General Forums => Wishlist => Topic started by: Arlo on February 26, 2016, 04:15:27 PM
Title: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on February 26, 2016, 04:15:27 PM
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Ack-Ack on February 26, 2016, 04:32:47 PM
I'm all in favor of it as well as adding the plane set from the 2nd Sino-Japanese War prior to the start of WW2.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Volron on February 26, 2016, 04:53:45 PM
Some of those planes could be used in the Winter War as well. :D
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on February 27, 2016, 06:35:10 PM
Though I used to promote this idea diligently, it would not be a small undertaking. I see the minimum plane set for a (late) Spanish Civil War arena as:
I'm thinking the HT staff might like somewhat of a break after the beta goes full bore. Never-the-less, I dream and will continue to do so with as many that find this as attractive as I do. :D
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Devil 505 on February 27, 2016, 06:39:09 PM
This would be pretty cool. I do love the HE-51, even if it's performance was not that great at the time.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Vraciu on February 27, 2016, 09:04:37 PM
This is a troll thread. Gotta be. :headscratch:
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on February 27, 2016, 09:12:13 PM
We don't have enough players for the arenas we have. I don't see how adding another would be prudent. Yet. Maybe down the road.
But He-51 and Fiat dogfights with a Gladiator thrown in.....man that would be awesome.
I never said that it was a "good idea" for the game, just that I like it. :devil
Oh and the He-112 is a sexy fighter too. :airplane:
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on February 27, 2016, 09:39:36 PM
(http://ww2photo.se/air/d/hein/08306.jpg)
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on February 27, 2016, 10:29:28 PM
(http://www.kbismarck.com/mgl/cana800.gif)
The most famous and active of the ships of the Spanish Civil War entered in service in September 1936, with 102 mm guns instead of the 120 mm AA guns, and a director for land guns. As the ship was quickly commissioned and her crew (for the most part made up of young volunteers) mostly untrained, the Canarias was not used in the Bay of Biscay against the Republican fleet. The Canarias was instead sent with Almirante Cervera to the strait of Gibraltar after the bulk of the Republican fleet headed North. On 29 September, the cruisers spotted two Republican destroyers blocking the strait (Almirante Ferrándiz and Gravina). The Canarias opened fire against the Ferrándiz at 20000 mt. and scored a fatal hit with the third salvo, sinking the destroyer in a few minutes. The Gravina could manage to escape unscathed to Casablanca. In only a handful of minutes the Nationalists were able to wrest the control of the strait from the Republicans. Moving the Republican fleet to the Bay of Biscay turned out to be a major strategic mistake.
In the following months (almost always with the Cervera) she alternated operations in the Bay of Biscay with those in the Mediterranean sea, bombarding the Catalan coast, and supporting the seize of Malaga. In October, the cruisers attempted to intercept the Republican fleet returning to the Mediterranean: the two squadrons crossed their paths at night without founding each other. On 12 December, Canarias sank the Soviet cargo ship Konsomol off Oran. The sinking spurred an international incident, and since then the Soviets would be much less willing to sacrifice their merchant ships to support the Republicans.
In February 1937 the Canarias collided with a Greek freighter and she had to be repaired in Cadiz. Baleares then joined her and both cruisers were transferred to their new homeport in Mallorca. In March, she fought in the Bay of Biscay seizing several cargo ships. On April 25, Canarias and Baleares, after bombarding Malaga, entered the harbor of Cartagena and harassed the Republican fleet. After a short skirmish without consequences on either side, the Nationalist cruisers left before enemy shore guns (380 mm-15'') were able to join the fray. They then attempted to intercept the Jaime I which had run aground the previous day but could find shelter in time at Almeria.
The Canarias, with the others cruisers, escorted convoys coming from Italy. The night of 23 September, somewhere off Calella (Menorca) the cruiser seized two transports bound for the island, after the three escorting destroyers had fled. In October 1937, after the fall of the northern front, the Nationalist fleet operated in the Mediterranean sea. In January 1938 the Canarias bombarded Barcelona, and in February the Nationalist cruisers bombarded various ports on the Republican controlled coast besides escorting several convoys.
