the steady menace on Córdoba which would only be avoided from September 6th 1936 with the conquest of Cerro Muriano village.

Besides, the Republican forces in Córdoba province were very important in effectives, also having significant quantities of artillery and aviation supporting them: major Armentia on the north of Cerro Muriano, major Balibrea on Villafranca and Pedro Abad, major G. Vallejo and the socialist deputy Peris on the west of Bujalance, major Vigueira on the east of Torres Cabrera, major Pérez Salas in Espejo and lieutenant Roberto García in Castro del Río, the general Miaja´s Republican headquarters in Córdoba province being in Montoro.

This way, until mid September, the Francoist columns in Andalucia under the command of general Varela, coronel Sáenz of Buruaga, Baturone (who captured palma del Río on August 26th 1936), Sagrado would be dedicated - from the end of August- to relieve the capital of Córdoba from the constant menace of abundant Republican forces just in the north of the city, specially in Cerro Muriano area, Torreárboles and Las Malagueñas hill and after the conquest of both knolls and the village of Cerro Muriano itself on September 5th and 6th 1936.

But after this, general Varela and coronel Sáenz of Buruaga were forced to reorganize the columns for around two weeks, preparing them for future actions.

This way, if all updated evidence suggest that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro were in Espejo during the last week of August or between 1-4 September 1936 making all the Falling Soldier series pictures on the wheat covered slope of Senda de Hornijeros in the outskirts of the village, I´m firmly persuaded that the shots killing both the first anarchist loyalist militiaman (instant death) and the second one (very badly injured and dying within a few minutes) were made by a hidden Tabor of Regulares sniper belonging to a "mia" having been assigned a reconnaissance and fixing role between Espejo and Castro del Río, whose main task was to avoid any possible transfer or movement of Republican troops between those two villages, and above all to control the vital Córdoba-Baena stretch of road and also the one linking Espejo and Castro del Río with Nueva Carteya.

It was decisive for the rebel high command to have constant very updated info regarding the location and movements of Republican forces on the southeast of Córdoba province, above all in Espejo and Castro del Río where very strong and abundant Republican forces had been gathered (a powerful eclectic merge of loyalist officers, regular army soldiers, militiamen from different areas of Andalucia and Levante and the famous CNT and FAI anarchist militiamen from Alcoi always fighting to the death).

The Francoist high command was very worried thinking about the possibility of a southeast-north direction attack of these very abundant and highly equipped with artillery forces to rout the rebel forces engaged from August 20th 1936 in freeing the siege on Córdoba.

And because of the already very low figure of troops from the Army of Africa of the Francoist high command in Andalusia during the three first months of the war, it was impossible to properly defend this risk of attack from the southeast, mainly from Espejo and Castro del Río.

Furthermore, the very strong loyalist forces in Espejo and Castro del Río had very good high officers commanding them, to know: the famous major Pérez Salas (sporting a tremendous skill and accuracy using all caliber artillery, and whose feats are incredibly still very present in the memory of a lot of old and middle age inhabitants of Córdoba province) and the lieutenant Roberto García (a well prepared officer featuring great bravery and charisma among the confederal militias).

This way, the only provisional solution is to send very little contingents of Moroccan snipers from Tabor of Regulares, featuring extraordinary agility, mobility and shooting accuracy to watch the enemy in the area, the location of their trenches, how the hills dominating the villages are being defended and above all the vital stretches of the road Córdoba-Baena and Espejo-Castro del Río-Nueva Carteya being in the outskirts of Espejo.

For some reason, while Robert Capa is making the pictures with his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939), one of the hidden Moroccan snipers opens fire killing the first Falling Soldier and leaving the second one very seriously injured.

There are some experts stating that a few seconds elapse between the two 7 x 57 mm lethal bullets, and others saying that a few minutes elapse because of the very little changes in the background clouds, though it´s not easy to 100% ascertain it.

In any case, there are two real deaths, the first one being instantly because of a 7 x 57 mm bullet shot by the 1893 Model Mauser 7 x 57 mm long barrel rifle of a hidden Tabor of Regulares sniper piercing the militiaman´s heart and killing him instantly because of the shock (in-depth info on this topic in http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2009/05/robert-capa-in-cerro-muriano-day-in_29.html) brought about by the high velocity, stopping power and placing of the bullet which bring about a hydraulic effect.

There have been in recent times highly wrong statements regarding that to throw backwards a man running down you need to have a magnum pistol, etc.

First of all, the wheat covered slope appearing in the picture of the Falling Soldier is moderate, not steep.

Secondly, the properties of a magnum pistol or revolver caliber are very different to the ones featured by a high velocity rifle bullet like the 7 mm Spanish Mauser, whose stopping and killing power at medium and high distances is obviously much more devastating than a Magnum pistol or gun.

The quoted hydraulic effect provoked by the 7 x 57 mm bullet can sometimes even produce the death without touching a vital organ, so we can imagine the absolutely devastating effect of a shot on the heart of a man who is overconfident and overjoyed, not expecting at all the presence of enemy forces in the area, so natural defences are not oriented anyway as would happen in a real combat contexts with enemy units attacking and everybody tense, stressful and feeling the
fear to die.

Needless to say that a Spanish Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber can kill an elephant if the hunter places the bullet on a vital organ, up to a distance of approximately 400 meters, because of the great penetration capacity and flat trajectory of this bullet. This lethal range increases considerably if we refer to a human target.

On the other hand, there have been people stating that the picture of the Falling Soldier is false because you can´t see any blood on the militiaman´s shirt.

That´s not true. We´d see the blood if it was a feature film, but Capa´s camera freezes the action in a split second which could be for instance 1/60th or 1/25th (bearing in mind that the 35 mm emulsion used was Kodak nitrate panchromatic b & w film equivalent to aprroximately iso 32 or 40), so everything is so quick that it hasn´t been enough time for the blood begin to sprout.

But you can be sure: immediately after real death of this militiaman, he had two points of blood exit because the 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet pierced his heart at great speed (730 meters/sec).

Besides, I trust very much on captain Robert L. Franks (Chief Homicide Detective of the Memphis Police Department) forensic analysis of the Falling Soldier picture proving that the death is real, in the same way as his explanation of why the body of the first Falling Soldier doesn´t appear in the photograph of the next shot militiaman very seriously injured on the ground.

There´s no doubt: the two deaths were real and provoked by the shots of a sniper belonging to a very little contingent drawn from a "mia" of Tabor of Regulares having been assigned the reconnaissance and checking of enemy forces in Espejo village, along with the watching of the two quoted important roads, to report the situation as soon as possible to high officers.

And for some reasons this sniper decided to kill the two militiamen, probably because he got
nervous after having previously watched for a lot of minutes so many movements of Republican
militiamen on the trenches. I do believe that the shots had a psychological fixing role advising
the anarchist forces on the trenches not to advance in the direction of Llano de Banda or towards any of the aforementioned important roads.

It´s very clear that Capa didn´t use any tripod or ruse to make the pictures, something proved by the picture appearing on page seven of regards magazine September 24th 1936 with three militiamen running down the slope and also captured by Capa´s rangefinder Leica.

There were a total of five militiamen running down and not two as believed till now.

THE SMOKE CURTAIN THEORY
Another of the aspects in which I don´t agree at all with Professor José Manuel Susperregui is in his statement made on page 70 of his book Shadows of Photography, where he says: " the identity has only been a deceptive reasoning, a smoke curtain favourable to the interests of Magnum Agency and ICP ".

Sincerely, with all respect, I can´t understand this asseveration made by Professor José Manuel
Susperregui.

Obviously, I don´t think that either Magnum Agency or ICP have tried to implement "a smoke
curtain favourable to their interests" with the topic of the identity of Capa´s Falling Soldier.

My opinion is that there was probably an identification error by Federico Borrell García´s relatives, namely: his widow, his brother Evaristo and his niece Empar Borrell, who assured in 1996 that the man appearing in the Falling Soldier photograph was Federico Borrell García, when Mario Brotons Jordá showed them the famous picture which we know now that was made in Espejo and not in Cerro Muriano.

The ICP and Magnum Agency are legendary institutions which with their wisdoms and errors, like any organization, have given the world and the enthusiasts of top-notch photography many of the most important exhibitions and glorious moments in history, fulfilling a steady strenuous work to preserve the legacy of a high percentage of the best photographers of all time, whose pictures are a trove for the upcoming generations, and it´s widely known that Cornell Capa, the founder of the ICP, greatly renounced to his own career as a photographer to devote himself to the International Center of Photography in New York, created by him in 1974.

On its turn, Magnum Agency, since the most halcyon days of its foundation by Robert Capa, Chim, George Rodger and Henri Cartier-Bresson has had a high percentage of the best photographers in the world, with names like Inge Morath, Paolo Pellegrin, Eve Arnold, Antoine D´Agata, Leonard Freed, Elliot Erwitt, Constantine Manos, Erich Lessing, Rene Burri, Philippe Halsman, Richard Kalvar, Abbas, Werner Bischof, Ian Berry, Micha Bar-Am, Paul Fusco, Herbert List, Eve Arnold, etc.

This doesn´t seem to be the profile of "smoke curtains manufacturers" but of people having a great penchant for really top-notch photography, both making it and preserving it in its top expression, and of course doing their best to earn as much money as possible, as everybody, as well as struggling and putting a lot of werewithal from its funds to bring out extraordinary rediscoveries of long-lost negative archives as the recent Martin Munkacsi´s ones.

And along with Magnum Agency and ICP as institutions (the latter with its Ehrenkranz Director,
the Board of Trustees, the Honorary Trustees, etc), apart from what we could call the high officers, I do want to specially name people like Teresa Engle and Igor Bakht (out of this world printers), Tema Stauffer, Amy Jenkins and Elinor Carucci devoted to the Alkazi Collection Sepia Intimate Line, Anja Hitzenberger, lecturers like Andreas Rentsch, etc.

The ICP develops a praiseworthy activity bringing together people from all over the world to foster photography and the possibilities exploration of the visual images, and its comprehensive range of photographic programs are among the international cream.

After having had the chance of watching live some ICP and Magnum exhibitions (many fewer than I would like), I do think that entrance tickets and price of their catalogue books are cheap, even perhaps very cheap, if we bear in mind what they´re constantly offering worldwide to the treat of high quality photography enthusiasts and professionals alike.

It´s very hard and great wherewithal resources and hundreds of hours are necessary to prepare all the exhibitions, specially the worlwide itinerant ones.

THE MOST DECISIVE ASPECTS REGARDING THE FALLING SOLDIER PICTURE HAVEN´T CHANGED
But coming back to the main topic, the research on the Falling Soldier picture made by Robert
Capa has gone on for many decades and even with this new important discovery, in my viewpoint, things have changed little or nothing regarding the three most important aspects:
a) What the picture conveys and means as a universal icon of war.
b) The real death of the man appearing in it, irrespective of his identity and the location were the
picture was made.
c) The utter authenticity of the photograph. Sincerely, and with all respect towards Professor
Susperregui theory in this regard, I can´t imagine Robert Capa going to war with a tripod, and the picture on middle left of page seven of Regards magazine September 24th 1936 proves that Capa didn´t make any trick preparing a faked death of both the first and second falling soldiers, because there were really five militiamen running down the slope.

The three militiamen on middle left of page seven of Regards magazine September 24th 1936 are treading on a near area to the point where Capa makes the first and second falling soldier photographs ( these two last men of the series, falling very near one each other, but not exactly on the same spot) but clearly different and the inclination of Capa´s Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) on making the picture is different, being the ground approximately half sloping than in the Falling Soldier photograph and the triangular patch of cultivated land clearly visible on the lower right area of the Falling Soldier image is hardly noticeable in this immediately previous picture made by Capa on the same area of the slope.

I do think that simply there wasn´t any tripod. And apart from the evidence of the quoted picture of Regards magazine made just before the Falling Soldier one, it seems clear that the militiamen were overjoyed and running down the slope simulating going against a non existing enemy, until the unexpected first shot (followed by a second one). And Capa was there to take the pictures.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza

Back to the Future. Budapest 2009. 96 years after his birth, the memory of the best war photographer of all time is more than alive.

domingo 21 de junio de 2009

ROBERT CAPA IN CERRO MURIANO: THE DAY IN WHICH REALITY SURPASSED IMAGINATION (9th Part):

THIS IS WAR ! Robert Capa at War Exhibition arrives in Barcelona

By José Manuel Serrano Esparza. LHSA

This superb itinerary exhibition, one of the most important in history, began its march in New York and subsequently at the Barbican Gallery of London and at the Centro Internazionale di Fotografia in Milano.

Now, between July 7th and September 24th 2009, the National Museum of Art of Cataluña in
Barcelona will hold this great photographic exhibition THIS IS WAR! Robert Capa at Work,
comprising nearly 300 pictures made by Robert Capa (some of them made in Córdoba province
unknown until very recently, also including eight made by Gerda Taro with her medium format
Rolleiflex) throughout his photographic career.

The exhibition has got three chapters:
1) Robert Capa and the Rise of the Picture Press.
2) The Falling Soldier, 1936.
3) China, 1938.
4) This is War! The End of the Spanish Civil War in Catalonia, 1938-39.
5) D-Day, June 6, 1944.
6) Leipzig, 1945.

Regarding the 45 pages of The Falling Soldier, 1936 Chapter, dealing on the most famous picture ever made by Robert Capa, depicting a Republican militiaman being instantly killed because of a 7 x 57 mm bullet, among the most interesting pictures of it, appearing in the book THIS IS WAR! Robert Capa at Work, we must highlight:

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 816 First image of the first strip of negatives on top right of the page.
Picture made by Robert Capa. Two Republican militiamen simulating opening fire with his 7 x 57 mm Spanish 1893 Mauser.

In this picture, there isn´t any combat against rebel enemy forces.

The Spanish Mauser of the republican militiaman nearest to the camera (wearing a CNT dark cap) is not ready to shoot, because the head of the firing pin is hidden inside its resting location of the bolt, id est, it is not visible, so the rifle can´t strike any cartridge. This militiaman is pretending to be aiming his gun to open fire, but there isn´t any battle. No rebel troops are attacking, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aim his not ready to fire rifle, but to cock again the bolt as soon as possible to load the rifle with a new bullet and them to aim.

Only if the head of the firing pin is visible behind the bolt, a 7 x 57 mm Mauser model 1893 is able to open fire.

The other Republican militiaman in the background (whose head is immediately on the right of
the CNT dark cap of the nearest militiaman) is also simulating to open fire. Though the head of
the firing pin of his Spanish Mauser 1893 caliber 7 x 57 mm is visible outside its resting location,
this militiaman has his face excessively far from his rifle, in a very cumbersome position to be able to aim, because he is more worried about the picture. Probably there isn´t any bullet inside
his Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifle chamber.

There´s a third militiaman in the background, on top left of the panchromatic nitrate film black
and white negative, but only part of his arms and hands are visible.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of the photograph into anything. The Republican militiamen are infused with revolutionary spirit and because of the great expectation
raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers -Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an
atractive woman who is with him-, they are making all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground, etc), runnings in different directions, jumpings over trenches, etc, as we´ll see in different pictures.

Capa is there and makes the picture.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact just on the right of the one previously quoted, on top right of the page.
There are two Republican militiamen simulating to be observing attacking enemy forces to open fire with their Mausers. The man nearest to Capa´s camera wears a big straw hat with the inscription U.A Asalto, and his Mauser rifle lies loosely on the ground border of the trench, something impossible in a real combat situation in which any soldier grabs firmly his rifle and is in a much more stressful position.

The man in the background, on top left of the contact, is the Falling Soldier, who also simulates
to be observing enemy forces before firing. But he´s excessively raising his Spanish Mauser 1893
Model caliber 7 x 57 mm rifle spotting his location and with his head being dangerously high and
unprotected.

No rebel troops are attacking.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this photograph into anything. The Republican militiamen are infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him - , they are making all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), runnings in different directions, jumpings over trenches, etc, as we´ll see in different pictures.

Capa is there and makes the picture.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67 : 35 mm contact number 818 First image of the second strip of negatives in the page.
There are two militiaman. The nearest to the camera, with his visible right sleeve turned up and occupying the vertical right area of the contact, is standing in front of the trench and grabbing with his both hands the tip of the long barrel of his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber vertically leaned on the ground with its butt resting on it.
He´s clearly posing, looking to the right of the frame, trying to appear as good as possible in the
picture Capa is taking him.

The second militiaman appearing behind him on the left, being inside the trench with full uniform and cap, his visible right arm sleeve not turned up and holding vertically his Mauser with both hands and the rifle buttock at the height of his stomach is also posing, doing his best to appear good in the picture and looking not at the camera but at a lateral point, portrait style.

As always, Robert Capa detractors and those doubting about the authenticity of his pictures, will say that Capa was a liar and there isn´t any combat in this picture. This is a non ending story.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into anything. The Republican militiamen are infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an atractive woman who is with him - , from the moment the two photographers approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches, etc, as we´ll see in different pictures.

And of course, Capa was not so idiot to try to convince any future observer into believing that there´s battle in this picture.

Capa simply is there and makes the picture to capture the special atmosphere of those moments
at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 19 Second image of the second strip of negatives in the page.
There are two Republican militiamen. The nearest to the camera (with his both sleeves rolled up and wearing dark Isabelline cap with its tassle) is simulating aiming to open fire with his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 Model (bent bolt) caliber 7 x 57 mm rifle against enemy forces, but there isn´t any real combat. His Mauser rifle is not ready to shoot, because the head of the firing pin is hidden inside its resting location, id est, it is not visible, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

No rebel troops are attacking, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aiming his not ready to fire gun, but cocking again, as soon as possible, the bolt to load the rifle with a new bullet, and them to aim.

The second militiaman appearing in the background (on far left of the image, with his visible right sleeve turned up) wears a metal helmet. He´s excessively standstill for a real combat situation in which the stress and the fear to be killed would bring about high fidgety. He´s grabbing his Mauser rifle (concealed by the nearest militiaman body, and from which we can only see part of the butt under this second militiaman rolled up sleeve), his head is very high offering an easy target and the cord of his helmet is too perfectly adjusted.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this pictures into anything. The Republican militiamen are infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him-, from the moment the two photographers approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches, etc, as we´ll see in different pictures.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 20 Third image of the second trip of negatives in the page.
There are eight Republican militiamen inside the trench, simulating that they are aiming their Mauser rifles against an attacking enemy.

On top left of the negative, we can see the barrel of a mauser rifle protruding, whose hypothetical
fired bullet trajectory would be towards top right of the negative, advancing in a progressively
ascending path, something completely strange if they would be really firing from an elevated
position trench -as they are- against rebel troops attacking them.

The man whose half of the face we can see on far left of the black and white negative is the Falling Soldier, whose Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber is very excessively raised for a real batlle situation, and evidently, this big hoisting is not because of recoil, because besides, this militiaman pretends to be looking at enemy forces to open fire.

The second militiaman seen is simulating to fire with his Mauser rifle horizontally grabbed slightly upwards, so it will be lethal up to around 2,000 meters and will be able to reach perhaps four km, but the trajectory of the bullet will be some meters above the hypothetical rebel soldiers attacking them from bottom to top.

The same applies to the next militiaman, from whom we only hint his dark cap and his Mauser rifle overlapped by the gun of the second soldier from left (whose dark cap is utterly visible).

A bit on the right, we can see the Mauser rifle of another militiaman aiming upwards; the immediately on the right Mauser rifle grabbed by another militiaman is the only one aiming downward; the next Mauser rifle -always towards the right of the frame- ( from which we can only see the forward part of the barrel paying a lot of attention is aiming slightly upwards, and the last Mauser (faintly discernable in the farthest background on the right) is being grabbed almost horizontally by another militiaman we can´t see.

This picture is taken by Robert Capa from a very near spot to the one from which he makes the
famous picture in which there are 11 militiamen (ten of them raising their Mauser rifles) and one
loyalist officer with his cap (behind the fourth militiaman from left) standing on the trench. The same four big wood poles (three of them together) are visible in the background, along with what is possibly a dark colour tent also appearing in the quoted picture (page 61 of the book).

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Pág 67: 35 mm contact number 830 Fourth image of the second trip of negatives in the page.
Vertical picture. We see the same Republican militiaman with big straw hat appearing in the top right 35 mm contact of the page with the Falling Soldier by him.

Now, Capa photographs him from behind, being on his right. The militiaman has its Mosquetón
Mauser 1916 model rifle leaned on one ground border of the trench, pretending to be cocking the bolt again, holding the rifle with his left hand ( two fingers are visible just on the right of his
sleeve, while his right hand simulates to be reloading the gun.

Bearing in mind the stress brought about by any combat against Tabor of Regulares Moroccan or legionnaries (the best infantry in the world in 1936) it would be very difficult even for an experienced Gurkha to be able to reload a Mauser with such big tranquillity in the middle of a real battle.

So, there isn´t real combat in this picture. Another clear evidence is that under a high stress real combat context, it would be in my opinion almost impossible to attain such a sharp picture ( in this same photograph appearing in the page 76 of the book, you can even realize great level of detail in the texture of the fabric of the right not rolled up sleeve and above all on his right hand thick veins and tendons.

Bearing in mind that Capa was using black and white Kodak Panchromatic Nitrate Film equivalent to approximately ISO 40 and that all these pictures of the Falling Soldier series were taken by Robert Capa between 9:30 and 10:30 h in the morning, if this militiaman wearing big straw hat would have been really ctryng to reload his Mauser rifle as soon as possible in the middle of a battle with enemy soldiers attacking, his right arm and hand would have been rendered at least a bit blurred or more probably rather blurred, because of the quick movement.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into anything. The Republican militiamen are infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him -, from the moment the two photographers approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches, etc, as we´ll see in different pictures.

Capa is there and takes the picture, to capture the special atmosphere lived by the militiamen, many of them the famous Alcoyanos, who know that they will have to fight against Francoist troops and simulate combat in different ways, both inside and outside the trenches, because the presence of Capa and Gerda Taro has raised in them a great expectation and high desire to be photographed.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Página 67: 35 mm contact number 31 First image of the third strip of negatives of the page.
We can see five Republican militiamen inside the trench: the first one wears a dark cap with the CNT letters embroidered on it. He simulates to be aiming his Spanish Mauser 1893 Model caliber 7 x 57 mm rifle against a non existente attacking enemy. This is the same man who appears in the contact number 816 photograph.

There isn´t any battle in this picture. His Mauser rifle is not ready to shoot, because the head of the firing pin is hidden inside its resting location, id es, it is not visible, so it can strike any cartridge.

No rebel troops are attacking, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the
reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aiming his not ready to fire gun, but
to try to cock again the bolt as soon as possible in order to load the rifle with a new bullet, and
then to aim.

And besides, evidently, his face and eyes are too far from his gun to be able to aim properly.
He´s clearly trying to appear in the picture as good as possible.

On the other hand, we can see some wheat on his right.

The man appearing just behind him (we can only see his head clad with Isabelline cap bearing the embroidered CNT letters and the tassel, part of his shoulders revaling his white colour shirt and simulating to observe enemy troops before opening fire) is the Falling Soldier, who, in the same way as in the 35 mm contact number 20, appears holding his Mauser rifle excessively high and pinpointing his position to a hypothetical enemy, apart from having his head too high, with the risks it implies.

The third militiaman appearing in the picture (the one being immediately behind the Falling Soldier), of whom we can only see his right shoulder, approximately 90% of his right side of the face, most of his dark cap and the tip of his Mauser rifle barrel is even in a much more elevated position of thorax and head than the Falling Soldier, so he is offering a very easy target.

He´s likewise simulating to be firing his Mauser rifle against enemy soldiers. And the barrel of his Mauser is in a very horizontal position, so if he was really opening fire, the 7 x 57 mm bullet would describe a path some meters over the hypothetical enemy soldiers attacking, really non existing at this moment.

Regarding the last two men appearing in the far background behind the already quoted third
militiaman depicted in this picture, they´re also pretending to be shooting their guns.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into anything. The Republican militiamen, many of them anarchists from Alcoi, are infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him- from the moment the two photographers approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we´ll see in different pictures.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Pág 67: 35 mm contact number 843 Second image of the third strip of negatives of the page.
Vertical picture. There are three militiamen (one of them outside the frame, of whom we can only observe a little area of his Mauser rifle forward area.

The nearest militiaman to the camera (probably using a cap with the colours of the CNT), with
his sleeves rolled up, is inside the trench, holding his Spanish Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm
caliber with his left hand leaned on the ground of the front border of the trench, while his right
hand grabs the rifle on the buttock front, simulating aiming to open fire against enemy forces
attacking them from bottom to top, with his finger on the trigger.

