Overview

This figure is a companion to LMF-007 Marinero Español — the same Spanish sailor, but now fighting on land rather than at sea. He still wears his Navy jumper and cap, but everything else has changed: an army rifle with bayonet fixed, an infantryman's leather webbing and ammunition pouches slung over his uniform. He represents the men of the Republic's 151st Mixed Brigade, formed in 1937 and sent to the trenches around Madrid.

Historical Context

The 151st Mixed Brigade was formed at the end of June 1937 on the Madrid Front, from several battalions of Infantería de Marina — Spain's marine infantry corps — rather than from army recruits. Its first commander was Lieutenant Colonel Basilio Fuentes Serna, and its political commissar Juan Antonio Turiel Furones. The brigade received its baptism of fire days later at the Battle of Brunete (July 1937), advancing from Monte del Pardo on the republican offensive's right flank; Fuentes was wounded in the fighting and replaced by Commander Pedro Muñoz Caro. The brigade went on to fight at Teruel later that year, was badly mauled and encircled during the Battle of Alfambra in February 1938, was rebuilt, and later served in the defence of Lérida and the Battle of the Ebro before self-dissolving during the final retreat into Catalonia in 1939.

Sourced from the Wikipedia articles on the 151.ª Brigada Mixta and Infantería de Marina (España), cross-checked against a contemporary report in the newspaper La Hora, "Marineros de Levante — En el frente de Madrid," which names the same commander (Lt. Col. Basilio Fuentes) and describes the 151st as made up of "marineros levantinos y catalanes" of the Infantería de Marina.

From Ship to Trench

Why was a sailor fighting on land at all? For most of the war the Republic's fleet, despite outnumbering its Nationalist counterpart, spent long stretches bottled up and largely passive — its officer corps gutted by the mutinies of July 1936, morale and discipline chronically weak (a May 1938 report to President Negrín described "low offensive spirit" among crews and openly worried about Nationalist sympathisers still serving aboard). With a battle-idle fleet and manpower to spare, the Republic channelled naval personnel into land units instead — in this case through Infantería de Marina battalions already stationed at Madrid, folded straight into an army mixed brigade rather than left waiting on ships that rarely put to sea.

Sourced from the Wikipedia article on the Marina de Guerra de la República Española.

Clothing & Equipment

Blusa marinera (jumper) and trousers: the same navy-blue Navy uniform as our LMF-007 Marinero Español — kept even at the front, since this brigade fought in whatever uniform its men already had.

Gorra de plato (cap): the sailor's flat cap, worn as at sea rather than swapped for an army-issue cap or helmet. A period photo of the 151st Brigade shows a real example of the ribbon reading "AERONAUTICA NAVAL" — Naval Aviation, the Navy's own air arm — confirming that men from more than one naval branch, not just Infantería de Marina, ended up fighting in this brigade.

Webbing and pouches: brown leather infantry harness and ammunition pouches, issued once the brigade took up an infantry role — a mismatch of Navy uniform with Army kit that's exactly the point of this figure.

Rifle and bayonet: standard Spanish Mauser, carried with bayonet fixed, unlike our more relaxed LMF-006 Legionario pose.

Footwear: rope-soled alpargatas rather than Navy shoes.

Uniform and equipment details are drawn from our own approved box art for this figure; we haven't yet located a period photograph specific to the 151st Mixed Brigade to cross-check against.

Colours Overview

Colour names are generic mixing targets, not brand-specific codes. Swap in your preferred paint range (Vallejo, AK Interactive, Scale75, etc.).

Glossary

Infantería de Marina: Spain's marine infantry corps — sailors trained and organised for land combat, distinct from a ship's regular crew, and the source unit for this brigade.

Brigada Mixta (Mixed Brigade): the standard combined-arms infantry formation of the Spanish Republican People's Army.

This glossary is shared across the Linden Models Spanish Civil War series. Terms already defined on other guide pages (Marinero, Cinta, Republican/Nationalist faction) are not repeated here.

Historical References

This figure represents the type of soldier who served in the 151st Mixed Brigade rather than a named individual. We did find a period source for the unit itself: a wartime spread from the newspaper La Hora, "Marineros de Levante — En el frente de Madrid," held in the digital archive of the Biblioteca Nacional de España, showing men of the 151st at the front and naming the same commander, Basilio Fuentes, that Wikipedia records. Our clothing and equipment details still follow our own approved box art rather than this specific photo spread.

General background sourced from the Wikipedia articles on the 151.ª Brigada Mixta, Infantería de Marina (España), and Marina de Guerra de la República Española; period photograph via the Biblioteca Nacional de España digital archive.

Recommended Reading

• Warships in the Spanish Civil War — Angus Konstam
• The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 — Antony Beevor
• The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge — Paul Preston

Links carry the lindenmodels-20 Amazon Associates tag. Konstam covers the naval side this figure comes from; Beevor and Preston are general histories for the land war it ended up fighting.

Downloads

A print-ready PDF of this guide — handy to keep next to your paints while you work.

Other Figures in This Series