On 6 March 1938 the Baleares was sunk while on escort duty. The Canarias, astern in the line formation, took command and proceeded with her escort duty, leaving sailors from the unfortunate ship in the water. They were rescued by British destroyers and when Canarias and Cervera returned after the mission to recover the Nationalist sailors, they were met by a Republican air raid that fortunately didn't score any hit.
The Republican Navy wasn't able to take advantage their victory, and cruisers Canarias, Cervera and Navarra, continued with their relentless job of blockading, escorting and bombarding.
On 27 August, the Canarias intercepted enemy destroyer José Luis Díez sorting from Le Havre and bound for Cartagena. The Canarias was able to cripple the destroyer with a single hit but the hapless José Luis Díez could escape to Gibraltar. Until the end of the war, the only action worth of notice is the blockade of Cartagena in the last days of the war.
After the war the Canarias underwent various modifications until she was withdrawn from service in 1975.
(http://www.kbismarck.com/mgl/lib800.gif)
She was the most active and effective of the Republican ships. Flagship of the fleet during nearly all the war, she was involved in all of the most noteworthy actions. Originally she was named after the heir of the Crown (Príncipe Alfonso.)
At the beginning of the war the Libertad was in Ferrol, and with the Jaime I and Miguel de Cervantes she received the order to head for Cadiz. The officers were uncertain over which faction they wanted to side with. While underway the crew mutinied and took over the ships, arresting the officers. Already clearly on the side of the Republic, and following orders from the government, the fleet regrouped in Tangier. On July 20, the Libertad and several destroyers bombarded Ceuta, and on July 22, with the help of the Cervantes, Algeciras and La Linea.
Eventually the International Committee ordered the Republican fleet to leave Tangier. From then on they would be homported in Malaga, and they would maintain the blockade of the strait. On August 5, the Nationalists succeded in forcing a convoy trough the strait. On August 7, the Jaime I and Libertad bombarded Algeciras and Cadiz.
Near the end of August, the Libertad took part in the unsuccessful attempt at seizing Mallorca. On September 26, together with the Cervantes, Jaime I and five destroyers, the cruiser crossed the strait of Gibraltar heading North to help the isolated Republican-held territories in northern Spain. The strategic mistake was to have significant consequences. On September 29 , the Nationalist cruisers swept across the destroyers guarding the strait and had them flee. From that moment on the Nationalists would move Morocco-based troops onto the peninsula without hindrance. Over the following month the Republican fleet only carried on shore bombardments in the Bay of Biscay. They were then ordered back to the Mediterranean. While underway the fleet crossed enemy cruisers Canarias and Cervera at might without being spotted.
The Republican Navy was later moved to Cartagena. On 23 April 1938, the Libertad, Jaime I, Méndez Núñez and some destroyers bombarded Malaga. On their way back to the Cartagena harbor they were met and harassed by the Nationalist cruisers. On May 20 the Republican fleet encountered the Baleares in thick fog, which escaped after trading salvos with two destroyers .
On September 7, the Libertad, Méndez Núnez and seven destroyers, while escorting a convoy off cape Cherchell again spotted the Baleares . (see Baleares). While withdrawing to Cartagena, the Republicans were attacked by Nationalist and Italian airplanes.
At the beginning of March 1938, the Republicans studied a possible operation using MTB's against the enemy cruisers, which were then in port at Palma de Mallorca. Cruisers Libertad and Méndez Núnez and destroyers Sanchez-Barcáiztegui, Almirante Antequera, Lepanto, Gravina and Lazaga would distant cover to the mission. Bad weather prevented the use of MTB's and the battle of Cape Palos would briefly ensue (see Baleares). The Libertad, was again the flagship of the Republican fleet. This time the destroyers were used aggressively and succeded in coordinating their attack and were able to sink an enemy heavy cruiser. Having expended all their torpedoes and being the weather foul, the Republicans decided to head back to Cartagena. After that victory, the Republican cruisers did not accomplish much else.