There isn´t any real combat in this picture. The 7 x 57 mm caliber Mauser rifle of this militiaman is not ready to shoot, because the head of the firing pin is hidden inside its resting location, id est, it is not visible, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

Only if the head of the firing pin is visible, a 7 x 57 mm Mauser Model 1893 is able to open fire.
No rebel troops are attacking, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aiming his not ready to fire gun, but to cock again the bolt to load the rifle with a new bullet, and then to aim.

Besides, his gun is aiming slightly upwards, so if he was actually opening fire, the bullet would describe a path some meters over the hypothetrical enemy soldiers attacking them from bottom to top.

The other militiaman in the background is also simulating to shoot, though the head of the firing
pin of his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber is visible. We can realize that he is with his knees leaned on top of the border of the trench offering an easy target from his abdominal area
to the head. This is impossible in a real combat situation where any soldier tries to survive, even
more against Tabor of Regulares or legionnaires men, excelling in accuracy with medium and long distance shots even in the middle of real battle.

This second militiaman has occupied this so excessively elevated position because he doesn´t want to be concealed by the body of the nearest man to the camera. He wants to appear in the
picture at any cost. And once more, everything is fairly sharp for a real battle context. Even the
would veins of the Mauser rifles (specially in the nearest militiaman to the camera) have been
rendered with high detail by the Leitz lens.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into anything. The Republican militiamen are infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an atractive woman who is with him- from the moment the two photographers approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we´ll see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible.

Capa is there and takes the picture.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 836 Third picture of the third strip of negatives of the page.
We see a militiaman clad in white colour garment and wearing a cap different from the ones used by the rest of militiamen.

He is simulating to open fire against a really non existing enemy.

His Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 97 mm caliber rifle is not ready to shoot, because the head of the firing pin is hidden inside its resting location, id est, it is not visible, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

Only if the head of the firing pin is visible, a 7 x 57 mm Mauser model 1893 is able to open fire.

No Francoist troops are attacking, because on experiencing the affect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aiming his not ready to fire gun, but to cock the bolt again as soon as possible to load the rifle with a new bullet and then to aim.

This way, there isn´t any real combat in this picture.

This militiaman also appears in the 35 mm contact number 868 and in one of the medium format pictures made by Gerda Taro in which there are six Republican militiamen running upwards the slope of the hill and simulating to attack an enemy position on top of it. He´s the man most on the right, stretching his left hand pretending to be encouraging his comrades.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

Pág 67: 35 mm contact number 57 Fourth Picture of the third strip of negatives of the page.
This picture is very similar to the 35 mm vertical contact number 843, and the two nearest men
to the camera appear in both photographs in very similar position, so the commentaries on them on analysing the contact number 843 are also valid for this contact number 57 horizontal image, the most importance difference being now the presence of a third militiaman in the background on top left of the frame. He is with one knee on the ground, also simulating to open fire against a really non existing enemy, highly unprotected and offering a big surface of target for hypothetical enemy forces attacking them. It seems clear that he also yearns after appearing in the picture as good as possible.

There isn´t any combat in this picture.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 860 First Picture of the fourth strip of negatives.
There are two militiamen and a third one of whom we only see a little area of his body covered by dark clothes (this almost out of image man is the same militiamen appearing on the right of the picture in page 82 of the book, in which we can also see the Falling Soldier in the background, clad in white garment with his cap bearing the CNT letters embroidered, and another militiaman on middle left of the photograph, between the Falling Soldier and the militiaman most on the right.

In this number 860 contact, Capa is located on a very near point to the spot from which he makes the page 82 picture, behind the three militiamen, but more on the left.

Though the head of the firing pin of his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle is visible,
the nearest militiaman to the camera is simulating to aim at really non existent enemy soldiers
attacking them from bottom to top. The logical thing under a real battle context would be to
crouch and hide the head and body as much as possible and lean the rifle on the ground border
of the trench, but top priority for this militiaman is to appear as good as possible in the picture,
trying to make things as much realistic as possible but at the same time and above all, with his
face being recognizable in the photograph.

This militiaman is not leaning his rifle on the trench ground, but holding it in the air with both
hands, with perhaps only his left elbow slightly leaned on the ground, and he would be highly
risking his life in actual combat, because he´s offering too much target with his uncovered head.

In the background, we can see the Falling Soldier once more, simulating to be opening fire with his Spanish Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle, which is not ready to shoot, because the head of the firing pin is hidden inside its resting location, id est, it is not visible, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

Only if the head of the firing pin is visible, a 7 x 57 mm bullet is able to open fire.

He´s excessively on top of the ground border of the trench for a real combat situation, greatly jeopardizing his life, because he´s offering a very big target to hypothetical fascist forces going up attacking them.

There isn´t any real battle or combat in this picture.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 61 Second picture of the fourth strip of negatives.
We can see two Republican militiamen: the nearest to the camera is simulating to be cocking the bolt of his Mauser 1893 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle before shooting against really non existing rebel soldiers going up and attacking them. It´s impossible this context in a real combat situation: the man is highly quiet and his hand perfectly in focus, the whole rifle has been rendered with detail on all of his surface and the same applies to the head.

In a real battle context, the anxiety and fidgety are high. There should be some shaking, at least a bit of blur of out of focus areas in hands, head and rifle, but everything is sharp, an odd thing, because though the day was sunny, Capa used 35 mm Kodak panchromatic nitrate black and white film equivalent to around iso 40 (the same that he used already in his report on Leon Trotsky in Copenhague during a meeting in 1932)

Under enemy soldiers attack, specially if they´re Tabor or Regulares or legionnaires men, the best infantry in the world in 1936, the survival of any defender could greatly depend on the quickness with which he was able to reload his rifle, so it´s virtually impossible such a quiet and slow operation of cocking the bolt with enemy soldiers firing against the trench defenders.

But there´s a further key element: any soldier defending a trench and under enemy fire, does his best to offer the enemy the least feasible target, mainly to avoid to be shot on head, neck or thorax area, something very different to the confidence with which this militiaman is making things with a good percentage of his body (high area of the chest, neck and head sticking out over the trench with the risk it means for his life. And besides, its rifle fairly pointing upwards and protruding over the trench also makes his position even easier to spot for any attacking rebel forces.

The logical thing would be to be as much crouched as possible, and trying to do the bolt cocking operation very swiftly to be able to shoot again as fast as possible.

There isn´t any real combat or battle in this picture.

On the other hand, we can see a second militiaman in the background, on middle left area of the frame (we can only glimpse his clear colour trousers, white slippers and his rifle), also simulating to aim or open fire against non existent enemy forces.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza. 16 de Junio de 2009

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 868 Third picture of the fourth strip of negatives.
There are five Republican militiamen with one knee on the ground and simulating to aim their Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifles at a non existing enemy to open fire.

All of them make up a diagonal from left to right, in which the sizes of the militiamen bodies progressively increase depending on how near they are from the right border of the negative.

The militiamen are very close one another, offering a very easy target to the non existing enemy soldiers. They´re in the open air with one knee leaned on the slope covered with wheat.

This would be practically suicidal against Tabor of Regulares or legionnaries elite snipers up to a distance of around 800 meters.

There isn´t any real combat in this picture.

On the other hand, the first man on the right (also appearing in the 35 mm contact number 836) wearing clear colour clothes and a different cap from the rest of militiamen, hasn´t his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle ready to shoot, because the head of the firing pin is hidden inside its resting location, id est, it is not visible, so it can´t strike any cartridge. Only if the head of the firing pin is visible, a 7 x 57 mm Mauser Model 1893 is able to open fire.

No rebel troops are attacking, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aim his not ready to shoot gun, but cocking again the bolt as soon as possible to load the rifle with a new bullet, and then to aim.

The same applies to the Mosquetón Mauser 7 x 57 mm Model 1916 used by the second militiaman from the left, whose head of the firing pin is not visible, and to the first militiaman from the left, whose Spanish Mauser 1893 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle head of the firing pin is also hidden.

The heads of the firing pins of the Mausers 1893 Model grabbed by the third and fourth militiamen from the left are visible, though there´s a high probability that there isn´t any bullet inside their chambers.

This picture has got great depth of field from the nearest wheat ears to the mountains in the distance, and there isn´t even a trace of blur of movement in hands, arms, heads, necks or heads of any of the militiamen, a coincidence virtually impossible in five soldiers risking their lives, who should be highly anxous, fidgety and nervous, being attacked by enemy forces and compelled to shoot and reload their guns as soon as possible.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of the picture into believing that there is real combat, because it is very evident that these five soldiers are very unprotected, outside the trench, in a lower area of the slope with wheat.

The Republican militiamen are infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by two foreign photographers -Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him- , from the moment the two photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Capa is there and takes the picture.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 869 Fourth Picture of the fourth strip of negatives.
There are five militiamen in the trench: the first one has got the sleeves of his fatigue clothes turned up, and he seems to be speaking, explaining something or even giving some kind of harangue, doing gestures with his free hands.

This is impossible in a real combat situation, because at the same time, this man (who is the seventh militiaman from the left appearing in the picture of page 61, including the loyalist officer), has got his head fairly unprotected, protruding over the trench and offering an easy target for enemy bullets.

On the other hand, his Mauser 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle is by itself, leaned on the ground of the trench border, immediately on the right of this militiaman, and evidently put in a somewhat unsteady equilibrium for the picture.

There isn´t any real combat in this photograph.

The second militiaman is wearing a metal helmet on his head and simulates to be shooting with his Mauser 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle against rebel attacking forces. He is leaned on the ground border of the trench, but excessively high over it, with his face utterly unprotected and offering an easy target.

Just behind this second militiaman, there´s a third one (of whom we only see his Mauser rifle). He is also pretending to be opening fire against Francoist soldiers attacking them from bottom to top.

And in the background of the image, on middle left area of the negative, we can see two further
Republican militiamen also simulating to be opening fire against fascist troops.

As happens with a very high percentage of both the already known and the many not known till now existing 35 mm negatives from the Falling Soldier series, the depth of field of the image is great, with sharpness and detail from the lowest area of the image to the fathest background.

As already mentioned, this absolute absence of blur common in all the pictures is virtually impossible for a real combat context with militiamen in their trenches really firing against enemy troops attacking them with the intention of killing them.

In such a context, the stress, fidgets and fear to be killed are maximum and the soldiers are crouched to the utmost, trying to conceal their heads as much as they can while they´re shooting, and also doing their best to fire and cocking the bolts of their Mauser rifles as soon as possible to reload their guns and introducing a new bullet.

So, no rebel troops are attacking.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of the picture into believing that there is real
combat. The Republican militiamen are highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him- , from the moment the two photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the picture.

Capa is there and takes the picture.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact Number 872 First Picture of the fifth strip of negatives.

There are three militiamen with one knee on the ground of the covered with wheat slope, while they´re photographed by Capa diagonally from behind.

The first militiaman is wearing a metal helmet (this is the same militiaman appearing using a
helmet in the 35 mm contacts numbers 19, 869, 875 and 879), his right knee is on the ground, and he´s simulating to be firing against really non existent enemy forces being upwards.

This picture clearly indicates that the militiamen are overjoyed, very confident and with very high morale. Many of them are the famous Alcoyanos, who were able to capture some military headquarters in August in Alcoy and other areas, having captured a lot of guns, above all the coveted Spanish Mausers 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber bolt rifles and Mosquetóns Mausers 7 x 57 mm caliber rifles (the best in the world in 1936, specially the 1893 long barrel model).

It´s impossible that Capa tries to deceive future observers into believing that there is real battle and that the Republican militiamen in the trench open fire against rebel forces attacking them from bottom to top, and in the same real battle, suddenly three of those militiamen fire upwards against against enemy troops which should be on the foot of the slope trying to ascend to kill them.

There isn´t any real battle in this picture.

Robert Capa and Gerda Taro don´t want to cheat anybody into believing that there´s a real battle. They simply take advantage of the huge expectation they raise among the militiamen, all of them without exception yearn very much to be photograph and behave and make all kind of movements, leaps, runnings, simulating of firings, etc.

Even, there´s one very good medium format 6 x 6 picture made by Gerda Taro (page 79) on this same covered with wheat slope confirming this, in which there are six militiamen running upwards with their Mauser rifles, simulating that they´re attacking a Francoist trench on top of the hill, when in many of the pictures made by Capa it´s very evident that the trench on top is a Republican one full of militiamen.

Both Capa and Taro are here and make the pictures with the intention not to deceive any future observer of the photographs into believing that there´s real battle, but to capture the very special atmosphere presiding the behaviour of the militiamen, many of them anarchists from Alcoi, that know that in a matter of hours or days, will have to fight agaisnt Francoist troops, so they express their common euphoria in this way.

They´re literally crazy for being photographed, and do what they can imagine to attain it.

The second militiaman appearing in this picture (middle left area of the contact), wearing dark fatigue clothes and cap, is simulating to cock the bolt of his Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifle to reload the gun and introducing a new bullet.

Once more, it is very odd the total lack of blur in the hands of a militiaman cocking the bolt of his Mauser rifle, because in the maelstrom of an actual battle, this operation must be made at full speed, to reload the gun as soon as possible, because the life of the soldier can depend on it. However, this militiaman seems to be doing it very quietly, taking his time, and there isn´t any blur in his hands, rifle, arm, neck or head, something odd for a picture taken with b & w film of around iso 40 (though in this time the reference for sensitivity was Weston Scale and not din, iso or asa).

The third militiaman, appearing in the background, is with his right knee on the ground and
simulating to open fire with his Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifle aiming at non existing Francoist troops on top of the covered by wheat hill.

He wears a straw big hat with the inscriptions "U.A" and "Unidad de Asalto", and is the same man appearing in the 35 mm contacts numbers 830, 875 and the one being on top right of page 67 of the book, along with the picture of middle left page 78.

The three militiamen are utterly unprotected, in the middle of a slope, hypothetically firing against rebel forces on top of the hill. In a real battle situation, the three men would be easily and very quickly annihilated from an elevated point, aither by means of rifle volleys or machine gun bursts.

Robert Capa. © ICP New York

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 874 Second Picture of the fifth strip of negatives.
Underexposed picture, made by Robert Capa diagonally from behind. We can see four militiamen with one knee on the ground of the covered with wheat slope and simulating to be aiming with their Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifles to open fire against non existing attacking forces.

The Mauser rifle of the nearest militiaman to the camera is pointing towards the left of the negative, while he is looking at the right.

And the fourth militiaman in the background is holding his Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifle raising it excessively for a real battle situation.

They all are very near one another, utterly unprotected outside the trench, each one offering a big target to the enemy, and would be easily wiped out by hypothetical rebel forces firing against them from below.

There isn´t any real combat in this picture.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into believing that there is real combat. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him - , from the moment the two photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the picture.

Capa is there and takes the picture.

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 875 Third Picture of the fifth strip of negatives.
There are five Republican militiamen simulating to be aiming with their Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifles at enemey forces attacking them from bottom to top.

The first militiaman appears wearing a metal helmet, his sleeves are turned up, and he is grabbing his rifle with both hands, his left elbow being leaned on the ground border of the trench, and though the head of the firing pin of his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle is visible, probably there isn´t any bullet inside the chamber. He´s simulating aiming to open fire.

The second militiaman (the one with the large straw hat, also appearing in other pictures) is also pretending to be aiming just before shooting against non existing enemy troops trying to go up to kill the Republican militiamen defending the trench.

There´s a third militiaman, of whom we only glimpse the dark cap.

The fourth and fifth militiamen appearing in the background and barely visible (we can only see their caps and rifles paying top attention) are important to prove that there isn´t any real combat in this picture because the rifle of the fourth isn´t leaned on the ground of the border of the trench, but held in the air, and too horizontal on the trench border, in such a way that any bullet shot by it would describe a trajectory some meters over the hypothetical Francoist troops attacking from bottom to top.

On its turn, the rifle of the fifth militiaman in the farthest bakground protrudes very excessively over the ground of the border of the trench (instead of being leaned on it to open fire against enemy soldiers), and this is not because of any recoil (the Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm is famous among other things for its scarce recoil), apart from being dangerous, because it detects his position to the enemy.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into believing that there is real combat. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him-, from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Capa is there and takes the pictures.

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 876 Fourth Picture of the fifth strip of negatives.
It´s very similar to the 35 mm contact number 868 already commented, but instead of five militiamen, we´ve got only the second, third and fourth men from the left on that 868 contact.

Compared to the 868 contact, around a 9% more of landscape is included on the right of the negative in this 876 contact, along with approximately half of the wheat covered ground and a 300% more of sky.

The three make up a diagonal from left to right, in which the sizes of the militiamen bodies progressively increase depending on how near they are from the right border of the negative.

The militiamen are very close one another, offering each one a very big and easy target to the non existing enemy soldiers. They´re in the open air with one knee leaned on the slope covered with wheat.

This would be practically suicidal against Tabor of Regulares or legionnaries snipers of the rebel army, very highly disciplined and experience troops, up to a distance of approximately 800 m.

There isn´t any real combat in this picture.

The Mosquetón Mauser 1916 caliber 7 x 57 mm held by the first militiaman from the left (dark clothes and cap), has the head of its firing pin hidden, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

In this 35 mm contact 876, the heads of the firing pins of the Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifles of both the second militiaman from left (clearer clothes and cap) and the third one from the left (dark clothes and cap) are visible, but there´s a high probability that their rifle chambers haven´t got any bullet inside. In the same way as the militiaman most on the left, they´re also simulating to shoot against Francoist soldiers.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into believing that there is real combat. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers -Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him, from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Capa is there and takes the pictures.

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 878 First Picture of the sixth strip of negatives.
There´s a Republican militiaman with dark cap inside the trench, occupying the left half of the black and white negative.

He´s simulating to be shooting against enemy forces.

The head of the firing pin of his Mauser 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle is hidden, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

He is leaning his rifle on the ground border of the trench, holding it with both hands, which are excessively close one each other for a correct grabbing of the gun.

We can also see his rolled up sleeve.

There isn´t any real combat.

No rebel troops are attacking, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aim his not ready to fire gun, but cocking again the bolt as soon as possible to load the rifle with a new bullet and then to aim.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to cheat future observers of this picture into believing that there is real combat. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him-, from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Capa is there and takes the picture.

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 879 Second Picture of the sixth strip of negatives.
Underexposed picture. There are four militiamen running down the wheat covered slope, grabbing their rifles and simulating to attack enemy forces.

The nearest man to the camera is the one wearing a metal helmet and also appearing in other negatives from the Falling Soldier series already quoted. He is jumping, to add impact to the action and appear more spectacular in the photograph.

The second militiaman by him wears a dark cap and clothes fatigue.

The third man, faintly discernible in the far background, is the militiaman wearing the big straw hat also appearing in other aforementioned pictures of the Falling Soldier series.

And there´s a fourth Republican militiaman that we can barely glimpse in the distance, on the left of the three militiamen running down.

There isn´t any real combat against Francoist troops in this photograph.

Specially if we pay attention to the nearest militiaman to the camera, we realize that it is impossible that a man running down holding his rifle to attack enemy soldiers is too vertical and jumping, knowing that he can be shot by a rebel bullet at any moment.

In this kind of context, if the action would have been real, the men strive after running down as crouched as possible to offer less target to the enemy.

All the militiamen appearing in this picture, specially the three nearest the camera, are very unprotected, in the open air and the body of each one is a very big target for enemy bullets.

And besides, these three militiamen are very close one another, so the risk of death for them in a real combat situation running down against enemy soldiers would be even higher.

They all would be easily and very quickly annihilated either by accurate Mauser 7 x 57 mm from Tabor of Regulares or legionnaries professional soldiers or by machine gun bursts.

Once more, it´s evident that Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into believing that there is real combat. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him-, from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Capa is there and takes the picture.

- Page 67: 35 mm contact number 881 Third Picture of the sixth strip of negatives.
This is perhaps the most important picture of the great photographic exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at War, unknown till now for the public in the same way as the page 67 35 mm twenty-one b & w contacts of the Falling Soldier series previously analyzed, and the eight pictures made by Gerda Taro (four of them included in the book) on the same slope of the Falling Soldier rest of images taken by Capa that morning of September 1936 between 9:30 and 10:30 (Gerda Taro was with Robert Capa at every moment).

This vertical picture is the last photograph of the Falling Soldier series. We see the second Republican militiaman -shot immediately after the most famous Falling Soldier - impacted by 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet and already lying dead on the ground (this is undoubtedly the same man as the one not instantly killed captured by Capa being already on the ground and very seriously wounded in highly agonic position).

Now we know that this man died soon, probably within few minutes, because of his 7 x 57 mm bullet wound, as indicated by his dead body on the ground.

But it isn´t less certain that maybe with propagandist aims, the body of this second militiaman has evidently been moved from the real spot where he is shot (on a point very near where the first and most famous militiaman falls backwards instantly killed because of a 7 x 57 mm piercing his heart) and transported to a lower spot of the slope along with his Mosquetón Mauser rifle which somebody - perhaps a political comissar or high officer- has evidently put on his belly with the butt of the gun resting on the ground and the middle area of the Mosquetón Mauser barrel made to be grasped by the fingers of the utterly dead second Republican militiaman (it is virtually impossible to accurately ascertain how long he took to die, but bearing in mind the eerie immediately previous picture in which this same Republican militiaman appears on the ground still alive and being in agony just after being impacted by a second high velocity 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet, I´m convinced that few minutes indeed, and probably, the Tabor of Regulares snipers allowed them to collect the bodies or perhaps a white flag was previously shown in order to get it, and Capa made this last picture of the Falling Soldier series also with propagandist aims, something very common in both sides during the Spanish Civil War.

- Page 74: 2 1/4 inches (6 x 6 cm) medium format Rolleiflex negative made by Gerda Taro. It´s the picture on the left, having a size of 7.2 x 7.2 cm in the book.
This is an until recently not known photograph.There are three militiamen: The nearest to the camera, vertically filling the right farthest area of the 6 x 6 cm negative, and showing a militiaman simulating aiming to shoot ( though we can only see his whole head, dark cap and approximately half of the rest of his body, including a leather ammunition poach on his right side, apart from being pointing to the sky with his Mauser rifle held with both hands - on the right of the negative, out of image-).

In the background, perfectly focused and some meters behind the quoted militiaman occupying the full vertical extension of the medium format negative in his farthest right area, we can see two more Republican militiamen in much smaller size: the Falling Soldier -on the left, with his right knee on the ground, his sleeves rolled up, his Isabelline cap with tassel vertically crossing his forehead and simulating to be aiming with his 1893 Model Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifle just before opening fire. His gun is also pointing to the sky.

The other militiaman in the background, being beside The Falling Soldier, has got his left knee a bit bent, his sleeves are turned up, grabs his Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifle with both hands in almost 100% vertical position and is looking towards the lower left angle of the negative, very quiet and his top priority is to appear as good as possible in the photograph. This man is the same who is immediately on the right of the Falling Soldier in the picture of page 61 showing eleven Republican militiamen standing on the trench and a Republican officer behind the fourth militiaman from the left.

It´s very obvious that there isn´t any real battle in this picture and no soldiers on earth would behave this way while being attacked by a real enemy.

Gerda Taro is not idiot. It´s obvious that she doesn´t try to deceive any future observers of this picture into believing that there is real combat. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him-, from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Gerda Taro is there and takes the picture.

- Page 74: 2 1/4 inches (6 x 6 cm) medium format Rolleiflex negative made by Gerda Taro. It´s the picture on the right, having a size of 7.2 x 7.2 cm in the book.
This is an until recently not known photograph. We can see four republican militiamen on the trench.

The first one, on the right of the frame, is grabbing the butt of his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 Model caliber 7 x 57 mm, wears dark fatigues clothes and a dark cap with the colours black and red of the CNT. His sleeves are rolled up and one of his leather ammunition poaches is visible just behind the butt of his gun.

He is simulating to be looking at enemy attacking forces, but there aren´t any Francoist forces going up to kill them from bottom to top.

The head of the firing pin of his Mosquetón Mauser is hidden in its resting place, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

The second militiaman on the left of the frame, also wearing dark fatigue clothes and cap of the CNT and with his sleeves turned up, is likewise simulating to aim at enemy Francoist forces attacking them from bottom to top, and though the head of the firing pin of his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber rifle is visible, there´s a high probability that the chamber of the gun doesn´t contain any bullet at this moment. And besides, he has got his left leg bent and leaned on the inner ground border of the trench in a rather cumbersome and above all risky position for his life, leaving his neck and head unprotected. In a real context battle, soldiers inside trenches being under enemy attack, do their best to crouch to the maximum and strive after offering the least possible target to enemy bullets. But if he lies and leans on the border of the trench with his elbows on the ground, he could be partially concealed by his nearest to the camera comrade, something that he wants to avoid at any cost, because it´s very important for him to be recognizable in the photograph.

