Battle of Nuevo Xichútepa

Battle of San Romero
Part of the Creeperian Civil War
The city center of San Romero after months of bombing from the Miguelist Air Force photoed in November 1940.
Date May 4, 1940-August 25, 1940 (3 months and 3 weeks) Location San Romero, San Romero, Creeperopolis Result Romerist Victory
Belligerents
Romerists	Miguelists
Commanders and leaders
Antonio Sáenz Heredia Érick Hidalgo Rivera Ramón Serrano Suñer Óscar Únzaga Vega	Cayetano Handel Carpio   Mariano Alcocer Fraga
Units involved
Romerist Army Romerist Air Force Falange Creeperiano	Miguelist Army Miguelist Air Force Ejército Rojo Ateo
Strength
50,000 soldiers 100 aircraft	72,000 soldiers 210 aircraft
Casualties and losses
4,184 dead 5,184 wounded 284 missing 681 prisoners	8,149 dead 5,486 wounded 1,472 missing 361 prisoners
12,472 civilians killed, 23,174 civilians wounded, 2,487 civlians missing

The Battle of San Romero (Creeperian Spanish: Batalla de San Romero) was a major battle of the Creeperian Civil War which lasted from May 4, 1940 until August 25, 1940.

Battle

Miguelist Bombings

On May 4, 1940, the Miguelist Air Force began bombing the city of San Romero. The following day, May 5, 1940, an army of 50,000 men of the Miguelist Army arrived at San Romero and began attacking the city. The Miguelists pierced deep into Romerist territory with the goal of capturing the city. The attack was personally commanded by Cayetano Handel Carpio, one of the men that Antonio Sáenz Heredia, the then Mayor of San Romero, ordered the death of during the Crisis of 1928. Handel Carpio sought to take revenge on Sáenz Heredia and publicy behead him and his entire family like the Falange Creeperiano did to his family back on March 1, 1928.

Ground Battle

Sáenz Heredia requested immediate support from the Romerist Army units stationed in Salvador to assist his garrison of only 17,000 men. From May 5, 1940, to May 17, 1940, Sáenz Heredia's garrison stood strong against the army of 72,000 attacking the city. On May 18, 33,000 reinforcements from Salvador arrived to relieve the initial garrison. The Romerist Air Force also arrived and fought off the Miguelist Air Force which had been harassing the civilians of San Romero.

The battle dragged through June and July until, on July 12, 1940, a convoy just south of San Romero with Cayetano Handel Carpio aboard was bombed by the Romerist Air Force. The Romerist Army arrived at the site to recover any weapons and supplies that would be useful to the garrison when they discovered Cayetano Handel Carpio still alive in the wreckage. He was immediately arrested and brought back to San Romero. Sáenz Heredia spoke harshly to Handel Carpio when he first came into contact with him on July 13, 1940. Sáenz Heredia announced that Handel Carpio had been captured and ordered the immediate surrender of all Miguelist forces in the department of San Romero. The soldiers refused and continued to fight in an attempt to rescue Handel Carpio. The Miguelist Air Force ended all bombing of the city since they did not want to accidentally kill Handel Carpio by mistake.

Execution of Handel Carpio

On August 23, 1940, the fourth anniversary of the Triumvurate Massacre of 1936, Sáenz Heredia had Cayetano Handel Carpio nailed to a cross in the shape of the Cross of Creeperopolis and was crucified and burned alive in front of the capitol building of San Romero. His scorced corpse was left where it was following the execution and it still remains there today. After the execution of Cayetano Handel Carpio was made known, the Miguelists withdrew from the city of San Romero on August 25, 1940, resulting in a decisive victory for the Catholic Imperial Restoration Council in the Battle of San Romero.

Aftermath

Antonio Sáenz Heredia ordered the immediate executions of Miguelist prisoners of war by firing squads on August 30, 1940. The brutality of Sáenz Heredia during the battle earned him the nickname of "Warlord Mayor of San Romero" by his supporters and detractors alike.

See Also

• Antonio Sáenz Heredia
• Cayetano Handel Carpio