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I found this story on the Labora. Contains lots of interesting information in some cases contradicts what we know so far. For example, referring to the name or Fontbernat regarding the number of units built. There is a precise statement about the effectiveness of the weapon. I do not know to what extent it is an imaginary story or it can give rigorous, historically speaking. Because it is a long text, I include photographs not appear in the original version


rifle gun Olot

A story of Xavier Valeri Valeri Coromant

1st half
English Civil War served as the major foreign powers could try new weapons and techniques were then used in mass during World War II. Many of those tools are still fully valid and unfortunately the last time you did serve in the former Yugoslavia.

This is the case of the submachine gun, pistol or machine gun machine gun, this weapon, which had its first intensive use during the end of World War I and then in our war is from alshores, essential in combating urban The fighting in trenches and fighting all sorts of groups in which infantry Assault fight at short distances. In the First World War was the sweep of the trenches.

Its silhouette, sometimes bizarre, has become a characteristic element of the news reaching us from all conflicts in the world, and bèl.lics and gangster films. However, few know that one of the forerunners of modern Uzi, carried by bodyguards of politicians, the popular AK 47 (Kalasnikov) the most common since the Vietnam War and comparable to the historic Thompson (USA) PPSh 41 (USSR) , MP 40 Schemeisser (Wermatch) and Sten (Great Britain) was designed and fabricated at Olot in this city


2nd part
in Olot, in 1938, it manufactured a rifle light machine guns known as "Fontbernat Labora." The weapon in question was the English 9 gauge length, a cannon of 262 millimeters long, with a total length of 806 mil.límtres, weighing 4.250 kg, an initial nelocitat of 397 m / s, a rate of fire 750 mps and accepted 36 chargers and 20 bullets.

The main interest of this weapon lies in the fact that, unlike other guns, that looks nothing like the foreign models that inspired most of the models manufactured in Spain of the time.

For example, the best known of contemporaries of the "Labora Fontbernat" was the popular "Naranjero" which was a copy of the German MP 28 submachine gun (Schmeisser) adapted to English caliber nine home. But the shape of the "Labor makes me think of a mix between Thompson and the gangsters after the U.S. army and later MP 40 (Schmeisser) that is used to metrallera Whermacht in the blitzkrieg with surprising effectiveness and devastating effects between infantry Ingleses, Polish, French and Soviet.

The Labora was smaller and slightly less heavy than the MP 40. It was more like a drum loop and Thopsom but a bit thicker. The problem of the weapon was much Olot consruir expensive and difficult than their rivals, designed to be built in too.

regard to their use in combat, given the low production and was little used at the front, I have no control. In addition 'many hadith "Labor VAB was sabotaged in their own chain of production workers in the fifth column. Which makes some of the issues that have come down to us fincionin well.

Regarding the name "Labor does not know where it comes from, check it is not recorded or the weapon and that the workers were also called him" Naranjero "nickname of the English version of the MP II 28 at the time, was used to name all sorts of rifles machine guns.


third part
The "Labora" was produced at the factory 15 of the war industry of Catalonia. This factory was formed by the concentration of small workshops Olot machinery factory in Lock Street.

These workshops were converted, in principle, under the direction of the War Industries Committee of Catalonia created by decree on 7 August 1936, with the idea of \u200b\u200bcoordinating the different efforts of the steel and chemical industries to meet the demanding needs of the frontline.

This committee was led and organized by Colonel Joseph Terradellas Jimenez of Beraza, director of the arms factory of Oviedo in 1934). There is a photograph of the time when Terradellas's hands a "Naranjero" and a general Miaja "Labora", the bottom of this indicates that the first photo showing the second new model submachine gun. In August of 1938 and Central Government expropriated the war industries Catalan perhaps why many of the Chargers' Labora "have recorded in English" Rifle-Machine Gun Olot "

The creator of" Labora, "according to witnesses was a point Olot gunsmith, now dead, that Michael dei Corominas and was known because of its high stature and in St. Paul. Francis Balat of 82 years in 1993, was one of Olot who worked for 3 years in developing the submachine gun. Balat tecorda Coromines that was never the best gunsmith in Olot and there has been one of the best professionals in the metal.