The third and last militiaman in the background is highly motivated, raising his left arm with his fist closed, with both knees leaned on top of the ground border of the trench and grabs his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber resting vertically on the ground.

He is offering almost 100% of his body as target to hypothetical enemy forces attacking them from bottom to top.

This doesn´t seem to be the best way to face the Tabor of Regulares Moroccan soldiers or the legionnaries, in 1936 from a military viewpoint, the best infantry in the world.

So, there isn´t any real combat in this picture.

Gerda Taro doesn´t try to deceive any future observers of the picture into believing that there is real combat. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him-, from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Gerda Taro is there and takes the picture.

- Page 75: 2 1/4 inches (6 x 6 cm) medium format Rolleiflex negative made by Gerda Taro. It´s the picture on the left, having a size of 7.2 x 7.2 cm in the book.
We heve got here the same three miltiamen than in the previous picture. Now, the nearest militiaman to the camera is leaned on the ground border of the trench, simulating to be aiming his Mauser rifle at Francoist troops attacking from bottom to top to capture the trench. But the head of the firing pin of his gun is not visible, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

The second militiaman (unlike the previous image now slightly out of focus) is a bit more backwards than before, we can only see half of his body, goes on with his left leg bent and leaned on the inner ground of the trench border and is likewise pretending to be aiming at enemy forces before shooting.

The third man, though greatly exposing his body as a target for enemy bullets almost in the same way as in the previous picture, now holds his Mauser rifle horizontally, though it´s almost impossible to discern any more aspects, because it is highly out of focus and lacking sharpness and detail.

There isn´t any real battle in this photograph.

- Page 79: 2 1/4 inches (6 x 6 cm) medium format Rolleiflex negative made by Gerda Taro. It has a size of 13.65 x 13.65 cm in the book.
Gerda taro makes this picture on the slope only a few minutes before the photograph made by Robert Capa appearing on left middle area of page 7 of Regards magazine September 24th 1936.

We can see six Republican militiamen running upwards the slope towards its summit,
simulating to attack Francoist troops defending the peak of the hill.

There isn´t any real combat in this picture.

In this spectacular photograph, taken from a very low position and highly probably with this brave woman crouched and having a knee on the ground to get as much impact as possible from bottom to top), the siz quoted militiamen appear running upwards on the lower part of the 2 1/4 inches square negative: two of them (the nearest to Gerda Taro´s Rolleiflex camera) are wearing dark clothes, the militiaman on the lower right area of the frame and simulating encouraging his comrades with his left arm raised to attack a really non existent enemy position on top of the slope is clad with white garment, the two militiamen in the middle are wearing clear garments (probably in light brown colours) and the militiaman wearing white clothes second from left is the Falling Soldier, some minutes before being instantly killed with his heart pierced by a high velocity 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet shot by a Tabor of Regulares sniper.

This image clearly reveals that Gerda Taro feels already a high passion for photography, steadfastly making efforts to obtain the best possible pictures, as clearly proved in this photograph, where she manages to get a pronounced bottom to top taking angle going even beyond the one attained by Leonard Freed in his picture made in a Wall Street Tube Station Entrance in 1955, whose photographing angle antithesis would be Death from Overdose in Harlem New York City 1972.

It´s very interesting to realize that the second man from the left, wearing white colour fatigue clothes, is the Falling Soldier.

Gerda Taro doesn´t try to deceive any future observers of this picture into believing that there´s real combat. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him - , from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simultaing of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Gerda Taro is there and takes the picture.

- Page 78: The one in the middle of the three pictures on the left Photograph made by Robert Capa.
There are six Republican militiamen simulating to be firing. There are four men "shooting", aiming at the right of the frame (the one most on the left and the three on the right half of the negative), another one (the militiaman just behind the man wearing a straw hat) aiming a bit upwards slightly towards the left of the picture, and a last one (second from left and perhaps the Falling Soldier some minutes before being really killed) aiming his Mauser rifle upwards and towards top central area of the frame.

It´s absolutely evident that these soldiers are not really firing and there isn´t any combat against rebel forces.

The militiamen are very near one another and offering an easy target for any hypothetical Francoist soldiers, and at the same time, three of the militiamen (the one most on the left - with his Mauser more raised upwards than the three comrades on the right of the image and whose hypothetical bullet trajectory would go on progressively towards the sky - and above all the two ones behind the man wearing straw hat) are simulating to open fire aiming at very different points.

Even, the second militiaman from left, infused with overexcitement, confidence and revolutionary joy, is ostensibly aiming his Mauser rifle at the sky.

It´s very clear that there isn´t any combat against rebel forces.

There are some people saying that " in the same way as with the Falling Soldier, Robert Capa was a liar, because these Republican militiamen are not really firing and Capa was not going to risk his own life with his camera in front of these unexperienced militiamen armed with rifles ".

And they say this to accuse Capa of trying to deceive future observers of the picture into believing that these militiamen are shooting against enemy forces.

Please!

Robert Capa was not idiot. There isn´t any kind of trick, fake or stage implemented here by Capa. At every moment and in the vast majority of pictures made by Capa and Taro that September morning of 1936, the republican militiamen eagerly yearned to be photographed by two foreign journalists, something which raised in them high doses of expectation from the first moments. And it´s known the great ability featured by Capa and Taro to create empathy with a wide range of people.

Robert Capa simply takes this picture with the militiamen acting at will and performing ecelctic poses while they´re simulating to shoot with the intention of appearing as good as possible in the picture.

It´s very important to bear in mind that we´re at the beginning of September 1936, when Franco´s coup d´etat has been quelled in the biggest capitals (Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia amongst them) of Spain for one month and a half, mainly because of the CNT and FAI anarchist militiamen fighting in the streets, factories, official and communication centers, etc, as well as attacking the army barracks, getting a lot of guns, specially the coveted long barrel Spanishs Mausers 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm (the most accurate in the world then, speacially at medium and long distances) and the Mosquetón Mausers Model 1916, having greatly seized the power in the streets, so they´re highly euphoric and buzzed with enthusiasm.

Capa doesn´t need to place these soldiers to make the picture, and it is evident that he hasn´t put them in the rather chaotic way they appear with their rifles in the picture. He simply lets the militiamen simulate battle at free will and takes the picture, both in this case and many others, in different areas of the wheat covered slope.

Therefore, on making this picture, Robert Capa doesn´t try to cheat anybody into believing that there´s a real battle and the militiamen are opening fire, because during those moments, he´s perfectly aware that some of them are aiming at different directions - even one of them pointing his gun against the sky- .

Capa simply takes the picture to capture the very special atmosphere of the moment brought about by the overjoyed militiamen themselves.

Capa is there and takes the picture.

- Page 61: Picture made by Robert Capa of 11 militiamen and a loyalist officer standing on the trench.
Three of them brandish their rifles grabbing them with left hand (the first, second and third from left), while seven of them (the fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh) are holding their guns with right hand.

All the militiamen are brandishing Mausers 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm caliber rifles, with the excepction of the third man from left, who is holding a Mosquetón Mauser 1916 Model caliber 7 x 57 mm.

Five of them are also raising their closed fists (first, third, fourth, ninth and tenth). These militiamen (many of them anarchists belonging to the CNT) are overjoyed, infused with revolutionary spirit, highly euphoric, and yearning for being photographed by Capa. There´s a great expectation in them.

This is an important picture -appearing in the book in size 21.3 x 15.9 cm- , because the man on the far left is the Falling Soldier, and the third man from left is the second falling soldier who is shot immediately after the death of the most famous Republican militiaman (the picture of this second falling soldier, not instantly killed by a 7 x 57 mm bullet as the first and most famous Falling Soldier, but very seriously injured by a second 7 x 57 mm bullet fired by the same sniper, is in the page 84 of this ICP / STEIDL extraordinary book, in size 21 x 15.9 cm).

Behind the fourth CNT militiaman from the left (raising his left closed fist), we can see what seems to be a loyalist officer, and on the right of the picture we can also observe three big vertical wooden poles and perhaps a tent behind them. And we see another vertical wooden pole in the farthest background behind the tent.

Obvious saying that there isn´t any real combat against rebel forces in this picture.

- Page 80: Picture made by Robert Capa. There are six Republican militiamen with their rifles jumping over the trench.
They are simulating to be about to run down the slope towards enemy soldiers.

The Falling Soldier is the nearest man to the camera, wearing a white shirt with its sleeves rolled up, clear trousers and cap with the CNT letters embroidered on it.

Robert Capa is inside the trench while he is making this photograph. All the militiamen are in focus. Among these men, we have got once more the militiaman wearing a big straw hat seeming to be an Andalusian militiaman and also appearing in some of the 21 pictures making up the all existing 35 mm negatives from the Falling Soldier series at the ICP.

In this picture, there isn´t any real combat against Francoist troops.

- Page 81: Picture made by Robert Capa. There are five Republican militiamen landing across the trench, after having jumped on it in the previous picture.

One of the militiamen, clad in dark fatigue clothes and cap, is completely inside the trench grabbing his Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm rifle with his right arm (his sleeves being turned up) and about to go up to the top border of it.

There is a second militiaman wearing dark clothes and cap and lying on top of the trench, simulataing to aim with his Mauser rifle against attacking Francoist troops. His nose is very near the hidden head of the firing pin of his gun, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

And just behind him, also leaned on top of the trench, more unprotected and with his head and chest dangerously protruding over top of the trench, we see the Falling Soldier, who is grabbing his Mauser 1893 7 x 57 mm rifle (also known as Spanish 7 mm Mauser) pointing upwards in such a way that it´d spot his position to enemy forces in a context of real battle, something who
doesn´t seem to worry him, because top priority is to appear as good as possible in the picture and fully identifiable.

In this photograph, there isn´t any real battle against attacking rebel forces.

In the farthest background, barely discernible, we can glimpse two more militiamen: one wearing a metal helmet (also appearing in other photographs of the Falling Soldier series already quoted) and a last one with dark cap fairly out of focus and undistinguishable.

The vignetting on the corners of the Leitz lens is remarkable and adds the picture a vintage aesthetic beauty of image.

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive any future observer of this picture into believing that there´s
a real battle. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him - , from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them, the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Capa is there and takes the picture.

- Page 82: Picture made by Robert Capa. There are three loyalist militiamen on the border of the trench, simulating to aim their rifles from top to bottom against enemy soldiers.

The nearest militiaman to the camera (clad in dark fatigue clothes and cap of the CNT) is on top of the trench, with his left leg bent and his knee on the ground, while his right leg is somewhat stretched.

He´s excessively on the trench, highly unprotected against enemy bullets, offering a big target on his chest, neck and head to Francoist soldiers.

The head of the firing pin of his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 (bent bolt) caliber 7 x 57 mm is hidden inside its resting location, so it can´t strike any bullet.

No rebel troops are attacking, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aim his not ready to fire gun, but to cock again the bolt as soon as possible to load the rifle with a new bullet and then to aim.

Though the head of the firing pin of his Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifle is visible, the second militiaman, on the middle left of the image (clad in dark fatigue clothes and cap and with his right sleeve turned up), is also simulating to aim at enemy forces. His face is excessively far from the sight and half of the butt is loose and not leaned against his body to minimize the effect of recoil (in the case of the other militiamen, this aspect is even more strange, because the nose of each one is just behind the bolt, and this is not evidently a correct way of aiming or opening fire, so they seem to be above all thinking about the picture and trying that their faces be recognizable in the photograph.

The militiaman in the background, wearing a white shirt with its sleeves rolled up and cap with the letters CNT embroided on it and hanging tassel, is the Falling Soldier, who is also simulating to aim with his Spanish Mauser 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm rifle at hypothetical enemy attacking forces.

But the head of the firing pin of his 7 x 57 mm rifle is hidden inside its location in the back of the bolt, so it can´t strike any cartridge, so no rebel troops are attacking him or his comrades, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in an actual battle is not to be quiet and aim his not ready to fire gun, but to cock again the bolt as soon as possible to load the rifle qith a new bullet, and then to aim.

There isn´t any real combat against Francoist troops in this picture and no rebel troops are attacking the militiamen from bottom to top trying to captura the trench occupied by the anarchist militiamen.

On the other hand, both the nearest militiaman to the camera and the Falling Soldier have their bodies excessively protruding over the trench - above all the Falling Soldier-, something highly dangerous in a real combat situation against hypotehtical enemy forces.

These two militiamen would be very easily and quickly annihilated by means of shots on head or
heart.

The reason for the so risky arrangement of the Republican militiamen is that none of them want to be concealed by other´s body. They all do yearn very much after appearing in the photograph
fully recognizable - specially the face-, and they have previously agreed to place themselves in the trench this way, because if they were in the logical real combat position with the three of them lying on the border of the trench, with their Mauser rifles leaned on the ground and really aiming at the enemy, crouching their heads, being mostly inside the trench and crouching to the utmost to offer as minimum target as possible to the enemy, the nearest militiaman to the camera would have greatly concealed the bodies and faces of the other two, who so wouldn´t be recognizable in the picture.

Besides, there´s also a high probability that some political comissar, loyalist officer, etc, strongly encouraged the militiamen to make all the movements, simulating of firing, leapings, etc, that they enthusiastically performed that early morning of September 1936 in order that Capa and Taro photograph them (because the pictures had a significant propagandist mission for both sides during the Spanish Civil War from the very beginning of the conflict).

Robert Capa doesn´t try to deceive future observers of this picture into believing that there´s a real battle. The Republican militiamen are overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, and because of the great expectation raised in them by the presence of two foreign photographers - Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, an attractive woman who is with him - , from the very moment in which the two foreign photojournalists approach them , the militiamen begin to make all kind of simulating of firing (both from the border of trenches and outside them with a knee on the ground), running in different directions, jumping over trenches or wheat, etc, as we see in different pictures, because they do highly wish to be photographed and appear as good as possible in the pictures.

Capa is there and takes the pictures.

- Page 83: Death of a Loyalist Militiaman. Picture made by Robert Capa. This is probably the most famous and important photograph in history, at the same time eerie and sublime, showing a Republican militiaman at the very moment of his instant death because of a 7 x 57 mm high velocity bullet (730 m/sec) fired by a Tabor of Regulares Moroccan sniper using long barrel 1893 Spanish Mauser rifle and piercing his heart.

By pure chance, Robert Capa has just pressed the shutter release button of his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) with carrying strap lugs and rangefinder magnification of 1.5X connected to a Leitz Summar 50 mm f/2 lens in a split second greatly coinciding with the moment of impact of the bullet on the loyalist militiaman´s heart who dies instantly because of the shock which paralyses his vital organs, since the 7 x 57 mm cartridge has got great ballistic properties including very flat trajectory, impressive penetrating effect of its 7 mm density at long distances, etc.

There are three main hypotheses on how the death happened:
a) The Falling Soldier was running down the wheat covered slope seen in the picture,when Robert Capa was waiting for him some meters ahead, with one knee on the ground, to take him the photograph from a low angle (being both the Republican militiaman and Capa outside the trench), when suddenly and in an utterly unexpected way, at the same time in which the photographer pressed the realease button of his camera, a hidden Tabor of Regulares sniper shot the Republican militiaman on his heart, killing him instantly with a 7 x 57 mm bullet fired with his Mauser 7 x 57 mm rifle from a distance of some hundred meters.

b) The Falling Soldier was running down the wheat covered slope seen in the picture, when Robert Capa, also running down the slope some meters ahead of him, put a knee on the ground to take him the photograph from a low angle (being both the Republican militiaman and Capa outside the trench), when suddenly and in an utterly unexpected way, at the same time in which the photographer pressed the realease button of his camera, a hidden Tabor of Regulares sniper shot the Republican militiaman on his heart, killing him instantly with a 7 x 57 mm bullet fired from a distance of some hundred meters.

c) The Falling Soldier was running down he wheat covered slope seen in the picture,passing by the trench, when Robert Capa being inside it, took the picture of the militiaman from a low angle (with Robert Capa and other militiamen being inside the trench), when suddenly and in an utterly unexpected way, at the same time in which the photographer pressed the release button of his camera, a hidden Tabor of Regulares sniper shot the Republican militiaman on his heart, killing him instantly with a 7 x 57 mm bullet fired from a distance of some hundred meters.

The recently made discovery by elrectanguloenlamano (May 2009, 5th Part of this
research) regarding a picture in which there are three Republican militiamen standing alive: one dressed in dark clothes and cap, grabbing a Mauser rifle with both hands and running down slightly bent the wheat covered slope towards the right of the frame, while another Republican militiaman (only partially seen, wearing clear clothes, black leather cartridge poaches and a Mauser rifle) on his left is also running down the slope even more bent that the militiaman wearing dar fatigues clothes, and with his bolt rifle grabbed in inversed position with both the rifle gunstock and the sling inadvertently pointing upwards probably because of the overjoy and euphoria of the militiaman, along with a strong yearning for simulating a downward attack against enemy forces, in the same way as his companion, without realizing that he is being greatly concealed by his comrade´s body on his right, and a third Republican militiaman (out of image, of whom only the tip of his Mauser rifle appears on the left of the image) running behind the tow
militiamen observable in the photograph, proves that there were five militiamen running down the slope and not two as thought till now (The Falling Soldier being killed instantly and the second militiaman shot immediately after the first, who appears already on the ground, very badly injured, in the following picture).

This picture with the two militiamen running down (and a third one behind them,
out of image) was made with both loyalist militiamen treading on a near stretch of the same slope, but not on the same spot than the Falling Soldier and the following shot militiaman who fall on two points very close each other.

This discovery is very significant, because there are people saying that Capa made
the picture of the Falling Soldier with his camera on a tripod and that both The Falling Soldier and the second militiaman shot fell exactly on the same spot, something which is not true (very near indeed but not exactly the same spot).

This picture, appearing on the middle left area of page 7 of Regards Magazine September 24th 1936, confirms even more something already known: Capa didn´t
use any trick, camera on tripod or any other ruse to make the picture of the Falling
Soldier, which is authentic and captures the real moment of death of a Republican
militiaman and suggests that the most probable thing is that Capa was inside the
trench when he took this photograph, but not with his arms raised and making the
pictures without being able to see (as is always said because of a statement attributed to Capa, whose graphic or recorded evidence I haven´t been ever able to
see), but clearly seeing the five militiamen as they were running down.

On the other hand, it seems clear that the second militiaman shot (not instantly killed but on the ground, very seriously injured) was running down the slope behind the Falling Soldier when the latter was shot.

Bearing it in mind, the hypothesis that the overjoyed running down Falling Soldier suddenly stopped when being near Capa in order that he made the picture has gained a lot of momentum, because it would greatly explain the coincidence between the liberation of the shutter release of Capa´s Leica rangefinder camera and the impact of the bullet on the militiaman´s heart,since apparently the enemy sniper chose the best moment to optimize hisshot accuracy, when the loyalist militiaman stopped in front of Capa.

This coincidence has been one of the most important ones making some people doubting about the autenticity of the picture, making them erroneously believe that the famous Falling Soldier photograph is a fake or that Capa used any ruse.

But the Falling Soldier picture is authentic and there´s a real instant death depicted in it.

So, this new discovery that there were five militiamen -and not two as believed till now- running down the slope, greatly confirms the statement made by Captain
Robert Franks, Chief Homicide Detective of the Memphis Police Department after analyzing the Falling Soldier photograph: he was standing flat footed when he was shot and clearly it wasn´t a pose, but a real death, because the soldier´s left hand, partially appearing under his left leg, is in a semi-closed position. If the fall had been staged, the hand would have been open to catch his fall, the logical self-preservation reflex act to keep one from being hurt).

And Captain Robert Franks also noted that the position of the fingers, somewhat curled toward the palm, indicates that the man´s muscles had gone limp and that his body was rapidly shutting down already dead. And he was right.

Captain Franks also expressed his convition that the Falling Soldier had been carrying his rifle in a way suggesting that he did not expect to use it soon.

He´s also right in this point. The rectanguloenlamano discovery that the three Republican militiamen running down in the picture of middle left area of page 7 of
Regards magazine September 24th 1936 was taken immediately before the Falling
Soldier utterly verifies that all the militiamen running down were overconfident and sure that there weren´t enemy troops in the surroundings, with which the first shot fired by the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares sniper was absolutely lethal, since the Republican militiaman was relaxed and overjoyed, simulating running down against enemy forces, when all of a sudden, a 7 x 57 mm bullet pierced his heart killing him instantly because of the shock paralysing his vital functions before the blood has begun to sprout.

Everything is very related to the stopping power and killing power featured by this high velocity type of bullet, as decisive factors provoking damage when impacting on an animal or person, the 7 x 57 mm cartridge excelling at high velocity, shock effect, diameter and expansion of the bullet, kinetic energy and lineal impulse, everything greatly enhanced by the tremendous accuracy of the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares snipers.

There are people saying that this picture is false because " only a magnum gun can throw a man backwards in the way depicted in the photographed".

That´s not true, because the shot placement and the type of bullet performance are much more important factors than the pure brute force of the cartridge.

A non magnum rifle bullet flying at a great speed penetrates through the animal or person with an effect comparable to an expansive wave, and this ´hydraulic effect´ brings about a bigger damage on the animal or person tissues, being able to provoke the death even if the shot doesn´t touch any vital organ, not to say if it impacts on the heart or head.

In a nutshell, a small non magnum rifle bullet featuring great velocity has the same energy than other bigger caliber types of bullets flying at slower speeds.

And regarding "the impossibility that a non Magnum bullet is able to throw the militiaman backwards in that way", only a further detail: many big five African hunters, above all the famous W.D.M. Bell, used it to kill elephants because of its great piercing power and accuracy...

Another frequent error (among many others) by those stating that Capa´s most famous picture is a fake and that the Falling Soldier got up again after being shot, is to think that the absence of blood on the militiaman´s shirt indicates that the photograph is false.

That´s not true.

The absence of blood in the Falling Soldier´s white shirt is because of the very high velocity of the 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet which kills him just in the split second in which Robert Capa has just pressed the shutter realease button of his Leica III (Model F 1936-1939), so though the bullet has already pierced the Falling Soldier heart, there hasn´t been enough time for the blood to sprout.

If we think of the very short elapse of time which means 1/10 sec in an athletic competition, a speed of for instance 1/125 sec at f/8 shooting handheld on a sunny day with around iso 40 Kodak panchromatic nitrate black and white film is a much shorter time.

This is a non easy concept to understand, because we all are accustomed to watching different movies in which all kind of bullet shots have the immediate effect of presence of blood on the victims´ clothes, specially if they are using white garments, which makes even more remarkable the thing with the Falling Soldier who is wearing a turned up white colour shirt.

But in reality, things are different regarding the performance of the bullets, and it will depend on a number of factors, among which the shock effect is another absolutely decisive one.

Traditionally, everybody has thought and will go on thinking that the end of the vital functions of an animal or person which has just been shot is due to the loss of blood, which evidently has got its importance, though it is not the key factor in this respect.

The most significant element regarding the break of the vital functions of an animal or person
impacted by bullet is the shock effect when the projectile hits one of the vital organs.

That´s why the Falling Soldier dies instantly, because of the shock effect of the 730 m/sec high velocity of a 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet, before the blood has begun to flow.

Such is the kinetic energy of this caliber, which greatly enhances its stopping power and fosters its piercing capacity, its expansion and its ability to destroy animal or person tissues.

On the other hand, the lineal impulse of the 7 x 57 mm bullet is also highly remarkable, preserving great power and a simultaneous scarce recoil, a key factor for accuracy in long distance shots.

You can be sure: just after the picture was taken by Capa, there was a lot of blood running from the Falling Soldier´s heart, with two points of blood exit.

In 1936, the Tabor of Regulares Moroccan soldiers were the best snipers in the world, shooting the most suitable 7 x 57 mm bullets for their missions, with the appropriate load in grains and using the best bolt rifle available then: the 1893 Model Spanish Mauser.

These were very hardened and disciplined troops, featuring a lot of years of real combat experience, and able to get tremendous levels of accuracy with shots made at great distances between 400 and 1000 meters impacting on enemy soldiers´ head or heart.

Bigger caliber types of bullets like Magnum, Nitroexpress, etc, are heavy projectiles with great recoil which would make the accuracy and recharge in a real combat situation much more difficult than with a non Magnum 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm Mauser rifle.

To have a Magnum or NitroExpress caliber doesn´t necessarily mean that the suitable stopping power will be attained in shots.

