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Show SPANISH BATTLE FOR KEY TOWN BARCELONA, Jan. 4 (TV-A I least 4 person were killed and M wounded la Tarragona today when Insurgent planea rained heavy bomb on two passenger trains boded with refugee Irene the treat lis areas. HENDAYZ, Franco fat the Span-lah Span-lah Frontier), Jan. 4 CWV-The fate of Artesa; keystone of vital highways high-ways In northern Catalonia, was placed In doubt late today aa Insurgent In-surgent and Spanish government forces were locked In bloody com-feat com-feat for Its possession. Despite semiofficial Insurgent dla-patches dla-patches saying the little textile town only OS miles from Barcelona had bean reduced to a masa of. rubble and then occupied, blunt government govern-ment deniala left Its fata In doubt Insurgent Generalissimo Francisco Fran-cisco Franco's veteran Navarreae tronpa, who bad smashed their way slowly Into the Artesa triangle against fierce resistance, were matched against fresh government forces hurled Into battle In an effort ef-fort to atop the Insurgent drive that began December 21 with Barcelona, government capital, aa the ultimate oel. Insurgent Advance First Insurgent field bulletins Peaching border stations aald the town, only 46 milea from Barcelona, fell shortly after p. m. Tuesday. An hour before, two of the Insurgent Insur-gent army corps the Urgel and Maeatraxgo moved Into sons on the northwest and wsst to Join forcea In the face of withering lire from the Bpanlah government defenders. de-fenders. All mention of Artesa's reported fall ware omitted from government communlquea, although bulletins did admit insurgent advances la the immediate im-mediate sector. Capture of Artesa Is highly Important Im-portant to the Insurgents because of Its position as control point for three main highways. It dnminataa the road from Tramp In the north te Tarragona. Ballon Bed urea About IS mile eaat of Lerlda. thie highway join the main road between Lerlda and Barcelona, objective ob-jective of the Insurgent offensive. The little town, with a normal population pop-ulation of 2700, also I on th main road from Balaguer to the French-Bpanlah French-Bpanlah border. A number of secondary sec-ondary roads reaching government Bosltlona converge en Artesa. Tha reported capture of the town followed a slow but steady advance which brought a half dosen village Into the Insurgent hold and reduced re-duced the government pocket directly di-rectly eaat ef the Serge river. Aa advance of almoat Identical Strategical Importance waa proceed-In;, proceed-In;, gaeanwhile, In the As pa sector Just southeast of Lerlda. Rebate Smash Ahead Insurgent troop there Were pushing? push-ing? Into too JJrgei tableland, where they were attacking the village of Caotelldana, Junction point for seven sev-en secondary road directly wsst of the government base at Bar las Bianoaa. " Tkeae two operations. Insurgent aoamsaentator said. Indicated preparatory pre-paratory phase of th Catalan of-f of-f laelve ' were being terminated. These sources previously predicted general concerted drive toward Baroeloaa a sooa a ths two flanks - had been brought Into position round the government first Hne of efenae from Balaguer t Borjas Blanfat |