The insurgents had only those aircraft that they could capture from government bases, or foreign aircraft they hijacked while they were in transit to Spain. At the onset of hostilities, the small Spanish air force (SAF) was a composite of foreign-built and Spanish-built foreign designs, mostly obsolete. On July 18, 1936, garrisons rebelled all over Spain, and many Spanish generals joined the rebels, with the result that some of northern Spain fell to the insurgents. The latter included General Francisco Franco Bahamonde, who was exiled to command the Canary Islands, off the west coast of Africa. Other officers were assigned to posts outside the Spanish mainland. The Falangists planned a coup d’etat that involved two Spanish generals however, the government discovered the plot and quickly reacted by discharging or prematurely retiring any officer whose loyalty was suspect. The Spanish Fascists, called Falangists, challenged the Popular Front, which resulted in open violence. The Communist Party of Spain joined with other left-wing groups using the name Popular Front and won the election of February 1936. Between 19 there were two general elections and 28 different governments. The antagonism between Conservatives and Liberals increased steadily. But the inflation generated by that conflict resulted in suffering for the Spanish working classes, setting the stage for nationwide political unrest. That beautifully coordinated attack was just one example of the striking aerial combat techniques developed during the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War by the Condor Legion.ĭuring World War I, the capitalists of neutral Spain had profited by selling coal, zinc, copper, pyrites and textiles to the belligerents. So effective was the onslaught that by the time the Heinkels completed their runs, the attacking Spanish Nationalist troops were within hand grenade range of the Republican defenders. The resulting carnage demolished the morale of the surviving troops. The biplanes came in waves of nine-across formations, wingtip to wingtip, each carrying six 22-pound fragmentation bombs and dropping them simultaneously. At the same time, Heinkel He-51 biplanes barreled in below 500 feet, strafing and bombing troops and anti-aircraft batteries. Messerschmitt Bf-109B fighters flew top cover to maintain air superiority while Heinkel He-111 bombers attacked both strategic and tactical targets. They Flew for Franco: German Condor Legion's Tactical Air Power Closeĭuring the Spanish Civil War, a group of German pilots that became known as the Condor Legion honed their hunting skills in Spain’s skies.ĭuring the first week of July 1937, the German Condor Legion launched a spectacular coordinated attack on Spanish Republican forces at the Battle of Brunete, about 15 miles west of Madrid.

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