In order to get the most suitable stopping power, the best possible balance between velocity of the bullet, its weight and recoil effect is esential.

From a ballistic viewpoint, the two Republican militiamen killed on the wheat covered slope appearing in this picture between 9:30 and 10:30 h in the morning of September 5th 1936, were the aftermath of the optimization of a very high percentage of the previously quoted factors in the binomium long barrel 1893 Model Mauser bolt rifle + 7 x 57 mm bullet along with the amazing level of accuracy in their long distance shots attained by the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares snipers being able to put the bullets on vital organs under conditions of maximum combat stress, with which they got the necessary force to achieve the desired stopping power without needing Magnum or NitroExpress caliber bullets for it. They took advantage of a top-notch classic bolt rifle with more than 40 years of antiquity at those moments (having proved its impresive efficiency and precision in different conflicts), sporting 2,000 meters of long distance lethal range through its 73,5 cm long barrel, great power, resistance, reliability and huge accuracy, with the added benefit of a revolving bolt which is manually activated by means of a rotation and push movement, enabling both a very quick recharging and a highly short time of bullet striking.

At the same time, their real combat experience allowed these Tabor of Regulares snipers to bear in mind the wind and the dispersion factor of 30 cm of the 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullets before opening fire.

If they had any supporting base to make the shots, their long distance effectiveness was certainly lethal, which added to the quick recharge enabled by this bolt rifle, made them often being able to kill two enemy soldiers in around three seconds.

- Page 84: The second falling soldier. Picture made by Robert Capa. Though not as
famous as the first Falling Soldier (instantly killed by a 7 x 57 mm percing his heart), this photograph, taken by Robert Capa immediately after the Falling Soldier, is much more gruesome and disgusting, because the militiaman (who is another different soldier, not the previous one, there isn´t any doubt in this respect) is still alive on the ground of the same wheat covered slope, having fallen on a very near spot to the first militiaman (though not exactly the same point as stated by some people), and is very very seriously injured because of the impact on his body of a second 7 x 57 mm bullet shot by the same sniper that has just killed the first Falling Soldier, whose accuracy has not been so high as with the first shot because he has been bound to reload his Mauser rifle and open fire for a second time with the risk it implies for his life (if a sniper makes more than one shot, chances of being spotted by the enemy increase significantly).

The loyalist militiaman is in a very odd and stressful position brought about by the shot, not instantly lethal as the previous one killing the Falling Soldier, but leaving him greatly crippled.

His vital functions are significantly diminished and because of the shot that has hurled him backwards, his legs are immobilized and from waist to head his body is convulsed and trying to keep a precarious balance, while his right arm is bent backwards with his hand weakly grabbing his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 7 x 57 mm caliber (bent bolt), whose barrel tip is touching the ground.

For a long time, I thought that this second militiaman shot was standing running down the slope behind the Falling Soldier and somehow brandishing his Mosquetón Mauser when he was also shot and had slowly fallen to the ground, not instantly killed but very seriously injured. Nevertheless, the postion of this militiaman on the ground was somewhat odd for a man having been shot while being running standing and fallen to the ground.

But recently, I had the chance of reading the excellent book This is War! Robert Capa at Work written by Richard Whelan and published by ICP / Steidl, and in its page 75 is the complete account of the expert criminologist captain Robert Franks which I´m convinced resolves three "mysteries" frequently put forward by people stating that the Falling Soldier (instantly killed) picture is false, a fake, a montage using tripod, etc: a) how the second falling soldier body was when he was shot, b) why this second militiaman shot falls so very near the first Falling Soldier and c) why the body of the Falling Soldier doesn´t appear in the picture of this second falling soldier (not instantly killed but still alive on the ground, very seriously injured):
"As soon as the Falling Soldier had fallen to the ground, comrades must have dragged his body back into the gully, which would explain why his corpse is not visible in the photograph of the other falling soldier.

Captain Franks was sure that the Falling Soldier was the first loyalist militiaman to be shot.

That´s why he also wrote: " I base this upon the cloud formation that seems to be tighter in the Falling Soldier and more dissipated in the other picture".

On the other hand, on watching this picture of the second falling soldier seriously injured on the ground, we quickly realize that the image quality is far superior to the first Falling Soldier one in terms of resolving power, sharpness and level of detail.

That´s why, Captain Robert Franks makes a further statement: " The second soldier´s photograph is in focus, which indicates to me that Robert Capa had time to attend to the settings on his camera between the two shots".

And following this statement, Captain Robert Franks makes a highly interesting affirmation: " the photograph of the second militiaman shot indicates to me that the soldier was on his knees, leaning back with his buttocks resting on the heels of his feet , the rifle being held in his right hand and the rifle muzzle pointing up and slightly to the rear. As the soldier was thrown back by a bullet, gravity took over, pulling the weight of the barrel towards the ground. When the gunfire began, he was presumably standing far enough to Borrell´s right so that he was outside the left edge of the Falling Soldier. He must then have dropped to his knees, both to protect himself and to help move the Falling Soldier´s body into the gully. He probably lifted the Falling Soldier by the armpits, which would explain why the photograph shows him slightly behind the spot where the Falling Soldier had been standing. Men in the gully would have dragged the Falling Soldier by the feet toward them. The man in Capa´s second shot militiaman photograph was evidently picking his rifle up from the ground when he was shot.

I do believe Captain Robert Franks is utterly right in his explanations, including the one regarding the no presence of the Falling Soldier corpse on the ground in the picture of the second shot loyalist militiaman, a key factor to explain the events, because THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THIS STORY ARE NOT THE LOCATION OF THE FALLING SOLDIER PICTURE AND THE IDENTITY OF THE MAN APPEARING IN IT (TWO IMPORTANT TOPICS ANYWAY), BUT THE REAL INSTANT DEATH OF A REPUBLICAN MILITIAMAN BECAUSE OF A 7 X 57 MM BULLET SHOT BY A TABOR OF REGULARES SNIPER AND THAT CAPA DIDN´T USE ANY TRICK, MONTAGE WITH TRIPOD OR RUSE OF ANY KIND, AND ABOVE ALL, THAT THE FALLING SOLDIER DIDN´T GET UP AGAIN AS SOME PEOPLE ARE STATING.

This second falling soldier (not instantly killed as the first Falling Soldier, but very seriously
injured on the wheat covered ground of the slope) appearing in page 84, is the same militiaman than the one whose corpse holding his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 Model depicted in the last picture of the Falling Soldier series, recently known to the public thanks to the ICP, because it is one of the photographs displayed in the great itinerant exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at Work which will be held in Barcelona between July 7th and September 24th 2009.

- Page 85: The corpse of the second militiaman shot holding his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 Model. There isn´t any doubt: he is the same man than the militiaman of page 84, identical gun, identical rectangular leather ammunition poaches, identical trousers, the same white slippers, identical right turned up sleeve - this can be seen paying top attention or using a magnifying glass on the middle of the shadow projected by the corpse of this militiaman over the buttock of his Mosquetón Mauser 1916 Model where we can see the inert right arm lying on the wheat covered ground of the slope lower than the point where this man was really shot.

For more information on this picture, please read the comments relative to 35 mm contact number 881.

- Page 67: 35 mm contact Number 874 Second image of the fifth strip of negatives in the page.
Underexposed picture. There are four militiamen with one knee on the ground of the wheat covered slope, on a different spot of it compared to the vast majority of other photographs of the series. We can discern the Andalusian militiaman with big straw hat - seconf from the left- appearing in other pictures - and the militiaman using a metal helmet - first from the right - also appearing in other photographs.

Capa takes the image from behind the milititiamen, being diagonally on their left. The luminic conditions have changed, mainly because of the different direction of the light compared to the rest of images of the series, with presence of some backlighted context which renders the picture underexposed because very probably both Capa and Gerda Taro set a combination of aperture and shutter speed measuring light with a Weston 650 Photronic exposure meter before making the series, and from that moment on, both of them worked with the same setting, because to priority was to take as many pictures as possible of the militiamen. Though it could seem other way on seeing some of the pictures, everything happened very quickly, probably not more than between 20 minutes and one hour, so Robert Capa and Gerda Taro had to work very fast, moving quickly in different directions and paying top attention to what the militiamen did either at will or following one or two commanding men exhorting them from time to time.

I´m persuaded that neither Capa nor Taro gave any order to the militiamen, simply because they didn´t need it. If they had given instructions to the militiamen, one by one, to put each one on a position, or merely telling them rougly what to do, things would have been highly delayed. Besides, that was not Capa and Taro´s style of working, and we mustn´t forget that Capa and Taro had been in Spain since the beginning of August 1936. Capa could speak Hungarian, German and some French, while Gerda Taro could speak Polish, German and French. Therefore, neither of them could speak Spanish. How would have they been able to give instructions to the militiamen to pose?

Simply, Capa and Taro were there and did their best to capture the best possible images they could, striving after adapting to the circumnstances.

All the series of images taken on the wheat covered slope suggests that there were at least two persons, one of them perhaps being a Republican officer and another one maybe an anarchist militiaman with some power over the rest that exerted pressure at every moment and hastily exhorted the militiamen to adopt different attitudes, fulfill various manoeuvres and simulating of attacking, running downwards, running upwards, jumping on the trench, pretending to be aiming at really non existing Francoist troops attacking them, simulating opening fire with their rifles from inside the trench, etc, in order that Capa and Taro made pictures of them.

And evidently, the militiamen were very happy and yearning after making all kind of movements and manoeuvres to accomplish it, because they were overjoyed and highly infused with revolutionary spirit, to such an extent that sometimes they make a kind of childish actions, as happens in some photographs.

- Horizontal picture made by Robert Capa in which we see the militiaman wearing a metal helmet filling a great percentage of the 35 mm negative while he is inside the trench, holding his Mauser 1893 Model rifle with his left hand, at the same time pretending to be cocking the bolt again with his right hand to load the gun with a new bullet.

Capa has captured the militiaman just at the moment in which he is looking at the bolt, moving his right hand, whose motion is rendered by the blurred aspect of the area stretching from his right elbow to the fingers of his right hand, along with the hanging rifle leather transport strap portion nearest to his chest.

The leather ammunition boxes for 7 x 57 mm cartridges are visible on the lower left area of the image.

Also occuping their posts inside the trench, we can glimpse in the background the Andalusian militiaman wearing a big straw hat with the inscription U.H.P (Union of Proletarian Brothers)
and a further militiaman of whom we can only discern the forehead and a dark cap with the CNT inscription embroidered.

This photograph doesn´t appear in the ICP/STEIDL catalogue book, but has been part of the This is War! Robert Capa at Work exhibition which has been held since 2007 in New York, London, Milan and Barcelona.

- Horizontal picture made by Robert Capa. Underexposed picture. We can see a militiaman lying on the ground, his legs being fairly separated, his left arm stretched in a 45º position, and half of his Mauser rifle resting on his neck.

This is a somewhat childish and naive context, because it´s very apparent that the gun has been put between three stones (two bigs and another smaller one) to attain the equilibrium necessary for the rifle resting with the trigger area upwards, something highly unnatural and evident (after departing from the stones, the rifle doesn´t touch the ground at any moment). The buttock supporting rocks are exceeddingly visible for any person watching the picture.

It is utterly impossible that Robert Capa or Gerda Taro have intentionally put the rifle this way crossed on the militiaman man with the aim of faking his death, because they´re not idiot and any future observer of the image would realize the presence of the rocks supporting the rifle buttock in a very odd balance with its trigger area upwards.

It´s not easy to ascertain with 100% accuracy what happened in this such a naive context: whether the militiaman, fooling around, decided on its own to lie on the ground and simulate his own death, trying to add drama crossing the gun on his body in such a striking way, or if more probably one of the at least two men with command (one of them being a Republican officer and the other one probably an anarchist man with power over the militiamen) present at every moment while Capa and Taro made the pictures (and exerting pressure also on them in spite of being working as photographers with an official Republican press pass) urged the militiaman to lie on the ground and then put the rifle crossed on his neck this way.

It could also be perhaps that the militiaman is simply resting on the ground and has put his rifle crossed on his body this way to prevent the entrance of sand inside the barrel of his Mauser rifle (instead of the usual thing which would be to put the gun on the ground near his body), a very valuable weapon then, and Capa simply takes him the picture on watching him.

In any case, what is completely sure is that neither Robert Capa or Gerda Taro have given instruction to this militiaman to fake to simulate to be dead, and of course, neither Capa or Taro have put the rifle crossed in such a queer way on the lying militiaman, because it would be very apparent, as indeed it is for any future observer.

Robert Capa was there and took as many pictures as he could, because that was the priority, but what Capa captures with his camera stems from either the will of the lying militiaman lying on the ground immersed in a kind of revolutionary spree and trying to be the main character of events making "different things", with the gun perhaps having been been put supported by the rocks and crossed on his neck by a comrade, or one of the quoted men with power present at every moment gave the instruction in that respect.

Needless to say that the lying militiaman with the gun crossed on his neck is alive.

Definitely, Robert Capa and Gerda Taro didn´t give instructions to this militiaman to make things, and the same applies to the rest of pictures of the Falling Soldier series which they took on the wheat covered slope.

What happened was a kind of revolutionary binge in which sometimes the militiamen made things at will trying to do different things to appear the best possible in the pictures two foreign photographers were taking of them (fostered by the very high expectation and emotion they felt), and other times they were pressed to perform various dynamic manoeuvres in full motion and static postures alike.

In my opinion, when analysing what Robert Capa and Gerda Taro made in Espejo and Cerro Muriano in September 1936, it´s very important to bear in mind the context, because at this starting stage of the Spanish Civil war, vast majority of Republican combatants were anarchists belonging to C.N.T and F.A.I, encompassing working men like peasants, masons, cobblers, textile workers, print workers, mill workers, harvesters, day laborers, etc, common people belonging to very different occupations and then submitted to terrible laboral conditions which made them working between 12 and 18 hours a day to be able to survive and feed their children.

However curious or strange it may seem, this very apparent naiveté of this picture taken in the outskirsts of Espejo village, doesn´t indicate at all any fraud by Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, but something very different: a huge drama and foreboding of death, because when Capa is taking this photograph everything is party, overjoy, overconfidence and revolutionary spree of a lot of militiamen making all kind of movements, manoeuvres, jumpings, simulating of shooting, simulating of running upwards against non existing enemy, etc, including some highly naive actions epitomized by this picture.

But many of these men greatly lacking any military instruction and handle of weapons, will have to fight within less than three weeks between September 22 and 25 1936 defending Espejo against the feared Tabor of Regulares of Melilla (under the command of major Baturone) and the Squadron of Regulares of Melilla (under the command of major Sagrado), in 1936 the best infantry in the world together with the legionnaries.

There´s a high probability that a lot of the militiamen appearing in Capa and Taro´s pictures were killed during the battle for Espejo village between September 22-25 1936, specially in the Cota 380 and the village itself, when in spite of the brilliant defence by the famous Republican major Pérez Salas, he was bound to order retreat when the highly experienced Moroccan men of the Tabor and Squadron of Regulares managed to finally fulfill the encircling manoeuvre, overwhelming the Republican artillery attacking from the northwest and wiping out the last Republican defenders inside the castle.

Therefore, in spite of the accusations of fraud and statements of some people saying that Capa and Taro´s pictures are not authetic, in my viewpoint simply that´s not true, in my viewpoint neither of the two photographers gave any order or instruction to the militiamen to fake anything, and these pictures are a real treasure which we have been able to relish mainly thanks to the last efforts by Cornell Capa and Richard Whelan before dying, searching for all available pictures existing in the ICP, which enabled the edition of the formidable ICP / STEIDL catalogue book This is War! Robert Capa at Work.

The wide range of movements, manoeuvres and positions adopted by the militiamen highly suggest that now and then there was at least a commanding officer or anarchist man with certain powers and featuring combat experience giving orders to the militiamen.

In my viewpoint, high chances are that the man in around his fifties, clad in white fatigue clothes
and wearing an army cap with eye shade and a little darl leather strap buckle on its front, is an officer or has a commanding post. He appears in some of the pictures, taking part in the "action" as a one more militiaman. But it´s clear that he has more power than the militiamen.
He appears in two photographs made by Gerda Taro: one with five militiamen on his left going up the wheat covered slope (the second one from the left being the Falling Soldier) while he is on the right of the image, giving orders and encouraging the militiamen for the "combat"; another one in which twelve militiamen are climbing up top of the slope running while he is walking approximately in the middle of them, one more in which this man appears inside the trench aiming his Mauser 1893 Model rifle (with the head of the firing pin hidden, so it can´t strike any cartridge) against really non existing attacking Francoist troops, and a further one in which this man (on the right of the image) is with four militiamen, with one knee on the ground simulating to aim against non existing Francoist troops with their rifles, while in the background we can see the Cortijo de Casalilla and Los Molinos del Campo (three old oil mills) and the Sierras of Cabra and Montilla in the background.

- Horizontal picture made by Robert Capa, very similar to the Page 67 black and white 35 mm contact number 31 of the ICP/STEIDL catalogue book, with the same militiaman as main character.
Now, this man is also holding his Mauser 1893 Model rifle with his left hand, but instead of grabbing the gun on its buttock front and trigger area simulating to be aiming at really non existent enemy forces and about to open fire, in this image he appears pretending to cock again the bolt of his rifle - horizontally stretched on the border of the trench almost touching the ground- with his right hand rendered slightly blurred because of the movement and the very low sensitivity of the film - probably equivalent to modern iso 32-40, though then there wasn´t iso, asa, or din but only Weston scale- which usually made necessary to use low and very low shutter speeds to be able to take the picture.

This militiaman is wearing dark fatigues clothes and cap with the CNT initials embroidered on it.
In the background we can see the head and right shoulder of The Falling Soldier (whose dark cap also bears the CNT initial letters embroidered on it, with the tassel having been knotted on top of the cap to prevent it from falling on the forehead hiding any part of it) simulating to be watching really non existing enemy forces hypothetically attacking them from the right of outside the image. But he´s holding his Mauser 1893 Model rifle in an excessively elevated position, because he doesn´t want to be concealed by the militiaman in the foreground. That´s why he raises his rifle elevated trying to make it visible over the foreground militiaman´s gun and at the same time keeps his head too far from the sight of his Mauser rifle to be really aiming at attacking Francoist forces, because he yearns for his face appearing in the picture too.

Meanwhile, in the far background, we can see approximately two thirds of the Mauser rifle of a third militiaman also simulating to aim or opening fire against really non existing enemy forces. Though this third militiaman is out of image, his gun is aiming at the right of the frame, protruding excessively over the border of the trench, so offering an easy target on head and chest.

It´s clear that no actual combat whatsoever is taking place while Capa takes this photograph.

This photograph doesn´t appear in the ICP/STEIDL catalogue book, but has been part of the This is War! Robert Capa at Work exhibition which has been held since 2007 in New York, London, Milan and Barcelona.

- Square format picture made by Gerda Taro with his Rolleiflex Standard 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 (6 x 6 cm) binocular camera. This is in my viewpoint a very interesting image in which Gerda Taro strives after getting a photograph with impact, from a very low angle, with one knee on the ground, crouching to great extent and focusing on the Andalusian militiaman wearing a big straw hat, who is on the lower left area of the frame, simulating to cock again the bolt of his rifle to load a new 7 x 57 mm bullet while he also pretends to be looking at really non existing Francoist attacking forces.

Gerda Taro has very probably taken the image with the Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 7, 5 cm f/3.8 Rolleiflex K2 Model 622 at full f/3.8 aperture, which gets less field depth than the same f stop in 35 mm format. That´s why all the wheat spikes, both the nearest and the farthest ones, have been rendered out of focus, in the same way as the rifles and heads of two more militiamen we can glimpse in the background (the third one being the man in around his fifties, clad in white fatigue clothes and wearing an army cap with eye shade and a little dark leather strap buckle on its front, being an officer or having some power over the militiamen).

This photograph doesn´t appear in the ICP/STEIDL catalogue book, but has been a part of the This is War! Robert Capa at Work exhibition which has been held since 2007 in New York, London, Milan and Barcelona.

- Picture in which we can see a Republican militiaman dressed in dark clothes fatigues and cap, grabbing a Mauser rifle with both hands and running down slightly bent (trying to give real combat effect, because in an actual action against the enemy running downwards the soldiers usually bend their bodies to the maximum to offer less target to the enemy) the wheat covered slope towards the right of the frame, while another Republican militiaman (only partially seen, wearing clear clothes, black leather cartridge poaches and a Mauser rifle) on his left is also running down the slope even more bent than the militiaman wearing dark attire and with his bolt rifle grabbed in inverse position with both the rifle gunstock and the sling inadvertently pointing upwards because of the revolutionary overexcitement and euphoria of the militiaman, along with a strong yearning for simulating a downward attack against enemy forces, in the same way as his companion, without realizing that he is being greatly concealed by his comrade´s body on the right.

So, there isn´t any real combat against Francoist troops at this moment.

On the other hand, when Capa makes this picture, there is a third Republican militiaman running downwards behind the two ones we see in the photograph. The barrel tip and sight of the Mauser 1893 model 7 x 57 mm rifle of this third militiaman not visible in the image (but running behind the two militiamen observable in the picture) appear on top left of the image.

I´m persuaded that this picture is the one preceding the famous Falling Soldier photograph (instant death and quick fall backwards by a high velocity 7 x 57 mm caliber Mauser 1893 bullet piercing his heart at a speed of around 730 m / sec) and the following one of a second different Republican militiaman (who appears on the ground because of the impact of a second 7 x 57 mm bullet fired by the same Moroccan Tabor of Regulares sniper) mortally wounded but still alive, agonizing and in a very forced posture with the point of his Mosquetón Mauser rifle - which he holds with his right hand in a very cumbersome way- pointing backwards brought about by the fight of the organism to avoid it.

This picture appears on page 7 of Regards magazine September 24th 1936, and proves that there were at least three more Republican militiamen running down the slope with Mauser rifles on more or less the same area where The Falling Soldier and and the following one tumble down, with Capa making them pictures being a little ahead and laterally.

Because of the clouds evolution in the background, there are some experts guessing that some seconds or few minutes elapse between each of the three pictures. In my viewpoint, this is something very difficult to ascertain accurately, since the quality of these pictures - specially the Falling Soldier one and the one appearing on Regards magazine- is low, but in any case, it seems clear that these previous three militiamen running down the same stretch of slope than the Falling Soldier and the following one very badly injured on the ground, haven´t received previous instructions to intentionally fall backwards faking death.

I do state this, because there have been people stating that Capa gave instructions to some militiamen to fall backwards faking death, and among the pictures made this way, he chose the most realistic one.

Sincerely, I don´t think things happened that way, and this picture on page 7 of Regards magazine September 24th 1936 proves that the five soldiers.

Besides, unlike the Falling Soldier picture and the following one depicting a very badly injured militiaman on the ground, both of them falling on very near points ( not exactly 100% the same point as some people have said for years, apart from the fact that the Falling Soldier is beginning
to fall backwards and the following militiaman is already on the ground, so whatever it may be,
there´s some guessing regarding the theory of identical 100% point of contact with the ground
after the fall of both militiamen (respectively the fourth and fifth militiamen crossing that stretch of the slope running down, though there´s also the high possibility defended by forensic expert captain Robert Franks of Memphis that the Falling Soldier stopped near Capa trying to appear as good as possible in the picture, when suddenly the unxepected shot on his chest by a sniper killed him).

And the blurred right foot and slipper of the militiaman in the foreground of this picture appearing on Regards magazine, along with the out of focus appearing of the right part of his trousers is very different to the aspect of his left slipper, ankle and visible left part of his trouser.

Very clearly, this is not a posing. The man is in motion, running down, simulating to advance against really not existing Francoist troops attacking.

Bearing in mind that both the famous Falling Soldier and the next one fall near the area where
the three previous militiamen run down the same stretch of wheat covered slope, I don´t see any evidence to prove any faking regarding the quoted three militiamen appearing in Regards magazine, and the same applies to the Falling Soldier and the next one.

- Square format picture made by Gerda Taro. We can see five militiamen crouched with one knee on the ground of the wheat covered slope while they go up to its top.

It´s absolutely evident that there isn´t any real combat in this picture, because the nearest man to the camera is looking at the sky with left direction, the second one nearest to the camera has his head turned on the right while holds his rifle vertically leaning its buttock on the ground, the man on top right is also looking at the right, the Falling Soldier (the man on top left) is highly bent forward looking at the right and the man just by him holding his rifle vertically with its buttock leaned on the ground is looking slightly at his left in the direction of the Falling Soldier´s head, while on the right background beyond the wheat spikes, we can glimpse the cap of another militiaman which is already on top.