The professionalism and prestige in Coromines was such that by the fascists arrested, accused of collaboration with the Government of the Republic, was claimed by the powerful businessmen metal Olot, who endorsed, and could profession continue to play smoothly.


4th part
Francis Balat, before the war worked in the repair of agricultural machinery. When the anarchists started the conflict were to select the best technical metal Olot. Among them were the young Francis Balat. At first the locksmith was joining the staff of the workshop can Torras, on the road to St. Paul. Can

Torres was just one of the workshops that Olot, and converted col.lectivitzat, howitzer manufactured parts. The manufacture of ammunition for guns was short and, according to Balat, when the Government took over, he moved all the machines in a warehouse located workshops Olot Lock Street, known as Fontbernat can.

Balat told me that there began the mass production of "Labora." At the factory, according to Balat, there treballavan some seventy people on two shifts. Most of these workers were qualified. Many of these workers were of military age but were retained by the government that exempted the Government to go to the front.

Moreover, according to Balat, people working in manufacturing the submachine gun did not miss even when setmanada depended on the Government or from requisament workshop by the Government of the Republic.

the factory vin Fuseli guns came out fifteen or newspapers. Considering that production, according to Balat, lasted about two years, had to make some ten thousand rifles, machine guns in Olot.

Balat specifies that the first copies of "Labor only fired bursts and soon because they incorporate a co-signer may alternate shot blast and shot to shot.

The making of "Labor was very manual and, for example, the grooves of the cooling system is turning one by one, and the butts were the two modelers, too, one by one.

Balat does not deny that the legend "Labor supporters were sabotaged by workers of the fascists. However, the old blacksmith specified that each copy of seubfusell was tested in a basement. This may only prove that the sabotage was the justification of the work before the search responsibilities after the war did the fascists. I met a man possessed the gun and told me that it worked perfectly.

Once tested these weapons were sent to Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhere they were distributed to the best units of the Republican army. If Olot could have produced the "Labor and chain had reached to 500,000 or 600,000" Labor may have changed the outcome of the war. In fact, the MP40 (Schemeisser) was a key to the victories of the Germans in the early campaigns of World War II.

5th part
the end of the Civil War there were many guns without locks. The cause was that the withdrawals to run threw the gun fired the soldiers to run over and why if no weapons were captured were more likely to survive. Before launching the rifle because he removed the lock did not use against them.

Most rifles were "Mauser 98" of the former English army. Suffice to say that a third of the Republic were Màusers rifles, captured from the barracks at the start of the war and weaponry that were left with the legal government, another third were "Mosin" from the USSR and a final third came from different backgrounds.

As for rifles Fascists, almost all were "Mauser." Therefore, second Balat, Fontbernat industry in recent times of war alternated manufacturing "Labora ° with the set of locks for guns recovered in Contratac.

The activity of the arms factory Olot lasted until the arrival of the fascist forces and Berber mercenaries 7 February 1939. None of the employees except the creator of "Labor, who was arrested a few days he suffered retaliation. According Balat, all employees received a safe conduct of the FET and jons.

Balat bank that drew me cartridges during the 9th bank that needed the "Labora" elaborated in the factory Arthur & Simóm. The needs of the conflict meant that the War Industries Committee stipulated adaptation chain assembly bulbs in cartridges. In diferènciea factory of weapons, ammunition and preparing the many working women.


Every time I think more than if the Government of the Republic instead of throwing the senseless attack of the Ebro, had built a defensive wall in Catalonia. Our country had ressistit fascist army for many years. At the end Whermacht would have occupied but have been freed by the Allies. I think the government of the Republic Unindent preferred the army of the Republic before there was a possibility of independence for Catalonia. It's a personal opinion without any importance, but I think it is ridiculous.

anyone else think the same?