The shadows in this picture are important, because they indicate that the picture was taken approximately between 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning. This would be an important piece of information, because Capa and Taro were on an official press car making their travels, so if they made the pictures in Espejo approximately between 8:30 and 9:30, they could have travelled then by car following north direction from Espejo to Cerro Muriano in around 45 minutes to go on making photographs.

The original 2 1/4 inches square (6 x 6 cm) negative has been in my viewpoint strongly attacked
by fungi with the elapse of time.

This photograph doesn´t appear in the ICP/STEIDL catalogue book, but has been a part of the This is War! Robert Capa at War exhibition which has been held since 2007 in New York, London, Milan and Barcelona.

- Square format picture made by Gerda Taro. We can see eleven militiamen running on top of the wheat covered slope after having reached it going upwrads simulating to attack really non existing Francoist troops on the crest. Some of the militiamen bend forward, pretending to try offering less target to the enemy.

It´s very interesting to realize that the aforementioned Republican officer or mature man with some power over the militiamen wearing white clothes and an army cap with eye shade and a little dark leather strap buckle on its front is the fifth from the left and is not running any way,
but clearly walking, captured by Gerda Taro with her Rolleiflex while he is advancing his right
leg forward.

- Square format picture made by Gerda Taro. We can see five militiamen in a descending left right diagonal on the slope, crouched with both knees on the ground and simulating to be aiming or shooting against really non existing Francoist troops, the only exception being the man most on the right who is looking at his Mauser rifle pretending to be cocking again the bolt to load a new bullet.

lunes 15 de junio de 2009

ROBERT CAPA IN CERRO MURIANO: THE DAY IN WHICH REALITY SURPASSED IMAGINATION (8TH Part):

PUERTO ESCANDÓN, THE PLACE WHERE E. BORRELL FENOLLAR, TAÍNO´S COMRADE ON SEPTEMBER 5TH 1936, WROTE HIS OBITUARY IN 1937.
72 YEARS AFTER.

Text and Photos: José Manuel Serrano Esparza (LHSA)

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza

ROBERT CAPA IN CERRO MURIANO: THE DAY IN WHICH REALITY SURPASSED IMAGINATION (7th Part):

Ruta Confederal October 23rd 1937 newspaper, an important discovery made by Miguel Pascual Mira

By José Manuel Serrano Esparza. LHSA

Though it doesn´t affect at all the authenticity of Robert Capa´s Falling Soldier photograph and the real death of a Republican militiaman, both of them utterly proved, there´s an important discovery made by Miguel Pascual Mira, a historian from Alcoi (Alicante), who found an obituary written by Enrique Borrell Fenollar in remembrance of Federico Borrell García (his comrade militiaman during Cerro Muriano area battle on September 5th 1936) in Puerto Escandón (Teruel) and published in one page of the Alcoi anarchist journal Ruta Confederal number 13 of October 23rd 1937, one year and thirty eight days after the death of Federico Borrell García:

FROM MY DIARY
The comrade Federico Borrell
" TAÍNO "

It was last year. A day of September, in the afternoon, when the people in arms fought for their freedom on the trenches, after having quelled the traitorous military in the cities.

The Alcoy square of the Republic swarmed with people. The whole people en masse, melt with the same hope - to crush the fascism - went out to bid farewell to a handful of libertarian youngsters; new "crusaders" whom the imperative of the moment impelled to fight for the Justice, new "galley slaves" that with their chests stuffed with revolutionary zeal came out to struggle for the Freedom of the people and to tear away the beautiful Andalusian capital of Córdoba from the talons of cruel fascism.

The sword of Damocles already dangled on some of the comrades.

Running lorries, antifascist cries, leave-takings from relatives, raising fists and most of the multitude with their hands interweaved conveyed the scene an impressive colour. It was the people´s waking up after a long slavery lethargy, and in their revolutionary rouse from sleep they broke the chains linking them to an opprobrious and denigratory past.

I still remember him: haughty, long haired and dark, with his eyes refulging with revolutionary faith, transmitting all of us his characteristic good mood, Federico Borrell, known as the "Taíno" for his closest friends, went with us.

His good temper was what entertained the boring hours of the trip. Quickly, we went on getting into the heart of the rebel Andalucia, leaving behind us, as a liberating trail, some villages already freed from the fascist tyranny, which for some days had felt on their backs the hard boot of the rebel generals.

At dawn of September 5th 1936, we arrived at Cerro Muriano, a little village located a few kilometers from Córdoba and a stronghold of the proletarian Spain where the red and black colours waved proudly.

At two o´clock in the afternoon the Fascist attack on our positions began. Great numbers of mercenary troops attacked our trenches. So, there was the paradoxical case of watching both the Moor turbant and the tricornio of the Guardia Civil.

It was four o´clock in the afternoon when the comrade Taíno died. As a cinematographic version, those moments I lived will be everlasting pass before me.

It was necessary to cover a flank through which the mercenary troops were attacking with more boldness. It was urgent to be in action fast.

The comrade Taíno, heading a group of militiamen, haranguing them with his words and setting an example with facts, went on ahead grabbing his rifle with firm hand unraffled pulse.

The enemy was near. I still see him (Federico Borrell) protecting himself behind a tree, with a smile in his mouth, shooting with calmness and promptness against the mercenary soldiers assaulting us.

In the biggest din of combat, when he was more necessary because of his stamina and resolve, an enemy bullet cut short his life in the prime of his youth, straightly piercing his heart. Without a groan or pain cry, the fascism snatched away one of the best militants of the libertarian movement from us. I still see him lying on the ground behind the tree which sheltered him, with his tousled hair on his face and a blood trickle sprouting from his mouth. Even after being dead, he clutched with his hand the rifle that so many hopes of Freedom had made him conceive!

Rest in peace, comrade Taíno!

Your comrades have known how to avenge you. For each killed antifascist, a thousand of the traitors have fallen.

We promised you, comrade Taíno, that your noble life immolated in the holocaust of Liberty - in the same way as so many others - won´t be fruitless. Your red blood spilled for the Social Justice will be the torch lighting its emancipation way to the world!

We solemnly promise you, comrade Taíno, that the battalion bearing your name will not stop its fighting until seeing the Freedom flag waving through the whole Spain!

E. Borrell Fenollar
Puerto Escandón.

The historian Miguel Pascual Mira, an authority on thirties decade and the Spanish Civil War in Alcoi, in a photograph during seventies.

The only original Spanish language existing sample of this Ruta Confederal newspaper is currently in the Municipal Archive of Alcoi, whose director is José Luis Santonja Cardona,
- University of Alicante Ph. D in History, author of "Church and Society in a Valencian
village Alcoi 1300-1845" (1998), "Teaching and Educative Reform in Alcoi and Ibi during
XVIII Century" (2002), "De Vita Regulari: The Augustinian monks in the XVIII Century Alcoi" (1991), a remarkable scholar on university reform during caroline period, Latinity Study, educative reform in local schools, etc- and there isn´t any doubt about the authenticity of the newspaper and the letter sent by E. Borrell Fenollar from Puerto Escandón (Teruel province) to be published in this anarchist newspaper which appears in the documentary film Los Héroes Nunca Mueren directed by Jan Arnold, when Miguel Pascual Mira browses some binded samples of Ruta Confederal journal until reaching the front page of the quoted number 13 with the drawing titled The Bat of the Crime on the right of it.

The text made by E. Borrell Fenollar remembering his comrade Federico Borrell García is important because of a number of reasons, as we´ll see later.

Frontpage of ¡Milicianos! Taíno El Miliciano Olvidado, one of the books
written by Miguel Pascual Mira on the Spanish Civil War in Alcoi and the
famous Alcoi anarchist militiamen.

The first time I saw Miguel Pascual Mira was in 2004, when I watched the great documentary Film Los Héroes Nunca Mueren with Capa´s Falling Soldier picture as epicenter, directed by Jan Arnold and with Francisco Moreno Gómez and Alex Kershaw as main speakers, along with some very old survivors and witnesses (then little children and whose testimony is highly significant) of that historical September 5th 1936 in Cerro Muriano area.

From the first moment, I was really impressed by the tremendous knowledge displayed by Miguel Pascual Mira regarding the anarchist movement in Alcoi during thirties and all kind of
events and personalities related to CNT, FAI, A.I.T, etc, every time he spoke.

He has got all the data inside his head and is able to improvise an in-depth conversation on these topics without needing to read anything. This is only possible after many years of research and hard work, mainly surveying the archives until becoming an authority on Alcoi anarchist movement during thirties decade. Besides, he´s clearly fascinated by the Spanish Civil War history, and he´s the researcher who has been able to gather more information regarding Federico Borrell García biography and his family.

It doesn´t matter at all if Miguel Pascual Mira hasn´t got any doctorate in History or if he didn´t have the opportunity to go to university. There´re alternative ways to reach deep knowledge, specially hard work, motivation and to have lived in the place of events during the whole of his life, which enables him to thoroughly grasp the very special revolutionary atmosphere reigning supreme those days in Alcoi and highly infused in the famous Alcoyanos anarchist Republican militiamen, who were protagonists of some of the most incredible actions during the Spanish Civil war, above all their fierce attack against the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares professional soldiers of Sáenz of Buruaga´s column when the latter started their onslaught trying to capture Las Malagueñas hill Republican positions inclusing the headquarters in La Casa de Las Malagueñas mansion.

Mainly thanks to the Alcoyanos bravely fighting against the best infantry in the world then (together with the Spanish Legion), the Republican forces on Las Malagueñas hill were able to endure for around 12 hours the steady assault attempts made by Tabor of Regulares men.

Miguel Pascual Mira is probably the most important expert in the world regarding anarchism
in Alcoi during thirties and the Spanish Civil War in this city, as proved by his remarkable book
Horas Robadas, published in 1993, a narration based on the Spanish Civil War in Alcoi, with a total of 463 pages, 216 of them being text and the rest authentic pictures of that period and all
kind of documents and ¡Milicianos!. If we add to this the huge quantity of information, pictures,
documents, etc, found by him through a lot of years of private research, there´s no doubt that he
has become a world class authority on thirties decade and the Spanish Civil War in Alcoi.

Los Héroes Nunca Mueren, the best documentary film made till now on the
most famous photograph made by Robert Capa and the events that took place
in Cerro Muriano area on September 5th 1936.

In this documentary film, the historian of the Spanish Civil War Miguel Pascual
Mira analyzes in depth the context which brought about the march of the
anarchist militiamen from Alcoi (one of them being Federico Borrell García)
to Cerro Muriano, and shows four very important documents: the number 13 of
the anarchist magazine Ruta Confederal dated October 23rd 1937 including
the obituary letter written by Enrique Borrell García in remembrance of his
comrade Taíno, where he explains the circumstances of his death in Las
Malagueñas hill on September 5th 1936; a list of the Alcoi Committee of Militias
dated September 5th 1936 with the militiamen who must be paid their salaries,
Taíno being amongst them; another list of the Alcoi Committee of Militias dated
September 12th 1936, where the Taíno dones´t appear any more; and a last
list of casualties of the Alcoi Committe of Militias dated November 17th 1936
including fifteen militiamen from Alcoi killed or missing in combat, with the names,
surnames and address of each one in Alcoi, in which Federico Borrell García
appears in eighth position.

In the quoted documentary film Los Héroes Nunca Mueren (Suevia Films), there are some moments in which the historian Miguel Pascual Mira appears (both inside the Alcoi archive
- one of the best of Spain on the Spanish Civil War- and with the teacher and also historian
from Alcoi Angel Beneito Lloris - Ph. D in History, Head of Studies of the IES Andreu Sempere and member of the Centre Alcoiá d´Estudis Històrics i Arqueològics, author of the excellent book El Hospital Sueco Noruego de Alcoi durante la Guerra Civil Española, Alfa Ediciones Gráficas, Alcoi 2004-) speaking on a vast array of subjects related to anarchism in Alcoi during thirties and specially during the Spanish Civil War, explaining how the CNT was the strongest force in Alcoi and since the Spanish Republic, the very radicali-zation of the conflicts provokes that the most exalted elements are among the ruling leaders, the differences of classes are great and things become more and more violent. Even, the CNT has in Alcoi a Center of Social Studies as a kind of social laboratory including libertarian youngsters and members of the FAI.

SIGNIFICANCE OF E. BORREL FENOLLAR OBITUARY REMEMBERING FEDERICO BORRELL IN RUTA CONFEDERAL NEWSPAPER
In spite of not affecting the totally proved authenticity of Capa´s most famous picture and the
real death of the man appearing in it because of a 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet piercing his heart in the wheat covered slope between 9:30 and 10:30 in the morning of that September day of 1936 (together with a second authentic picture made by Capa some seconds after the most famous militiaman and showing another shot militiaman not dying instantly but very seriously injured - who would probably die within some minutes-), the text discovered by Miguel Pascual Mira and written by E. Borrell García in Puerto Escandón and published in the number 13 of October 23rd 1937 of the anarchist newspaper Ruta Confederal is very important, because of three main reasons:

a) There´s a high probability that it means that the man appearing in the famous Capa´s Falling Soldier photograph is not Federico Borrell García, and perhaps there was an identification error by his relatives (his brother Evaristo Borrell García´s widow and his niece Empar Borrell) in 1996 when Mario Brotons Jordá showed them Robert Capa´s most famous picture.

The Falling Soldier picture was not made in the afternoon of September 5th 1936 in Las Malagueñas hill, but between 9:30 h and 10:30 h in the morning in Cerro de La Coja, a place approximately two kilometres from Las Malagueñas hill in north direction.

In these respect, there have been some people stating that the Falling Soldier picture was taken in "Cerro de La Coja (Las Malagueñas hill)", as if Cerro de La Coja was inside Las Malagueñas hill.

That´s completely false. One thing is Cerro de La Coja -on the east outskirts of Cerro Muriano village- and another one is Las Malagueñas hill. They are two utterly different places, around two kilometers from each other, and the landscape and vegetation are not similar at all, the main distinctive factor - among many others- being the highly lavish profusion of oak trees everywhere in Las Malagueñas hill.

Enrique Borrell Fenollar makes an accurate description on how he saw Federico Borrell García die in one spot of Las Malagueñas hill around four o´clock in the afternoon of September 5th 1936.

And evidently, his report of Federico Borrell death is very different from the circumstances appearing in the famous Falling Soldier photograph made by Robert Capa, so I think that for any reason there was maybe an identification error by Evaristo Borrell García´s (Federico Borrell´s brother) widow and Empar Borrell (Federico Borrell´s niece) in 1996.

Obviously, the logical thing was to think that the most suitable persons to identify a dead man are his living relatives, but sometimes these things happen, and if there was an identification error by Federico Borrell´s relatives, neither Robert Capa, Magnum Agency or ICP are guilty of anything in this respect.

Sometimes these things happen, including the resemblance of Federico Borrell García with the man appearing in the most famous picture made by Robert Capa, though it´s also true that the Falling Soldier seems to be a man in his thirties while Federico Borrell García, born in Benilloba (Alicante) in 1912, was 24 years old in 1936.

Indeed, truth is that immense majority of researchers who have investigated this picture thought that Federico Borrell´s relatives had correctly identified him in Capa´s picture, and they expressed it with high conviction.

But in my viewpoint, the description of the death of Federico Borrell García made by E. Borrell Fenollar highly makes sense: Las Malagueñas hill area is full of oak trees (this aspect is also mentioned by Clemente Cimorra in his article written for La Voz newspaper analyzed in http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2009/05/robert-capa-in-cerro-muriano-day-in_15.html) and E. Borrell Fenollar assures having seen Federico Borrell die because of an enemy bullet on his heart while he was sheltering behind a tree and also states remembering him lying already dead on the ground behind the quoted tree (undoubtedly an oak tree) with his tousled hair on his face and a blood trickle sprouting from his mouth.

Los Héroes Nunca Mueren, a great documentary film directed by Jan Arnold,
in which appear and speak a lot of experts in the topic and war photojournalists,
including:
- Alex Kershaw: Robert Capa biographer.
- Francisco Moreno Gómez: World top authority on the Spanish Civil War in
Córdoba province.
- Bruno Arnold: War photographer since 1956.
- Gervasio Sánchez: War photographer since 1982.
- Horst Faas: War photographer since 1960.
- Federico Mayor Zaragoza: General Director of the UNESCO between 1987 and
1999, Ministry of Education and Science (1981-82), Cofounder of the Severo
Ochoa Center of Molecular Biology of the Autónoma University of Madrid and
the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Complutense University of
Madrid Ph. D in Pharmacy (1958), Professor of Biochemistry of Pharmacy Faculty
at Granada University (1963), Rector of Granada University between 1968 and
1972, Professor of Pharmacy at Autónoma University of Madrid in 1973.
- Alfonso Bañó Morte, a friend of Federico Borrell García, who worked with him
during thirties in the textile factory of El Molinar, in Alcoi, a frequent meeting point of
anarchists then.
- Vicente Segura Vallés, friend of Alfonso Bañó Morte and Federico Borrell García.
He worked with them in the textile factory of El Molinar, in Alcoi, during thirties.
The words by these old anarchists in their eighties needing sticks to be able to walk
are highly revealing to understand the context during the Spanish Civil War.
- A lot of witnesses and survivors of the events, then little children, who were in
Cerro Muriano on September 5th 1936, and whose testimony is very valuable,
because there are very few people living currently who were in the place of events
the day Capa took

So, the famous Falling Soldier Republican militiaman photographed by Robert Capa in the wheat covered slope between 9:30 and 10:30 h in that morning of September 1936, really killed by a 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet piercing his heart and shot by a Tabor of Regulares sniper from a distance of around 400 meters (there isn´t any doubt in this respect and this point, the most important of all, has been utterly proved and of course the militiaman appearing in Capa´s most famous picture didn´t get up again) wouldn´t be Federico Borrell García, because both the hour of death (four o´clock in the afternoon) and the circumstances of it (being behind a tree when he was killed by an enemy bullet).

Perhaps there was an identification error by Federico Borrell´s relatives. I studied painstakingly Las Malagueñas hill in late nineties, and The Falling Soldier picture was not made in Las Malagueñas hill in the afternoon. It was made between 9:30 and 10:30 h in the utterly deprived of trees and wheat covered slope appearing in the famous picture, which hasn´t anything to do with the Malagueñas hill landscape.

On the other hand, E. Borrell Fenollar description of the type of combat coincides with the
circumstances of the fight between the Republican militiamen defending Las Malagueñas hill
(including the important Casa de Las Malagueñas Republican headquarters in the area) and the feared Moroccan Tabor of Regulares enemy soldiers attacking them.

During a high percentage of September 5th 1936, the Tabors of Regulares of Sáenz of Buruaga´s columns had great difficulties to implement the encircling manoeuver (very difficult to fulfill, because the fascist attacking troops were inferior in numbers to the Republican ones defending the area, and since the first moments in which The Tabor of Regulares men tried to approach to Las Malagueñas hill after having left behind the Old Foundry and Washeries of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd, they were attacked by Republican forces, specially by the mythical Alcoyanos, which forced them to stay fixed defensively in their positions, being bound to advance meter by meter. Both the professional and ruthless Tabor of Regulares men and the Alcoi militiamen engaged in a tremendous fight which lasted a lot of hours, an authentic rain of bullets between both sides, with the Tabor of Regulares men getting meter by meter into the nearby ravines trying to kill the Republican defenders of Las Malagueñas hill by means of long and medium distance Mauser 7 x 97 mm shots on heart and head, and the Republican militiamen and loyal officers sheltering themselves behind the very abundant oaks, mainly harassing them and opening fire against them.

This brought about a kind of protracted stalemate with the Alcoyanos anarchist militiamen, the Battalion Pedroches of Pozoblanco, the Battalion Terrible of Peñarroya and some forces of Villaviciosa enduring the main Tabors of Regulares attack on Las Malagueñas with north-south direction trying the encircling manoeuvre, while a high percentage of the other Republican units defending Las Malagueñas (loyalist officers from Cartagena, artillery from Murcia, machine guns from Manresa, Battalion Garcés from Villanueva of Córdoba, militiamen from Jaén, etc) faced the central Francoist column under the command of Major Alvarez Rementería (whose march axis, after having departed from Córdoba city, had been the Córdoba-Almadén road, with a night gathering point in its km 4) with 300 Falangists and a section of the engineers company attacking frontally Las Malagueñas hill with south-north direction, and whose final target was the capture of the Casa de Las Malagueñas, though because of the very stubborn Republican defense it would be finally captured by the Tábor of regulares men at approximately 22:00 h in the night of September 5th 1936.

In any case, the two really most important things in this story are the authenticity of the picture, that Capa didn´t use any trick, and that the man appearing in the Falling Soldier picture was really killed. And of course, he didn´t get up again as some people have said or suggested.

I deem that Richard Whelan was right when he said that some people, because of different reasons, are attaching too much importance to the identity of the man in the photograph, because this extraordinary image symbolizes the quintessential Unknown Loyalist Soldier of
the Spanish Civil War and the picture seems to depict the Republican Spain, charging forward
to defend itself and being struck down.

It´s also true that in the page 72 of the superb book This is War! ROBERT CAPA at work published by ICP / STEIDL (a jewel for any top-notch photography enthusiasts, including top-notch pictures made by Capa in Spain, China, D-Day, Germany, etc) and written by Richard Whelan (the best biographer of Capa of all time), there´s a comparison between an enlargement family photograph of Federico Borrell García made around 1936 showing his head and shoulders and another enlargement from the man on the far left of the picture preceding the Falling Soldier in which there are 11 militiamen brandishing rifles and a loyalist officer with his cap, all of them on a trench in the wheat covered slope (the only one of them wearing white clothes), and they have the same high forehead, large ears, heavy eyebrows, downturning lower lip and pronounced jutting chin.

This is a complex topic.

Obviously, to know the identity of the man really killed by an enemy bullet appearing in the Falling Soldier picture made by Capa, along with its exact location, would be important and interesting, but not decisive for the story, because the gist of the topic won´t change: though perhaps this militiaman is not Federico Borrell García, the depicted death is real, a Republican militiaman died instantly because of a 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet piercing his heart and paralysing his vital functions
because of the shock, Robert Capa didn´t use any ruse, and you can be sure: the most famous
Republican militiaman didn´t get up again after having been killed. And those are the most
important and decisive aspects of the Moment of Death photograph made by Robert Capa.

In this regard, the words said by Angel Beneito Lloris in Los Héroes Nunca Mueren documentary film are very important:
" Taíno has been very mythicized, whether he is or not the man appearing in Capa´s famous picture. I think that´s not the matter. I do believe that it´s all about the people who went in the Alcoi column marching to the war. They all were Taínos. They were people wanting to defend their ideas, their liberties that they had managed to attain with great effort and casualties: freedom of expression, freedom of participation, freedom of cult, right of the woman to vote, etc. And they realize that all of this can be in danger because fascism is spreading throughout Europe. They know it and go out to defend their ideals ".

Horas Robadas, a narration based on the Spanish Civil War in Alcoi. Another
very interesting and well documented book written by the historian Miguel Pascual Mira.

b) I´m convinced that E. Borrell Fenollar is one of the Alcoi militiamen who escaped from Las Malagueñas hill together with the Republican high command, Clemente Cimorra, Gerda Taro and other surviving Republican loyalist officers and militiamen, when around 21:00-21:30 h in the night of September 5th 1936 the retreat was decided on realizing that it was impossible to contain the Tabor of Regulares mercenary troops attack and avoid the capture of the Casa de Las Malagueñas Republican headquarters any more.

There´s no doubt now: the Republican forces defending Las Malagueñas had until the last moment an open escape route open towards Cerro Muriano village and Colonel Sáenz of Buruaga´s column had great difficulties to fulfil the encircling manoeuvre during the whole day, not being able to fully 100% accomplish it until approximately 22:00 h in the night of September 5th 1936.

On the other hand, Enrique Borrell Fenollar speaks about enemy Guardia Civil men among the enemy troops attaking them.

He´s right and remembers very well the events: The Republican forces in Las Malagueñas were attacked by the bulk of Colonel Sáenz of Buruaga´s column, which included the Tábor of regulares from Melilla (except one section, and many of them on horse), the squadron of Regulares nº 3 of Ceuta on foot and the squadron of Regulares of Alhucemas also on foot (both of them under the command of major Gerardo Figuerola), the Cádiz Infantry Battalion nº 33, a company of Guardia Civil, and two sections of the mixed company of engineers.

There isn´t any doubt: The knowledge of E. Borrell Fenollar about what happened in Las Malagueñas hill on September 5th 1936 is high and above all first hand. He fought there against the Tabor of Regulares professional soldiers and watched some Guardia Civil men also attacking them. This is a very specific datum.

c) E. Borrell Fenollar also reports about the long trip made by the Columna Alcoyana until arriving at Cerro Muriano area (though a part of it had previously separated going to Espejo).

Gerda Taro and Robert Capa made some pictures of these exhausted Republican militiamen sleeping on the ground (there wasn´t any other place available for them) and neither of the two foreign photographers ordered them to lie on the terrain to fake that they had been killed by enemy bullets. Both photographers simply took the pictures, along with other photographs in which other overenjoyed and highly spirited militiamen, imbued with high doses of enthusiasm, made all kind of movements, drills, runs, simulating of firing, simulating going against the enemy, etc, on the trench and wheat covered slope. Such was the expectation raised among the militiamen by Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, not only as photographers, but also as foreigners, that there´s no doubt that the Republican militiamen on the wheat covered slope that day (Robert Capa didn´t order them to go there) yearned to be photographed. Capa and Taro simply took the pictures the best they could and both Capa and Taro moved quickly trying to capture everything, to get different angles, etc, as can be observed in the photographs.

THE IMPORTANT TWO LISTS FOUND BY THE HISTORIAN MIGUEL PASCUAL MIRA
Apart from the important discovery of Enrique Borrell Fenollar obituary in remembrance of his comrade Federico Borrell Taíno killed in Las Malagueñas hill around 16:00 h in the afternoon on September 5th 1936 and published in the number 13 of the Alcoi anarchist journal Ruta Confederal, the historian of the Spanish Civil War Miguel Pascual Mira also states in one of his appearances in Los Héroes Nunca Mueren that currently it´s possible to make a complete list of the Alcoi militiamen who went to Espejo and Cerro Muriano. Even, though Taíno´s death is not officially registered anywhere, he has found two more highly important documents in the Alcoi archive which he shows in the documentary film Los Héroes Nunca Mueren:

a) A September 5th 1936 list of Alcoi militiamen which every comittee of militias handed over to the Revolutionary Committe in order that they were paid their salaries. Federico Borrell García, the "Taíno" is in it, but in the list corresponding to September 12nd 1936 he isn´t, so Miguel Pascual Mira states that he is convinced that there´s no doubt that Federico Borrell García, the "Taíno", died on September 5th 1936, something which is confirmed by E. Borrell Fenollar obituary in the number 13 of Alcoi Ruta Confederal anarchist newspaper.

b) A November 17th 1936 list of fifteen Alcoi militiamen killed or missing in campaign, in order to pay their weekly salaries, in which Federico Borrell García appears in eighth position with the exact address where he lived in Alcoi: Avda 14 Abril, 56. Regarding the other fourteen Alcoi militiamen, comrades of Taíno, there´s the same accuracy: exact name and surnames of each man and the address where they had their abode in Alcoi.

There isn´t any doubt about the authenticity of these two documents which are also inside the Alcoi Municipal Archive.

The historian Miguel Pascual Mira in a recent picture.

domingo 7 de junio de 2009

ROBERT CAPA IN CERRO MURIANO: THE DAY IN WHICH REALITY SURPASSED IMAGINATION (6th Part):

ON THE REST OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF REGARDS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 24TH 1936

By José Manuel Serrano Esparza. LHSA

With respect to the rest of pictures appearing on Regards Magazine of September 24th 1936, there are some very important aspects:

- The photograph appearing on top left of page 7 just over the one analysed in the 5th Part of Robert Capa in Cerro Muriano (depicting a Republican militiaman standing alive, dressed in dark clothes and cap and another one in the background only partially seen and wearing clear garment) with two Republican soldiers lying on the ground, was made before the latter.

It´s very important to bear this in mind, because there have been some people saying that "Capa made this picture after the one occupying the middle left of page 7, ordering the militiamen to lie on the ground faking to be dead to deceive future observers of the picture and make them believe that the two militiamen had been killed by enemy bullets just after taking the photograph of both of them running and grabbing their mauser rifles´.

This is absolutely false. Robert Capa was not idiot. He simply took this picture a lot of minutes before the photograph appearing under it on the left half of page 7 of Regards magazine of September 24th 1936, while the two militiamen visible on top left picture of page 7 were sleeping on a visibly different area of the wheat covered slope, and besides, it´s not sure that they´re the same two Republican militiamen appearing running down the wheat covered slope in the middle left picture of page 7.

In this respect, there´s a very important 6 x 6 cm medium format picture made by Gerda Taro on the same wheat covered slope (only a few minutes before the photograph made by Robert Capa appearing on left middle area of page 7 of Regards magazine September 24th 1936) - the recent extraordinary exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at work has definitely proved that Gerda Taro was with Capa in the wheat covered slope - on which six Republican militiamen are running upwards the little knoll going towards its summit. This is a very spectacular photograph made by Gerda Taro in which the militiamen are simulating to be attacking enemy forces defending the peak of the hill.

Though evidently, there isn´t any real combat in this picture, there´s no trick or calculated staging made here by Gerda Taro. She simply makes the picture of the six Republican militiamen infused with revolutionary spirit and feeling overconfident and euphoric, who avidly want to be photographed by two foreign photographers having raised a lot of expectation in them with their presence.

In this spectacular picture made by Gerda Taro (taken from a very low position and highly probably with this very brave woman crouched and having a knee on the ground to get as much impact as possible from bottom to top) and appearing on page 79 of the superb book This is War! Robert Capa at work (written by Richard Whelan and copublished by the International Center of Photography New York and Steidl Publishers, Göttingen Germany) the six quoted militiamen appear running upwards on the lower part of the 2 1/4 inches square negative: two of them (the nearest to Gerda Taro´s Rolleiflex camera are wearing dark clothes, the militiaman on the lower right area of the frame and simulating encouraging his comrades with his left arm raised to attack a really non existent enemy position on top of the slope is clad with white garment, the two militiamen in the middle are wearing clear garments (probably in light brown colours) and the militiaman wearing white clothes second from left is the Falling Soldier some minutes before being instantly killed with his heart pierced by a high velocity 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet shot by a Tabor of Regulares sniper.

This way, there´s no doubt: in the top left area picture of page 7 of Regards magazine September 24th 1936, depicting two Republican militiamen lying on the ground sleeping, the nearest one to the camera is one of the two militiamen wearing clear garments (probably in light brown colours) appearing in the middle of the quoted picture made by Gerda Taro in square medium format 6 x 6 cm with her Rolleiflex, while the Republican militiaman appearing in the background and wearing dark garment and also resting on the ground, is one of the two nearest to the camera Republican militiamen appearing on the lower area of the aforementioned Gerda Taro´s photograph and wearing exactly the same dark garments (probably dark blue).

But the picture on top left area of page 7 of Regards magazine September 24th 1936 was made a lot of minutes before the one on left middle area of page 7 and also before the quoted Gerda Taro´s picture made from a very low angle, in which Capa´s fiancee strives after getting the lowest feasible shot angle to generate drama and impact, fully attaining it, because bearing in mind the gradient of the wheat covered slope, is almost impossible to get a lowest angle. Even, while she´s taking this picture, perhaps Gerda Taro is lying on the ground with her head oriented towards the militiamen and her elbows firmly leaned on the wheat covered ground, and ground, struggling not to get a blurred image because of the movement of the militiamen.

Both if Gerda Taro is crouched with one knee on the ground or lying on the terrain to get even a more pronounced and dramatic very low angle on taking the picture, this image clearly reveals that Gerda Taro feels already a high passion for photography, steadfastly making strenuous efforts to obtain the best possible pictures, as clearly proved in this picture, where Gerda Taro manages to get a pronounced bottom to top taking angle going beyond the one attained by Leonard Freed in his picture made in a Wall Street Tube Station Entrance in 1955, whose photographing angle antithesis would be Death from Overdose in Harlem New York City in 1972.

Robert Capa was not so naive to try to convince anybody into believing that these two militiamen on the ground (that could be or not be the ones appearing on the left middle zone picture of page 7 of Regards magazine of September 24 th 1936, as we´ll see later), had been killed by enemy shots, because they are very clearly sleeping on the ground, resting on their left side in order to minimize the rubbing with medium and little sized stones being on the terrain.

Id est, the two militiamen lying on the ground are very clearly alive, not dead.

On the other hand, Capa was not responsible for choosing the pictures to be inserted inside Regards magazine. That was the editor´s job, who selected the photographs with his own intentions, aims and criteria, and evidently it was not Capa´s purpose to persuade anybody
that the two militiamen lying on the ground were dead, because they´re clearly resting on their left side and sleeping that it was the editor´s intention either, because the militiaman clad in dark clothes is the one appearing nearest to the camera on page seven left middle area picture, while in the photograph with both men clearly resting on the ground on their side and trying to sleep, the man with the clear garment is the one nearest to the camera.

It is impossible that if both men have just been killed by enemy bullets immediately after the picture in which they are running downwards on the wheat covered slope, the man with clear attire is the nearest to the camera. If both men would have been killed by enemy fire just after the picture on middle left area of page 7, the nearest man to the camera would be the one wearing dark clothes.

Besides, paying attention to an enlargement of the picture in which both Republican militiamen are resting and trying to sleep on the ground, we can see that the man in the background clad in dark clothes has put his Mauser rifle almost utterly parallel to his stretched right leg, in an instinctive defensive position of easy access in case he suddenly needs the gun if there´s any kind of alarm or unexpected situation while he´s trying to sleep, and his right naked arm is visible, with its hand leaned on the wheat covered terrain, in the same way as his head.

On his turn, the Republican militiaman appearing in this picture nearest to the camera and wearing clear garment has the right leg stretched and the left one half bent, with his left arm also bent on the ground with his head on the stubble, and he has put his Mauser - of which we only see its butt- crossed a few centimeters from his chest, without rubbing it, also following a defensive natural instinct, to have the gun very quickly and easily accessible if there´s any alarm while he is sleeping. Even, probably he´s touching the rifle middle zone with his right hand while resting.

There´s another further factor regarding this picture with both militiamen lying on the ground: both the nearest Republican militiaman to the camera (the one wearing clear clothes and crossed straps) and the one in the background (using dark garment) wear big leather ammunition poaches, one clearly visible in the low part of his back in the nearest militiaman to Capa´s camera (apart from two more on the front area of his waist not visible in the picture) and another one visible on the waist of the dark clad militiaman in the background (apart from two other more poaches not visible: one more on his waist and another one on the lower low part of his back). And this is confirmed by one of the very important eight 6 x 6 cm medium format pictures taken by Gerda Taro on the wheat covered slope, approximately between 9:00 h and 10:30 h in the morning on that September day of 1936, as we´ll see later.

So, apart from the desire to prevent the rubbing with different little and medium size stones being sparsed on the wheat covered slope, another powerful reason to try to sleep lying on the ground leaned on its left side is because if they try to sleep face up, the ammo poaches on their lower back would be smashed on the ground, and would squeeze their lower back, and if they try to sleep face down, the poaches on their waist would be smashed on the ground and would squeeze their abdominal area. In both cases, it´d be rather cumbersome.

That´s why these two Republican militiamen choose to sleep in the most logical position under the aforementioned circumstances: laterally and with the weight on their body resting on their left side.

But there´s more. Among the new unknown till now pictures shown by ICP in his superb This is War!, Robert Capa at Work held in London and Milan and in Barcelona from next July 7th 2009, there are some pictures of Republican militiamen lying on the ground sleeping.

The just arrived militiamen, many of them belonging to anarchist libertarian units, sometimes tried to sleep at different moments and where they could, most times on the ground.

On the other hand, it´s very important to know that the five different pictures appearing on pages 6 and 7 of Regards magazine of September 24th 1936, are not consecutive at all. Even, one of them (the one being on right middle area of page 6 ) wasn´t made on the wheat covered slope, but in Las Malagueñas hill 2.5 kilometers in the south of Cerro Muriano, as already explained in Robert Capa in Cerro Muriano 4th Part. in Robert Capa in Cerro Muriano 4th Part.

- The photograph appearing on the right middle area of page 6, was already analysed in the 4th Part of Robert Capa in Cerro Muriano.

- The photograph appearing on the right lowest area of page 6, shows six Republican militiamen simulating to be firing. There are four men ´shooting´, aiming at the right of the frame (the one most on the left and the three on the right half of the negative), another one (the militiaman just behind the man wearing a straw hat) aiming a bit upwards slightly towards the left of the picture, and a last one (second from left and perhaps the Falling Soldier some minutes before being really killed) aiming his Mauser rifle upwards and towards top central area of the frame.

It is absolutely evident that these soldiers are not really firing. They´re very near one another and offering an easy target for any hypothetical enemy forces, and at the same time, three of the militiamen (the one most on the left - with his Mauser more raised upwards than the three comrades on the right of the image and whose hypothetical bullet trajectory would go on progresively towards the sky- and above all the two ones behind the man wearing straw hat) are simulating to open fire aiming at very different points.

Even, the second militiaman from left, infused with overexcitement, confidence and revolutionary joy, is ostensibly aiming his Mauser rifle at the sky.

It´s very clear that there isn´t any real combat against rebel forces.

There are some people saying that ´once more, in the same way as with the Falling Soldier, Robert Capa was a liar, because these Republican militiamen are not really firing and Capa was not going to risk his own life being with his camera in front of these unexperienced militiamen´. And they say this to accuse Capa of trying to deceive future obervers of the picture into believing that these militiamen are shooting against enemy forces.

Please!

Robert Capa was not idiot. There isn´t any kind of trick, fake or stage implemented here by Capa. At every moment and in vast majority of pictures made by Capa and Taro that morning of September 1936 on the wheat covered slope, the Republican militiamen eagerly yearned to be photographed by two foreign journalists, something which raised in them very high doses of expectation from the first moments. And it´s known the great ability of both Capa and taro to create empathy with a wide range of people.

Robert Capa simply takes this picture with the militiamen acting at will and performing eclectic poses while they´re simulating to open fire with the intention of appearing as best as possible in the picture.

It´s very important to bear in mind that we´re at the beginning of September 1936, when Franco´s coup d´etat has been quelled in the biggest capitals (Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia amongst them) of Spain for one month and a half, mainly because of the CNT and FAI anarchist militiamen fighting in the streets, factories, official and communiaction centers, etc, as well as attacking the army barracks and headquarters and getting a lot of weapons, specially the coveted
Mausers, having greatly the power in the streets, so they´re highly euphoric and buzzed with enthusiasm.

Capa doesn´t need to place these soldiers to make the picture, and it is evident that he hasn´t put them in the rather chaotic way they appear with their rifles in the picture. He simply lets the militiamen simulate battle at free will and takes the picture, both in this case and in many others, in different areas of the wheat covered slope that morning of September 1936.

Therefore, on making this picture, Robert Capa doesn´t try to cheat anybody in future into believing that there´s a real battle and the militiamen are opening fire, because at those moments he´s perfectly aware that some of them are aiming at different directions - even one of them pointing his gun towards the sky - Capa only takes the picture to capture the very special atmosphere of the moment brought about by the overjoyed militiamen themselves.

- The photograph appearing on left lowest area of page 7, was already analysed in the 1st Part of Robert Capa in Cerro Muriano.

viernes 29 de mayo de 2009

ROBERT CAPA IN CERRO MURIANO: THE DAY IN WHICH REALITY SURPASSED IMAGINATION (5th Part):

World Premiere One of the pictures on page 7 of Regards magazine September 24th 1936 confirms even more the authenticity of the Falling Soldier photograph and the real death of two men on the wheat covered slope that morning of September 1936

By José Manuel Serrano Esparza. LHSA

Photo: ROBERT CAPA Copyright Cornell Capa / Magnum Photos

There has been a picture which has haunted me for almost two decades: it appeared for the first time on page 7 of Regards magazine number of September 24th 1936 and depicts a Republican militiaman standing alive, dressed in dark clothes and cap, grabbing a Mauser rifle with both hands and running down slightly bent (to give real combat effect, because in an actual action against the enemy running downwards the soldiers usually bend their bodies to the maximum to offer less target to the enemy) the wheat covered slope towards the right of the frame, while another Republican militiaman (only partially seen, wearing clear clothes, black leather cartridge poaches and a Mauser rifle) on his left is also running down the slope even more bent that the militiaman wearing dark attire and with his bolt rifle grabbed in inversed position with both the rifle gunstock and the sling inadvertently pointing upwards probably because of the overexcitement and euphoria of the militiaman, along with a strong yearning for simulating a downward attack against enemy forces, in the same way as his companion, without realizing that he is being greatly concealed by his comrade´s body on his right. So, there isn´t any real combat at this moment.

On the other hand, when Capa makes this picture, there is a third Republican militiaman running downwards behind the two ones we see in the photograph. The barrel tip and sight of the Mauser 1893 model 7 x 57 mm rifle of this third militiaman not visible in the image ( but running behind the two militiamen observable in the picture) must appear in the original 35 mm Kodak panchromatic nitrate negative of this image on top left of the frame. In 1988 I could see in Rastro of Madrid an approximately 10 x 15 cm positive of this image including a little more space on the left and the quoted barrel tip and sight on a booth selling magazines and photographs of the Spanish Civil War. The quality of this picture was low, because it was a third or fourth copy of copy - probably from a first copy on b & w photographic paper -, but I remember it well. I think the editor of Regards magazine erased it.

I have no doubt: This picture was made by Robert Capa only a few seconds before and preceding the one showing the famous Falling Soldier photograph (instant death and quick fall backwards by a high velocity 7 x 57 mm caliber Mauser 1893 piercing his heart at a speed of around 700 m/sec) and the following one of a second different Republican militiaman (who appears on the ground because of the impact of a second 7 x 57 mm bullet fired by the same Moroccan Tabor of Regulares sniper) mortally wounded but still alive, agonizing and in a very forced posture with the point of his Mosquetón Mauser rifle -which he holds with his right hand in a very cumbersome way- pointing backwards and touching the ground after a slow fall backwards brought about by the fight of the organism to avoid it.

For some decades there have been and go on being people stating that ´Capa was a liar´, that
´the picture of the Falling Soldier was faked´, and to sum up that the ´Republican
militiaman appearing instantly killed in it got up after Capa took the picture´.

Even, there have been frequent statements by Capa´s detractors saying that ´the Falling Soldier picture is undoubtedly a fake and the most famous Republican militiaman doesn´t really die, because he falls exactly on the same spot than the second Republican militiaman (the one very seriously injured by bullet, already on the ground and photographed by the best war photographer of all time immediately after the Falling Soldier) shot, ´so there was a trick, the picture is false and the most famous militiaman didn´t really die´.

Once more, nothing further from reality. It´s true that both the Falling Soldier (instantly killed)
and the second militiaman shot (not instantly killed but mortally wounded) fall on very near points, recognizable because of some prominent stalks of grass. But not exactly on the same spot.

But this unexpected discovery of three more men (which males a total of at least five and not only two- the Falling Soldier and the following one- as believed till now ) running down
the wheat covered slope while Capa is a little ahead of them and to the side of them more
downward on the slope to take them pictures made very recently by elrectanguloenlamano proves without any doubt that the two militiamen appearing grabbing Mauser rifles in the picture of page 7 of Regards Magazine 24th 1936 are exactly on the same wheated slope where Robert Capa makes the photographs of the Falling Soldier (instant death) and a second Republican militiaman shot by a second bullet (not instantly killed but dead within some minutes) 1936 between 9:30 and 10.30 h in that morning of September 1936 and they´re undoubtedly captured by Capa a few seconds before the Falling Soldier.

This way, there were at least five Republican militiamen running down the slope with Mauser rifles with Capa located ahead down the slope and on one side making them pictures, and in the same way as there wasn´t any trick or fakery by Robert Capa on taking the pictures of the Falling Soldier Republican militiaman and the next militiaman shot immediately after him (the latter not dying instantly), there wasn´t any trick or fakery in the picture of the two Republican militiamen running down the same wheat covered slope. They´re simply simulating an attack running against enemy positions and Capa photographs them. And after elrectanguloenlamano discovery regarding this photograph of page 7 of Regards magazine September 24th 1936 as the previous one picture made by Capa before the famous Falling Soldier one, I´m now more biased to think that the Republican militiamen were very happy to run simulating combat and trying to appear the best possible and the most realistic feasible in the pictures that Capa was taking them.

And this exceeedingly high enthusiasm and utter cooperation of the Republican militiamen for the pictures made by a foreign photographer like Capa (which surely increased the expectation and interest in them) is also very apparent in some of the medium format 6 x 6 cm photographs also made by Gerda Taro (who was there with Capa) in the wheat covered slope between 9:30 and 10:30 h that morning of September 1936, a real trove discovered by Richard Whelan and Irme Schabe indicating that the role performed by Gerda Taro in the wheat covered slope was likewise significant. Actually, some of her pictures are very important to explain the events as we´ll see later.

Robert Capa is not inside the trench when he makes this picture of page 7 of Regards magazine
(neither is he inside the trench when he takes the Falling Soldier picture and the picture of the
following militiaman badly injured by a second bullet and still alive in the throes of death on the
ground with his Mosquetón Mauser rifle tip pointing downwards and touching the land).

On the other hand, this new discovery made by elrectanguloenlamano with respec to the middle picture of page 7 of Regards French magazine of September 24th 1936, strengths to a great deal the huge importance of Richard Whelan´s statement regarding a letter dated March 19th 1982 he was sent by Hansel Mieth (a Life magazine staff photographer at the end of thirties) in which she told him that Capa, very upset, had once described her during a conversation the context in which he had made the picture of the Falling Soldier :
"They were fooling around", (Capa) said. "We all were fooling around.
We felt good. There was no shooting. They came running down the slope. I ran too and
knipsed". ( to knipse: to take a photograph in slang German)
" Did you tell them to stage an attack?" asked Mieth.
"Hell no. We were all happy. A little crazy, maybe".
"And then?"
"Then, suddenly it was the real thing. I didn´t hear the firing - not at first".
"Where were you?
"Out there, a little ahead and to the side of them".

As always, there have been people through decades proclaiming that ´ Richard Whelan
invented the story of the letter of a Hansel Mieth ´, but it´s absolutely obvious that he didn´t
invent it, and what Hansel Mieth stated having been told in person by a very haunted
Robert Capa is utterly confirmed by this picture of page 7 of Regards French magazine with
three Republican militiamen who are photographed by Capa just before the Falling Soldier.

Have no doubt: the story is true. Capa was a flamboyant man, liking the good life, women,
sometimes smolking heavily (for instance in Hemingways´ abode in Sun Valley Idaho in 1940 and in the mirror double self-portrait of him and John Steinbeck made in Russia in September 1947), excelling as a poker gambler. O.K, but he was a great man featuring a fascinating personality,and above all, was and will be in my opinion one of the best five photographers in history and clearly the best of the best of war photographers.

And besides, there´s a very unknown inner side of Capa´s character: his highly deep
introspective suffering during the whole of his life beginning on that morning of September 1936 with the second picture (not the Falling Soldier, but the following one which he strives after doing at any cost following his war photographer pure instinct, immediately after unexpectedly having captured by pure chance just in the moment of his death -really killed by a 7 x 57 mm Mauser shot by a tabor of Regulares sniper- to the most famous Republican militiaman, which raised in him a great feeling of guilt) and above all the death of his beloved Gerda Taro, not killed in Brunete, but very badly injured in this village of Madrid province in very gruesome circumstances, accidentally smashed under the chains of a Republican tank, and taken to El Escorial hospital where she died, without forgetting his painful renouncement to get married and have children to be able to fulfill his war photographer career in different conflicts and countries, the latter being epitomized by two pictures made by Capa in 1954: one in Narita airport being welcomed by two little Japanese girls offering him flowers while the greatest crouches to greet them visibly highly happy, and another one that I had the chance of relishing inside Ebisu Museum of Photography in Tokyo Shibuya tokubetsuku two years ago, also made in 1954 by Bandi and depicting two lovers waiting their train on one platform of Tokyo Station.

As always, Capa´s pictures full of symbolism and conveying a number of messages.

The two most important aspects in this story, the cornerstone around which everything spins, were already explained by Cornell Capa and Richard Whelan some decades ago (including a very important lecture given by Richard Whelan in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía of Madrid in late nineties on the occasion of the donation of Cornell Capa of 205 copies of pictures taken by his brother Robert during the Spanish Civil War, which were made on top-notch baryta b & w photographic paper by the superb master printer Teresa Engle-Moreno, a tremendous pundit in making positives from vintage negatives, who has printed among other for Andreas Feininger, Inge Morath, P.P.S Gallery / F.C. Gundlach´s archives of Moholy-Nagy, Herbert List, Raoul Hausmann, for Martin Munkacsi Estate, Bruce Davidson, Dorothy Norman, etc) and are now even more clear:

the picture of the Falling Soldier is true, there wasn´t any fake and two men really died, something which was recently even more verified than during the past decades by the until now unknown picture (shown to the world -among many others- by the great exhibition
This is War! Robert Capa at Work organized by the International Photography Center of
New York which has brought it to Europe in the Barbican Gallery of London, the Centro
Internazionale di Fotografia of Milan and soon in the Musem of Modern Art of Cataluña) of
the second Republican militiaman shot immediately after the most famous Falling Soldier impacted by 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet and already lying dead on the ground (he is undoubtedly the second militiaman impacted by bullet and not instantly killed who falls to the ground almost immediately after the first and most famous Republican militiaman, though in this very important new picture the body of this second militiaman has evidently been moved from the real spot where he is shot (on a point very near to where the first and most famous militiaman falls backwards instantly killed) and transported to a lower spot of the slope, along with the Mosquetón Mauser rifle which somebody has evidently put on his belly with the butt of the gun resting on the ground and the middle area of the Mosquetón Mauser barrel made to be grasped by the fingers of the utterly dead second Republican militiaman (it is almost impossible to ascertain exactly how long he took to die, but bearing in mind the eerie immediately previous picture in which this same Republican militiaman appears on the ground still alive and being in agony just after being impacted by a second high velocity 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet, I´m convinced that few minutes indeed, and probably the Tabor of Regulares snipers allowed them to collect the bodies or perhaps a white flag was previously shown in order to get it, and Capa made this last picture of the Falling Soldier series also with propagandist aims, something very common in both sides during the Spanish Civil War).

But have no doubt: he is the same man of the immediately preceding gruesome picture and this
has been an ICP discovery of huge importance.

The analysis of the Falling Soldier picture has got a lot of different important aspects, but
undoubtedly, the two most important are the photographic and ballistic ones.

That´s why, though knowing in advance that it´s not specially pleasant to insist on the
performance of certain rifles and bullets, I do consider it absolutely fundamental to confirm
- among other decisive factors- that the picture was true, there wasn´t any trick and the
Falling Soldier really died. So I do beg their pardon in advance to those feeling perhaps a
bit annoyed by so many ballistic details, but what is conveyed by Capa´s picture is death,
the authentic death of a Republican militiaman, and war consists of killing and killing and
killing, something that inevitably is often forgotten in its true horror when referring to this
picture because of its deep political, social and historical connotations which turn it into a
simultaneously sublime and hair-raising graphic document and patrimony of humanity.

It´s not easy to set aside the tremendously powerful iconic image and conveyance of symbols
of this extraordinary picture, probably the most important one in the history of photography,
and striving for focusing on a scientific approach, but it is utterly necessary to verify its
authenticity and the real instant death of the Falling Soldier.

Those stating that Capa´s most famous picture is false (´and of course the Republican militiaman got up after Capa made the picture´) because ´only a rifle shooting magnum bullets is able to throw a man backwards as happened with the first and most famous Falling Soldier ´ are also completely wrong.

Even if people saying that would refer to express rifles featuring 375 Holland & Holland , 470
NitroExpress or 700 NitroExpress (much more powerful for instance than a 300 Winchester
Magnum, .338 Magnum, 358 Norma Magnum, etc) bullets as "the only ones able to throw
back the Falling Soldier as it appears in the most famous photograph of all time", they would
go on being wrong, because the shot placement and the type of bullet performance are much
more important factors than the pure brute force of the cartridge.

Actually, the famous hunter W.H.Bell killed in Africa a lot of elephants using a 7 x 57 mm
rifle, while most professional hunters at that time used NitroExpress double rifles. Such is the
energy and power of this cartridge, together with a very flat trajectory and impressive
penetrating effect of its 7 mm sectional density at long distances which turn it into an absolutely
lethal weapon in the hands of an experienced hunter and even much more if it is used by a Tabor
of Regulares sniper with years of combat experience and able to put the bullet in a vital zone from a distance of 800 m when having a supporting base, as happened during the Oviedo events in 1934 or from a distance of around 400 m as happened on the wheat covered slope that morning of Sepetember 1936. Even, it brought about the birth of the Springfield M1903 bolt rifle in caliber .30, because during the clashes at El Caney, San Juan Hill and Las Guasimas (Spanish-American War of 1898), the USA troops had a lot of casualties because the Spanish soldiers using long barrel Mauser 1893 rifles shooting 7 x 57 mm bullets made highly accurate and deadly shots from distances up to 900 m, which made them very difficult to spot, and the Krag-Jörgensen caliber .30 used by the American troops were no match for the Spanish Mauser.

From a ballistic viewpoint, the 7 x 57 mm Mauser (called .275 Rigby in United Kingdom)
is one of the best all-around rifles of all time, merging great qualities in all the decisive aspects:
very long range (maximum of 4,000 m and lethal up to 2,000), very scarce recoil, a very high
speed of 730 m/seg, great smoothness of operation, a five round magazine which gets more
compactness and better transport, a low weight of 3.95 kg, a dispersion of 30 cm at 300
meters, etc.

It´s very important to understand that just before being shot on his heart by a 7 x 57 mm bullet
which instantly kills him, the Falling Soldier didn´t expect it at all, because there wasn´t any
battle on the wheat coveres slope between 9:30 and 10:30 h in that morning of September 1936. a shot made by a Tabor of Regulares sniper hidden in the surroundings of the wheat covered slope.

That´s to say, the first Falling Soldier is completely relaxed, confident and probably euphoric,
confirming Hansel Mieth´s convictions after being told in person by Robert Capa that everything was utterly unexpected and that the militiamen were fooling around.

It´s true that on another occasion, Capa told that he had made the picture being inside the trench, raising his Leica camera on his head and pressing the shutter release button without being able to watch the soldiers.

But it wasn´t evidently that way. Robert Capa was not inside the trench when he made the last four pictures of the Falling Soldier series, as proved by elrectanguloenlamano, with the very recent deiscovery regarding the picture immediately preceding the Falling Soldier one in which appear two other Republican militiamen (one of them greatly concealed by his comrade) plus another one whose Mauser 7 x 57 mm Mauser Model 1893 barrel tip and sight are visible on top left of the original negative, though frequently erased.

As always, Capa´s detractors will say that Capa was a liar and each time said a different thing.

Once more, nothing further from reality.

However curious it may be, and in spite of being the most famous picture of all time, Robert Capa didn´t ever like to speak about it and the circumnstances in which it was made, because he felt highly guilty about what happened, both as to the Falling Soldier (instantly killed) and specially the following one militiaman (not instantly killed) who was very seriously injured by a second bullet.

So, I´m fully convinced that the day Capa told the not true story about him being inside the trench and raising his camera over his head, taking the pictures without seeing the militiamen and what was happening was something that he said simply to avoid speaking about the picture he took on the wheat covered slope. He felt innerly very guilty, haunted and convulsed remembering what happened that morning of September 1936 9:30 and 10:30 h in the morning on the little hill appearing in the Falling Soldier picture.

And the discovery by ICP of the last picture of the Falling Soldier series depicting the Republican militiaman (non instant death) shot immediately after the most famous militiaman (instant death) and lying on the ground some meters below the exact point where the bullet impacts on him, hugely strengths that the true story is the one Capa reported personally to Hansel Mieth, and in her turn she told Richard Whelan in the aforementioned letter, because through many decades there was the doubt whether the Republican militiaman shot immediately after the Falling Soldier had died because of the bullet or perhaps survived.

Now, we know for certain that he died probably within some minutes after being shot by the same Tabor of Regulares sniper who just before killed The Falling Soldier.

And we also have now the certainty that Robert Capa knew it for eighteen years until his death in Thai Binh (Vietnam) on May 25 th 1954..

In any case, whether the militiamen began to run and stage attack movements by themselves
or maybe they followed instructions by Capa in some of the pictures until the first 7 x 57 mm enemy bullet which provokes the first real death, it is very clear that the Falling Soldier was very relaxed, overconfident and joyful, in the middle of a kind of revolutionary atmosphere with militiamen encouraging one another and with the highly probable huge expectation raised by Capa and Gerda Taro both as foreigners and as photographers.

Under normal hunting circumstances, even with dangerous African species having detected
the shooter and so with their natural efenses alert and tense, a 7 x 57 mm bullet is lethal
if it impacts on a vital organ up to around 600 meters, but in the just aforementioned context
and with a Republican militiaman, the Falling Soldier, being sure that there weren´t Francoist
troops near, the effect of a very high performance 7 x 57 mm bullet impacting on the heart of
a man can be defined as absolutely lethal and devastating, and the very high velocity of the
bullet will throw him backwards more strongly and violently than in a combat situation when
the soldiers of both sides are feeling the brutal stress of the combat and the fear to die, being
stressful and expecting an enemy bullet at any moment, so natural defences of the organism
are much more active.

But there wasn´t any battle on the wheat covered slope when the first and most famous Falling
Soldier is killed and when a few seconds later a second militiaman is impacted by another
7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet.

They were isolated bullets shot by the same Moroccan sniper from Sáenz of Buruaga´s
Tabor of Regulares, not rebel machine gun fire which would have spotted their position
to the Republican militiamen on the wheat covered slope.

There wasn´t any battle there in the morning of September 5th 1936, something which can be easily verified on watching some of the previous pictures to the Falling Soldier in which there are some Republican militiamen simulating to aim to open fire, when truth is that in a high percentage of them their Mauser rifles are not ready to shoot, because the head of the firing pin is hidden inside its resting location of the bolt, id est, it is not visible behind the bolt of their guns, so it can´t strike any cartridge.

It´s evident that before the unexpected two real shots made by the Tabor of Regulares sniper, there wasn´t any battle on the little wheat covered hill and no rebel troops were attacking, because on experiencing the effect of the recoil after firing, the reaction of a soldier in actual battle is not to be quiet and aiming his not ready to fire gun as happens in some of the Republican militiamen appearing in the previous pictures, but cocking again the bolt to load the rifle with a new bullet and then to aim.

Only if the head of the firing pin is visible behind the bolt, a 7 x 57 mm Mauser model 1893 is able to open fire.

On the other hand, regarding the two real shots made by the same Moroccan Tabor of
Regulares sniper who instantly kills the first Falling Soldier and mortally wounds a second one
(who probably dies within some minutes, and appears in two pictures, the first one on the ground in the throes of death and with the tip of his Mosquetón Mauser backwards touching the terrain), there have also been people through decades stating that ´such old bolt non automatic rifles designed in XIX Century couldn´t be so accurate to be able to impact the Falling Soldier from such a long distance´.

Nothing further from reality.

The long barrel 1893 Mauser 7 x 57 mm caliber bolt rifles used by the Moroccan elite ´Pacos´
of Tabor of Regulares on that morning of September 1936 belongs to the selected club of the most accurate and best sniper rifles in history along with the Russian Mosin-Nagant 1891/30
7.62 x 54 mm R caliber which became famous in the hands of Ivan Sidorenko,Vasily Zaitsev
and Lyudmilla Pavlichenko, in the Eastern Front during the II World War, the M28
Jalkavaenkivaari Pystykorva of Simo Häyhä during the Finnish-Russian War of 1940 using
only iron sights, the Mauser K98 7.92 x 57 mm (whose design dates back to 1888 before
the new IS cartridge) of Matthias Hetzenauer and Sepp Allerberger in the Eastern Front
during the II World War, the Canadian James Bedford McArthur with a Springfield M 1903
A4 (whose design dates back to 1903) during the II World War, the Australian Billy Sing in
Gallipoli in 1917 with his short magazine Lee Enfield Nº 1 Mk III 303 British caliber
(whose design dates back to 1887), though without reaching the level of the Lee Enfield Nº
4 Mk1 (T) as a sniper bolt rifle.

All these snipers were able to kill an enemy soldier at distances of up to 1100 meters with a
telescopic sight on (for example Matthias Hetzenauer) or up to approximately 900 meters using only iron sights (for instance the Moroccan elite snipers of Tabor of Regulares and Simo Häyhä).

So, regarding the 7 x 57 mm bullet which killed the Falling Soldier piercing his heart between
9:30 and 10:30 in the morning of that September day of 1936 on the wheat covered slope, everything is very related to the stopping power and killing power as decisive factors as to the damage that a certain type of bullet can provoke when it impacts on an animal or person, always understanding that the stopping power will depend on different aspects: velocity of the bullet, shock effect, diameter and expansion of the bullet, kinetic energy, lineal impulse, shape of the bullet and placement of it.

A non magnum rifle bullet flying at a great speed penetrates through the animal or person with an effect comparable to an expansive wave, and this ´hydraulic effect´ brings about a bigger damage on the animal or person tissues, being able to provoke the death even if the shot doesn´t
touch any vital organ.

In a nutshell, a small non magnum rifle bullet featuring great velocity has the same energy than other bigger caliber types of bullets flying at slower speeds.

Another frequent error (among many others) by those stating that Capa´s most famous picture is a fake and that the Falling Soldier got up again after being shot, is to think that the absence of blood on the militiaman´s shirt indicates that the photograph is false.

Once more, nothing further from reality.

The absence of blood on the Republican militiaman in the picture is because of the very high
velocity of the 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet which kills him just in the split second in which Robert
Capa has just pressed the shutter release button of his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939), so though
the bullet has already pierced the Falling Soldier heart, there hasn´t been enough time for the blood to sprout.

If we think of the very short elapse of time which means 1/10 second in an athletic competition,
a speed of for instance 1/125 sec at f/8 shooting handheld on a very sunny day with around iso
40 Kodak panchromatic nitrate black and white film is a much shorter time.

This is a non easy concept to understand, because we all are accustomed to watching different movies in which all kind of bullet shots have the immediate effect of presence of blood on the victims´ clothes, specially if they are using white garments, which makes even more remarkable the thing with the Falling Soldier who is wearing a turned up white colour shirt.

But in reality, things are different regarding the performance of the bullets and it will depend on
a number of factors, among which the shock effect is another absolutely decisive one.

Traditionally, everybody has thought and will go on thinking that the end of the vital functions of an animal or person which has just being shot is due to the loss of blood, which evidently has
got its importance, though it is not the key factor in this respect.

The most significant element regarding the break of the vital functions of an animal or person
impacted by bullet is the shock effect when the projectile hits one of the vital organs.

That´s why the Falling Soldier dies instantly, because of the shock effect of the 730 m /sec high velocity of a 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullet, before the blood has begun to flow. Such is the kinetic energy of this caliber, which greatly enhances its stopping power and fosters its piercing capacity, its expansion and its ability to destroy animal or person tissues.

On the other hand, the lineal impulse of the 7 x 57 mm bullet is also highly remarkable,
preserving great power and a simultaneous scarce recoil, a key factor for accuracy in
long distance shots.

You can be sure: just after the picture was taken by Capa, there was a lot of blood running
from the Falling Soldier heart, with two points of blood exit.

In 1936 the Tabor of Regulares Moroccan soldiers were the best snipers in the world,
shooting the most suitable 7 x 57 mm bullets cartridges for their missions, with the appropriate
load in grains and using the best bolt rifle available then: the 1893 Model Spanish Mauser.

These were then very hardened and disciplined troops featuring a lot of years of real combat
experience, and able to get tremendous levels of accuracy with shots made at great distances
between 400 and 1000 meters impacting on enemy soldiers´ head or heart.

Bigger caliber types of bullets like Magnum, Nitroexpress, etc, are heavy projectiles with great
recoil which would make the accuracy and recharge in a real combat situation much more difficult than with a non Magnum 1893 Model 7 x 57 mm Mauser rifle.

To have a Magnum or nitroexpress caliber doesn´t necessarily mean that the suitable stopping
power will be attained in shots.

For instance, a 338 Winchester Magnum can be enough to kill a polar bear, but its recoil is
very strong: double of the 308 Winchester (7.62 x 51 classic ammo for Spanish Cetme B and
Cetme C), so it´s no match for the 7 x 57 mm Mauser caliber in terms of high accuracy with
long distance shots. The same would apply even more for big bore cartridges like the 458
Winchester Magnum or the 460 Weatherby Magnum, whose recoil is much more unpleasant
and cumbersome or a NitroExpress 700 whose tremendous recoil is difficult to manage for
most shooters.

In order to get the most suitable stopping power, the best possible balance between velocity of
the bullet, its weight and recoil effect is essential.

From a ballistic viewpoint, the two Republicanmilitiamen killed on the wheat covered slope between 9:30 and 10:30 h in the morning that day of September 1936 were the aftermath of the optimization of a very high percentage of the previously quoted factors in the binomium long barrel 1893 Model Mauser bolt rifle + 7 x 57 mm bullet along with the amazing level of accuracy in their long distance shots attained by the Moroccan Tabor of Regulares snipers being able to put the bullets on vital organs under conditions of maximum combat stress, with which they got the necessary force to achieve the desired stopping power without needing Magnum or Nitroexpress caliber bullets for it. They took advantage of a classic bolt rifle with more than 40 years of antiquity at those moments (having proved its mazing efficiency and precision in different conflicts), sporting 2,000 meters of long distance lethal range through its 73,5 cm long barrel, great power, resistance, reliability and huge accuracy, with the added benefit of a revolving bolt which is manually activated by means of a rotation and push movement, enabling both a very quick recharging and a highly short time of bullet striking.

At the same time, their real combat experience enabled these Tabor of Regulares snipers to bear
in mind the wind and the dispersion factor of 30 cm of the 7 x 57 mm Mauser bullets before
opening fire. If they had any supporting base to make the shots, their long distance effectiveness was certainly lethal, which added to the quick recharge allowed by this bolt rifle made them often being able to kill two enemy soldiers in around three seconds.

The photographic aspects regarding the Falling Soldier picture were already explained in
http://elrectanguloenlamano.blogspot.com/2008/08/robert-capa-in-cerro-muriano-day-in.html

viernes 15 de mayo de 2009

ROBERT CAPA IN CERRO MURIANO: THE DAY IN WHICH REALITY SURPASSED IMAGINATION (4th Part)

Capa and Gerda Taro in Las Malagueñas Hill on
September 5th 1936

By José Manuel Serrano Esparza. LHSA

Though the famous picture of the Falling Soldier was not made in Las Malagueñas hill area and it was not made in the afternoon but between 9:30 and 10:30 h in the morning of September 5th 1936 in the Cerro de La Coja, located in the east outskirts of Cerro Muriano village, there´s a very interesting article in which the Spanish journalist Clemente Cimorra describes in the Madrid La Voz newspaper edition of September 8th 1936 his encounter with Robert Capa and Gerda Taro in Las Malagueñas hill on September 5th 1936 and shown here translated from the original full text in Spanish:

Report on the March of the action in Cerro Muriano
List of honour of combatants, episodes of the fight and
praise of a French marriage of journalists.

SHOTS IN THE STORM

In my last chronicle, which I don´t know whether it will arrive or when it will arrive at the newspaper, I wrote at six o´clock in the morning that, because of the features of the enemy fire, a hard day was foreseeable.

And it has been the going out, the breaking of the Cordovan siege through one of its sides, previously chosen the most defenseless place regarding the foresight of our troops.

At night they have crawled through the gulchies - the eternal tactics of the Moors -and they have appeared before the sun being high.

In a moment, the whole area of the mount has been ravagely fired with lights and shots.

On being the least sheltered hills, we´re bound to quickly organize the force. The attack is a thorough combined onslaught of aviation, intense big caliber ordnance and heavy rifle volleys.

As always happens in these cases, the instant in which only the reduced zone surrounding us -and not the global of the operation-, arrives soon. Major Bernal personally attends to the combats.

In the scale of enthusiasms there is every tone, from the greatest to the tiniest one. We must highlight the good ones - whom we see by us - so as to be fair and as a warning to the mediocre ones.

The first cheers for the Spanish Republic to infuse courage tension resound inside the throat of Francisco González, a simple private of the workers section of Graphic Arts in the War Ministry of Tenerife and now on duty with the Escort of the Republican Military Staff. With his face transfigured with harangue and thrust, he runs down the slope leaping over the dwarf oaks and dribbling the pines. We advance followed by a group of soldiers ready to defend the hill from further danger.

With the foe rifle muzzles right here, on this little hill in front of us, we protect a machine gun position.

A specially worthy soldier among the Republican military men, the number 34 infantry sergeant first class Julián Contreras Claros, who was already promoted because of merits in the action of Puente Mocho, sweaty, panting, directs the movements of our litle troop to advance with the machines.

Only the one being, though for a short time, by this man, can attest to how valuable is the management of a soldier in command when he puts on it all of his courage, stamina, manliness and love for what he´s defending.

I´m next to him, and following his instructions I place myself behind a strategic oak. Its trunk, wrinkled and veteran of scars, doesn´t cover my whole body. Sometimes I´d wish to be thin as a bad stick.

There´s a good handful of Republican militiamen near me. As well as looking for the dangerous place, they don´t change even slightly when they arrive at it.

Crouched on the same top peak, under a steady whistle of stainless-steel, Rafael Miralles, this good old man of the F.A.I is indeed among the most firm. A bit farther are Enrique Bañó and Felipe Colomé, respectively chief and assistant chief of militias, taking responsabilities on their own right.

In the din of battle, this kind of enumeration, perhaps resembling a bit some kind of society echoes, will seem absurd. But, under my word of honour that it can be made within an instant interval when one is trully physically here. Let´s mention likewise lieutenant Roig, sergeant La Cruz and captain la Romana.

And only the very good ones moving before my eyes defile in these notes.

The leaves beards of the oak - the good oak - protecting me are being scraped by bullets over my head. With a moan, they have torn the poor tree a branch apart.

We can see a row of Regulares Moroccan soldiers running on a ravine in front of us.

During a short calming of the shots, I bid farewell to these people and go more upwards to get news in the epicenter and headquarters of the scattered force.

The rifle barrel is burning to such an extent that it can´t be squeezed with one´s hand. On climbing up the short steep inclines, bullets speak their whistle language and pierce the mount eardrums. The dum-dum bullets metalize their impacts. Sure enough, this is a shooting exchange. The recollection of my times in Africa dwindles. Voices, running soldiers. Uproar, clangor and sweat.

" VU " and " REGARDS "

On arriving at the House of " La Malagueña ", two almost childlike youngsters - both she and he - , draw my attention. Unarmed, without any further object between their hands than their photographic cameras, showing no fear, they spy the movements of an aircraftwhich flutters vertically, disquietingly over their heads.

I address to them. A self-introduction amid the strife noises:

Robert Capa, from "Vu", journalist ...
- Gerda Pohorylle, from "Regards" ...
- Clemente Cimorra, I think that something like envoy from LA VOZ ... Currently, a dirty man, full of dust and yearning for our aviation ...

Believe me, this topic of the journalistic boldness is not myth or hyperbole. The two French youths I´m going with now want and manage to do the film of both the movie and the piece of information in the very flame of the event.

Next to me, they face the most struck by bullets places, and pledging themselves with a forward!, with which husband and wife encourage each other, they´d wish to photograph the steeled scowl of the enemy rifles. It´s the naive pluck of the unselfish youth looking for the document. Besides, gauche people, which is the interesting thing.

* * *

The nightfall brings about the shooting decrease in a lot of areas. At night we rest with our
mouths thoroughly dried and the bodies perspired ...

An effective performance of our aviation is expected tomorrow ...

And combats will go on in a harsh way. Although a lot of mean people from many European
countries want to support the most rotten of Spain ...

CLEMENTE CIMORRA

Muriano, September 6th 1936.

Significance of the article.-
This article written by Clemente Cimorra is very important, because it proves without any doubt that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro (apart from having been in the morning of September 5th 1936 in Cerro de La Coja, Piedra Horadada, the old foundry and washeries complex of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd; approximately between 13:00h and 14:30 in the south area of Cerro Muriano village near the level crossing, making pictures of refugees fleeing from the cortijos near Torreárboles -who was being attacked by General Varela´s column-; in the afternoon at approximately 15:00 h inside Cerro Muriano village making the picture of Josefa on a donkey taking her son Juanito, while a little girl appears walking on the lower right area of the frame; and between approximately 15:30 and 18:00 h making photographs of refugees -mainly women, old men and children fleeing from the bombs dropped by fascist aircraft on Cerro Muriano village- escaping with northeast direction towards Obejo Train Station and El Vacar) were in Las Malagueñas hill approximately between 18:30 and 21:30 h of September 5th 1936 (coming back to this knoll about 2.5 km southwards from Cerro Muriano village after taking the pictures of refugees between around 15:30 and 17:30 h, instead of escaping from El Vacar in north direction as was widely thought till now).

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza

The bulk of the Tabor of Regulares was fighting for the whole September 5th 1936, firstly to open its way from Cerro de La Coja surroundings, following south direction towards Las Malagueñas hill from around 9:00 h in the morning, finding a lot of resistance without being able to accomplish the encircling manoeuvre and being bound to stay on their posts in defensive position to such an extent that they couldn´t begin the attack to Las Malagueñas hill until around 13:00 h in the afternoon.

It is very important to understand that the headquarters of the Republican forces in Cerro Muriano area (encompassing the village of Cerro Muriano, Cerro de La Coja, Piedra Horadada, the old foundry and washeries of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd., Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles) was in the so-called Casa de Las Malagueñas, which was on top of the Las Malagueñas hill, 2,5 km in south direction from Cerro Muriano village, and during September 5th 1936 day, the Republican High Command including majors Juan Bernal Segura (commander-in-chief of the sector), Armentia (in command of the Republican artillery), Balibrea and Aviraneta was there, so this was a top paramount importance target for the Francoist troops.

This "Casa de Las Malagueñas" was a beautiful mansionlike elegant country house which was on top of the Las Malagueñas hill from mid twenties, when two wealthy ladies from Málaga city bought the terrains subsequently building it, and some decades after the Spanish Civil War it became a military transmission center property of the Spanish Army very popular and known for Cerro Muriano and Obejo inhabitants which frequently visited the place until approximately 2003, though from 2004 it was isolated with a surrounding security zone fenced with barbed wire in order to preserve the safety of a big radio station tower located at an altitude of 589 m, 4º 45´ 48,32º W and 37º 59´ 28,7º N supplying hertzian links between the military base of Cerro Muriano village and Las Malagueñas hill, so from the end of 2004, because of security reasons, entrance is forbidden.

On the other hand, two years ago I was reported by some inhabitants of Cerro Muriano Village that the quoted "Casa de Las Malagueñas" -which I could see different times in late nineties- was regrettably demolished and it´s not possible to watch it any more, a real pity, because in my viewpoint, albeit it had been in not very good condition for some decades, apart from its remarkable beauty observable from the distance, its peculiar architecture, its inner rooms and windows and the superb views to the countryside from its interior, it had great historical value.

Coming back to this La Voz report made by Clemente Cimorra -an experienced writer regarding war action- from Las Malagueñas hill, though the article is signed as Muriano, September 6th 1936, it is clear that he refers to fight which has happened during the whole
day of September 5th 1936, beginning with a rough description of the previous context which he has probably learnt asking some Republican officers, because Clemente Cimorra (having departed from Madrid) arrived by car at Cerro Muriano area very early in the morning of September 5th 1936 coming from Montoro (a village being at a distance of 46 km from the city of Córdoba) where was the headquarters of Republican General Miaja.

Therefore, when writing ´And it has been the going out, the breaking of the Cordovan siege through one of its sides, previously chosen the most defenseless place regarding the foresight of our troops ´, Clemente Cimorra indicates that until almost the very September 5th 1936, the Republican forces were besieging Córdoba city (General Miaja´s troops were really about to capture the city on August 20th 1936, though the performance of the Tabor of Regulares men under the command of General Varela and the rebel artillery in Puente Mocho area thwarted the Republican attack), and now on September 5th 1936, the fascist troops have broken that siege (the abundant Republican forces in Cerro Muriano village area, Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles hills were a very serious menace to the city of Córdoba in rebel hands and were a kind of siege to practical effects with the further possibility of more attacks of Republican troops against the capital of the High Guadalquivir) and the three fascist columns under the command of General Varela, major Sagrado and coronel Sáenz of Buruaga are already attacking the Republican forces in Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles from first hours in the morning of September 5th 1936, being clear that the final target for them is the capture of Cerro Muriano village.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza

Clemente Cimorra´s chronicle depicts faithfully the magnitude of the rebel assault when writes: ´the attack is a thorough combined onslaught of aviation, intense big caliber ordnance and heavy rifle volleys´, because the combats for Las Malagueñas between the bulk of the Tabor of Regulares troops (attacking in the rearguard while the central rebel column under the command of major Alvarez Rementería with 300 falangists and a section of the company of engineers made it frontally, after following the road Córdoba Almadén as a march axis) and the Republican forces defending this 589 m hill (where the Republican headquarters was) were very violent and tough with a highly stubborn defense by loyalist military officers from Cartagena, loyalist artillery from Murcia, loyalist machine guns from Manresa, militias from "Garcés" and "Jaén" battalions and above all by the bulk of the anarchist militias of Alcoy (Alicante) - together with between 50 and 100 of them militiamen from Alcoy who were in the Cerro de La Coja that day - which fought very bravely to the the last man.

Within the right fascist column under the command of colonel Sáenz of Buruaga there were also the Cádiz Battalion nº 33, a company of Guardia Civil and two sections of the mixed company of engineers, but undoubtedly the very difficult attack against an elevated and very well defended point like Las Malagueñas hill (apart from 692 m high Torreárboles hill, which was being assaulted from first hour in the morning by the left rebel column made up by legionnaires under the command of major Sagrado) makes that the main effort of the fascist assault has to be fulfilled by the Tabor of Regulares of Melilla (except one section), the Squadron of Regulares of Ceuta nº 3 on foot, and the Squadron of Regulares of Alhucemas on foot (the last two under the command of major Gerardo Figuerola), whose performance will be absolutely essential to capture Las Malagueñas hill after a very hardly struggled fight which lasted practically the whole day.

Besides, Clemente Cimorra reports that major Bernal takes part personally in the operations. This is a very important piece of information regarding the decisive significance of the combats
taking place for Las Malagueñas hill for aproximately twelve hours during the whole September 5th 1936 until the last stronghold of the hill, the "Casa de Las Malagueñas" headquarters of the Republican forces, is finally captured by the bulk of Tabor of Regulares men around 22:00 hin the night (a lot of Republican militiamen and officers being killed during the aforementioned
12 hours of bloody combats, though many others could escape with the whole Republican staff, Clemente Cimorra, Robert Capa and Gerda Taro being amongst them as we´ll see later) because
Major Juan Bernal Segura is the highest military Republican authority in the area.

On the other hand, the names of Rafael Miralles, Enrique Vaño and Felipe Colomé are also mentioned in this Madrid La Voz newspaper article, which is very meaningful to realize the
abundant presence and importance of anarchist troops in the battle: Rafael Miralles was an old anarchist activist of the F.A.I (Iberian Anarchist Federation) who had been preconizing the armed revolution since the second half of 1890 decade, the sindicalist Enrique Vaño Nicomedes (who was a political prisoner after the Spanish Civil War in the Swedish-Norwegian Hospital of Alcoy, inaugurated on April 25th 1937) was a libertarian local anarchist ideologist and activist from Alcoy and chief of the militiamen column from this village of Alicante who had arrived at Cerro Muriano area very early in the morning of September 5th 1936, while Felipe Colomé was the assistant chief.

It´s very important to understand that in 1936, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, the Anarchist militias of the F.A.I (Iberian Anarchist Federation) and C.N.T (Workers National Confederation) had gained great power after their decisive role in the crushing of the military rebellion in a lot of important capitals of Spain, among them Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona, and during this first year of conflict, the Republican Army was essentially an anarchic conglomerate of armed militias, composed of men volunteering to fight and ready to risk their lives defending their ideals, something which fascinated both Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, who had already had the chance of breathing that atmosphere before Cerro Muriano, above all in Barcelona and Aragon Front.

Clemente Cimorra also expresses his amazement on watching the fierce resistance and bravery exhibited in the combat by loyalist officers and specially civil militiamen faced to Tabor of Regulares men, at this moment in 1936 the best infantry in the world together with the legionnaries, very professional troops, highly disciplined, not fearing the death and featuring many years of combat experience in Africa, and for whom evidently civilian militiamen coming from different occupations (plumbers, cobblers, electricians, masons, sellers and all kind of workers generally speaking) were no match.

This is very sad, disproportionate and horrible. But it happened this way, though the Republican loyalist officers and militiamen defending Las Malagueñas hill managed to bravely resist the Tabor of Regulares soldiers onslaughts for twelve hours before being finally defeated.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza

But the most important part of Clemente Cimorra article is undoubtedly the one titled "VU" and "REGARDS" in which reports his encounter with Robert Capa and Gerda Taro in Las Malagueñas hill, something which had to happen between approximately 18:30 h in the evening and 20:30 h in the night of September 5th 1936, because Robert Capa and Gerda Taro weren´t in Las Malagueñas Hill either in the morning (they were in Cerro de La Coja, Piedra Horadada, the old Guardia Civil barracks -currently the Copper Museum-, the old foundry and washeries of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd) or the afternoon (they were in south area of Cerro Muriano village near the level crossing, making pictures of refugees fleeing from the cortijos near Torreárboles hill betwen around 13:00 and 14:30 h; inside the very village of Cerro Muriano taking the picture of Josefa with his son Juanito on the donkey in one of its streets at around 15:00 h; and approximately from 15:30 to 18:00 making more pictures of refugees between Cerro Muriano village, Obejo Train Station and
El Vacar).

When writing ´a French marriage of journalists´, Clemente Cimorra thinks that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro are French and marriaged, when actually they´re infatuated refugees lovers from Jewish origin, one born Andre Enro Friedmann in Budapest (Hungary) in 1913 and the other one born Gerda Pohorylle in Stuttgart (Germany) from Jewish Polish parents, sharing their profession of photographers and journalists.

On the other hand, in late nineties I visited three different times Las Malagueñas hill, examining the area very painstakingly and definitely the picture of the Falling Soldier was not made there.

In the same way, all the other pictures belonging to the Falling Soldier series known till now made by Robert Capa in Cerro Muriano area on September 5th 1936 in which appear the second militiamen already in the ground badly injured, the rest of pictures in which a lot of militiamen appear posing raising their Mauser rifles on a trench, jumping on the trench, landing across the trench, aiming rifles on the trench, etc, together with four of the pictures appearing in the pages 6 and 7 of Regards French magazine number of September 24th 1936, were not taken in Las Malagueñas hill.

Likewise, all the pictures unknown till now made by Robert Capa (the copies on paper from all the 21original 35 mm negatives in the collection of the ICP from the Falling Soldier series) and Gerda Taro (eight copies on paper from their corresponding medium format Rolleiflex 2 1/4 inches square negatives also in the collection of the ICP) in Cerro Muriano area on September
5th 1936 -plus some photographs on paper in which appear different militiamen sleeping on the ground- and displayed in the extraordinary exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at War in
Barbican Art Gallery of London between October 17th 2008 and January 25th 2009, in the International Center of Photography of Milan between March 28th and June 21st 2009 and soon in Barcelona between July 7th and September 27th 2009, were not made in Las Malagueñas hills either, because Las Malagueñas hill area is overcrowded with big trees everywhere and the vegetation is different and from a global perspective it is a completely different zone of ground compared to the one appeared in the pictures belonging to the Falling Soldier series, both the ones made by Robert Capa with his Leica III (Model F 1933-1939) and the ones made by Gerda Taro with her medium format Rolleiflex.

In any case, I have thought for more than a decade that there´s a picture made by Robert Capa on September 5th 1936 which was taken in Las Malagueñas hill, and I do believe that Clemente Cimorra´s article confirms it: the photograph I´m referring to appears in one page of the Regards French magazine of September 24th 1936, together with other five pictures made by Capa this day in Cerro Muriano area.

This photograph shows two Republican militiamen advancing towards Capa going up a little path in slight ramp (the nearest one grabbing the barrel of a Maxim-Sokolov M1910 caliber 7.62 mm x 54 R machine gun and taking it on his shoulder, while his left arm is far from his waist to counterbalance the weight of the quoted barrel; and the second one is holding a big dark box of ammunition with his left hand and seems to be taking the solid steel wheels of the Maxim-Sokolov M1910 on his right shoulder) with trees in the background and some meters behind both of them, on the left of the image, appears a third Republican militiaman walking down in opposite direction.

I´m convinced that Robert Capa made this picture in the stretch of path going from the entrance door to Las Malagueñas hill (currently locked because of security reasons to protect a transmission center of the Spanish Army) to the "Casa de Las Malagueñas", an elegant country house dating back to 1920s, which was the headquarters of the Republican army on September 5th 1936, as already quoted.

From this point in which Capa took the picture, there are only a few hundred meters following the march of both Republican militiamen going up until reaching the top of Las Malagueñas hill,
where there is a big military radio tower on the left and on the right of it was the "Casa de Las Malagueñas", though as aforementioned it was demolished very few years ago, so there must be a great clear of ground almost without any vegetation where this beautiful mansion was.

But I remember the area, and I deemed then and I do believe even more now after reading Clemente Cimorra´s article confirming that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro were in Las Malagueñas hill, that Capa made this picture while the two Republican soldiers nearer him are going up towards "La Casa de Las Malagueñas" Republican headquarters, while the third Republican soldier appearing on left of the image is walking down towards the current entrance locked door by the motorway.

Photo: José Manuel Serrano Esparza

It seems clear that, unlike Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, Clemente Cimorra has been the whole day, from first hour in the morning, in Las Malagueñas hill with the loyalist officers, Republican militiamen and even members of the staff, watching the fight, since after departing from Montoro ( a village of Córdoba province being around 46 km from Córdoba city), he had arrived by car at Cerro Muriano Muriano area very early in the morning of September 5th 1936 and decided to go quickly to Las Malagueñas hill instead of Cerro de La Coja as did Robert Capa and Gerda Taro (who had also departured from Madrid by car the previous day and after reaching Montoro and then Cerro Muriano area, decided to go to Cerro de La Coja and the old foundry and washeries of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd).

So, Clemente Cimorra, at the beginning of his chronicle writes: ´ At night they have crawled through the gulchies -the eternal tactics of the Moors- and they have appeared before the sun being high.

Clemente Cimorra information is correct, since the rebel right column under the command of Colonel Sáenz of Buruaga (including the Tabor of Regulares of Melilla, the squadron of
Regulares of Ceuta nº 3, the squadron of Regulares of Alhucemas, the Cádiz Infantry Battalion nº 33, a company of Guardia Civil and two sections of the mixed company of engineers) had the key mission of fulfilling the encircling manoeuver falling on the Las Malagueñas hill Republican defenders back while the central fascist column attacked it frontally. So as to accomplish it, Sáenz of Buruaga´s column - whose most lethal units were the Tabor of Regulares- departed around 4:00 h in the morning from Córdoba city, followed its march to Alcolea, went up between Arroyo del Guadalbarbo and Arroyo de Yegüeros until reaching Clavellina vertex around 5:00 h in the morning and from here following the Camino de Los Pañeros (which begins in Alcolea) they went on their march with east northwest trajectory (displaying little groups of men between the main column and the Loma del Algarrobillo o del Higuerón to avoid any possible perpendicular enemy attack) until the Cortijo de Suertes Altas and from here they arrived at the surroundings of Cerro de La Coja where they left some little contingents of selected Moroccan Tabor of Regulares snipers to fix the Republican militiamen on Cerro de La Coja, Piedra Horadada and the old foundry and washeries of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd, and from here the bulk of the column with the Tábors of Regulares as spearhead followed its march towards Las Malagueñas hill, trying to fulfill the encircling manoeuver, though they couldn´t because the Republican defense was very stubborn, in such a way that only at approximately between 13:00 h and 13:30 h the Tabor of Regulares men managed to open a break under enemy fire and began to attack the Republican forces in Las Malagueñas hills.

Anyway, Clemente Cimorra and the rest of Republican militiamen, loyalist officers and members of the staff defending Cerro Muriano had probably began seeing the white turbans of the Tabor of Regulares men from approximately 10: 00 h in the morning, id est, before midday when the sun is high as he reports.

Even, Clemente Cimorra states that ´ at night they have crawled through the gulchies ´, because knowing the 12 km distance between Córdoba city and Las Malagueñas hill, though he hasn´t been able to watch Sáenz of Buruaga´s column marching during the night before, he knows for sure that they have had to walk a lot of kilometers for some hours before dawn to be able to reach Cerro de la Coja surroundings at around 9:00 h in the morning and then the ravines giving on to Las Malagueñas hills at around 10:00 h in the morning.

But almost since the first attempts by Tabor of Regulares men to approach to Las Malagueñas hill (around two km in south direction from Cerro de La Coja), Sáenz of Buruaga´s column and specially the Tabor men have been shot from all directions by Republican forces located in the area, in such a way that the Moroccan soldiers of the bulk of the Tabors are forced to stay defensively on their position and bound to risk their lives for each advanced meter.

The fight lingers away for a lot of hours and the Tabor of Regulares men will not be able to accomplish the full encircling manoeuver and capture Las Malagueñas hill and the Republican
headquarters in the "Casa de Las Malagueñas" mansion till approximately 22:00 h in the night of September 5th 1936.

Therefore, Clemente Cimorra refers mainly to combats that he has seen for the whole day in the surroundings of Las Malagueñas hill, describing the artillery shots, mortar fire, rifle volleys (and even bombs dropped by four fascist aircraft) that the Francoist troops are throwing against the Republican forces defending the hill when writes ´ In a moment, the whole area of the mount has been ravagely fired with lights and shots ´.

When Clemente Cimorra writes his article for Madrid La Voz newspaper, he isn´t in Las Malagueñas hill but in Cerro Muriano village (after having escaped there with the Republican staff in the Casa de Las Malagueñas and other surviving loyal officers and militiamen at around 21:30 in the night of September 5th 1936 when they realized that it was impossible to defend the last Republican defensive points surrounding the Casa de Las Malagueñas headquarters), already on September 6th 1936 (when the Republican forces defending Las Malagueñas hill and the Republican headquarters of the "Casa de Las Malagueñas" have already been captured by Francoist troops since around 22:00 h in the night of September 5th 1936) and very few hours before dawn when the definitive tremendous onslaught by the bulk of Tabor of Regulares troops through Piedra Horadada and the old foundry and washeries of the Córdoba Copper Company Ltd will mean the beginning of the end of Cerro Muriano village.

Hereupon, Clemente Cimorra knows perfectly that some hours before starting his chronicle, the rebel forces have taken Las Malagueñas hill and the Republican "Casa de Las Malagueñas"
headquarters, but intentionally ommits this piece of information, something very common during the Spanish Civil War, specially in 1936, when because of propaganda reasons it was a very usual practice by both sides not to recognize own defeats and casualties and swell the foe´s ones, without forgetting the external pressures received by journalists and photographers in this respect also in both the Republican and the rebel army.

Bearing in mind the march of events and the data reported by Clemente Cimorra, I´m convinced that his encounter with Robert Capa and Gerda Taro in the "Casa de Las Malagueñas" Republican headquarters was approximately between 18:30 h and 20:30 h of September 5th 1936.

It seems clear that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro took their 35 mm format Leica III (Model F) 1933-1939 and 6 x 6 cm medium format standard Rolleiflex K2 Model 622 respectively -though chances are that they were already running out of film- when Clemente Cimorra meets them in late evening or beginning of the night of September 5th 1936 in the "Casa de Las Malagueñas" Republican headquarters on top of Las Malagueñas hill, but Robert Capa and Gerda Taro had already made a lot of pictures in the morning in Cerro de La Coja, the old foundry and washeries of Córdoba Copper Company Ltd, the area in the south outskirts of Cerro Muriano near the level crossing and in the afternoon inside Cerro Muriano village around 15:00 h and between approximately 15:30 and 18:00 covering the refugees fleeing from the fascist air raids on Cerro Muriano following north direction through the railway track connecting Cerro Muriano Village, Obejo Train Station and El Vacar belonging to the line Córdoba-Almorchón.

During the Spanish Civil War, all the photographers of both sides covering battles and all kind of events had a simultaneous graphic, documentary and propaganda mission, so apart from using a car since the moment of their departure from Montoro (a village being 46 km from Córdoba city) the night before, there´s a high probability that Robert Capa and Gerda Taro had at every moment a Republican military driver working for them on September 5th 1936 and transporting them between different places as fast as possible.

It´s also very significant the self-definition given by Clemente Cimorra regarding his true condition during those stressful moments: ´ Currently a dirty man, full of dust and yearning
for our aviation ´, because on September 5th 1936, four fascist aircraft were bombing Las Malagueñas and Torreárboles hills in support of the three rebel columns attacking them, while the Republican aviation didn´t appear at any moment.

And when some lines later he writes ´ they ´d wish to photograph the steeled scowl of the enemy rifles ´, Clemente Cimorra, making use of his great qualities as a writer (not in vain he was a prominent member of the literary Spanish exile in Argentina and author of many books and newspapers articles until his death in Buenos Aires in 1958), utilizes this metaphor to vividly indicate the strenuous efforts which Gerda Taro and Robert Capa are making to capture the images and the information almost in the very core of it.

After making very good pictures during the previous months in Barcelona, Aragon Front and Madrid but most often without being able to capture real combat action images, there are a lot of evidence indicating that the main reason moving Capa and Gerda Taro to go to Cerro Muriano area was to try to obtain better photographs, specially if possible depicting real combat.

And the plane they´re "spying" flying over their heads and the "Casa de Las Malagueñas" is a Breguet XIX basic bomber with base in the Electromecánica airdrome on the west outskirsts of
Córdoba City, on the right side of the current road to Palma del Río, very near Medina Azzahara, and probably attacking the militiamen and loyalist officers defending Las Malagueñas hill at that moment.

So, bearing in mind that it is currently very clear that the archfamous photograph of the Falling Soldier taken by Capa on September 5th 1936 was not made in the afternoon in Las Malagueñas hill, but between 9:30 and 10:30 h in the morning in Cerro de La Coja hill in the east outskirts of Cerro Muriano village, and after the reading of this very important article written by Clemente Cimorra, a witness of the combats that day in Las Malagueñas hill, I do believe that the only known picture made by Robert Capa in Las Malagueñas hill that day is the aforementioned one in which appear three Republican militiamen, two of them going up to "Casa de Las Malagueñas" headquarters (probably taking machine guns - together with an ammunition box the second one-) and a third one walking down towards the currently locked entrance to Las Malagueñas giving to the highway.

The a lot of unknown till now pictures (21 from all the existing 35 mm original negatives made by Capa on September 5th 1936, currently being in the collection of the International Center of Photography in New York -including the absolutely decisive new picture in which appears the body of a Republican militian on the ground who grasps with his left hand his Mauser rifle crossed on his stomach and who is the same second Republican militiaman hit by bullet depicted in an already known image of this soldiers fallen on the ground very badly injured but still alive grabbing his rifle whose barrel point touches the soil, taken immediately after the Falling Soldier- and eight 2 1/4 negatives exposed by Gerda Taro) made by Robert Capa and Gerda Taro and displayed in the extraordinary International Center of Photography exhibition This is War! Robert Capa at Work (which proves definitely, even more than before, than the picture of the Falling Soldier was true, there wasn´t any trick and the real instant death of a Republican militiaman impacted by a 7 x 57 mm long barrel Mauser shot made by a Moroccan sniper of Tabor of Regulares is captured in an unexpected way by Capa along with a second militiaman who runs down the slope of Cerro de La Coja behind the Falling Soldier and is also shot by the same Tabor of Regulares sniper, though not dying instantly as the first and most famous militiaman) London and Milan which will arrive at Barcelona next July 2009, were not made in Las Malagueñas hill in the afternoon, but in the morning between 9:30 h and 10.30 h in the Cerro de La Coja hill.

On the other hand, it highly makes sense that around 21:30 h in the night of September 5th 1936, when it was impossible to defend Las Malagueñas hill any longer and probably the men of Tabor of Regulares were near the "Casa de Las Malagueñas" headquarters, Gerda Taro and Robert Capa escaped from Las Malagueñas hill along with the Republican staff (majors Bernal, Armentia, Balibrea and Aviraneta), the surviving loyalist officers and militiamen and Clemente Cimorra towards Cerro Muriano village.

Probably, as usually happens in these contexts, the staff was specially well protected, with a lot of men taking machine guns, rifles, etc, all the vehicles available, etc, and I´m convinced that all the time there had been an escape route open between Las Malagueñas hills and Cerro Muriano village covered by many Republican militiamen whose task was to protect the Republican high officers at all costs.

An example of this, evidently on a hugely bigger scale, happened at the end of the Battle of Ebro in 1938, when on the night of November 16th 1938, colonel Manuel Tagüeña, under whose command were all the Republican forces on the left bank of the river, had to order the retreat to save the lives of thousands of his militiamen (3, 35 and 42 divisions making up the Republican XV Army Corps, which had crossed the river on July 25th 1938 together with Republican Lister´s V Army Corps in the area Ascó-Flix-Ribarroja) exploding the iron bridge of Flix. There were very selected soldie