The Republican area of control was again divided in two in April 1938, but their navy was able to maintain communication between zones by using submarines and destroyers. The cruisers were kept at Cartagena until March 1939, when, following the fateful events at the end of the war, they were transferred to Bizerta (Algeria).
After the war, the ship was renamed Galicia. Together with the Cervantes, she would be refitted and see service until the 60's.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Saxman on February 27, 2016, 11:27:04 PM
I'm all in favor of it as well as adding the plane set from the 2nd Sino-Japanese War prior to the start of WW2.
Ki-27s and A5Ms would have been the dominant Japanese fighters, with G3Ms and Ki-21s as the predominant bomber types (G4Ms didn't arrive until later, and the AVG never encountered Zeros, only Ki-27s, A5Ms, and Ki-43s). P-26s, P-36s, and Gladiators for the Chinese. Many of these would also be useful for other PTO scenarios in the early stages of WWII.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: hgtonyvi on February 28, 2016, 07:50:23 AM
Was that a i16 dominating?
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on February 28, 2016, 09:46:03 AM
It was possibly the best the Republic had. The Monarchists employed captured I-16s. But then they did that with every captured craft and they had the 109 E. Sources claim both the I-16 and 109 E as revolutionary for the day. But the following hardly paints it as 'dominating' :
"The Polikarpovs immediately began dominating the enemy He 51s and Arado Ar 68 biplanes[citation needed] and remained unchallenged until the introduction of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The arrival of the newest Bf 109Bs and the overwhelming numerical superiority of Nationalist fighters were the primary cause of the heavy I-15 and I-16 combat losses suffered by throughout 1937.[10] A number of aviation publications called the new Soviet fighter a "Boeing" due to the incorrect assumption that it was based on the Boeing P-26's design. The Nationalists nicknamed the stubby fighter Rata (Rat), while the Republicans affectionately called it Mosca (Fly).
Combat experience showed that the I-16 had deficiencies; several aircraft were lost after structural failure of the wings which was quickly remedied by reinforced structures. Heavy machine gun bullets could sometimes penetrate the armored backrest and fuel tanks occasionally caught fire in spite of being protected. The hot Spanish summers required the addition of oil radiators, and dust adversely affected the life of the engines. Although some aircraft accumulated up to 400 hours of flying time, the average life of an I-16 was 87 days, of which one sixth was spent on maintenance. The biggest complaint in service was the light armament of only two 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine guns. This was urgently addressed with the Type 6 which added a third ShKAS in the bottom of the fuselage. The four-gun Type 10 was nicknamed "Super Mosca" or simply "Super". The total number of I-16s delivered to Spain from 1936 to 1938 amounted to 276. When the war ended on 1 April 1939, 187 Ratas had been lost in Spain: 112 lost in combat, one shot down by anti-aircraft fire, eleven destroyed on the ground, one force-landed and 62 lost in accidents.[11]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polikarpov_I-16
Different online sources may, of course, say different things about it (this is a 'Captain Obvious' moment) :
"The 1-16 Rata (nickname meaning "rat") was the world's first single-winged fighter plane with retractable landing gear. It was not a particularly fast or nimble craft, but after its debut, the bi-winged linen-skinned fighter became a thing of the past. In 1927, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin demanded a technically superior fighter for the Red Air Force. Designers Nikolai Polikarpov and Dmitri Grigorovich were ordered to create one "under state supervision," while in prison. The resulting I-16 was small, light, and could withstand tremendous amounts of damage while still remaining airworthy. After pilots ran out of ammunition, many rammed their enemies in mid-air."
"The first low-wing monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear to enter service, the Polikarpov I-16 was obsolete even before the Second World War began, yet plodded along as the Soviet Union's first line fighter until 1943 when the Red Air Force finally introduced top-notch aircraft to slug it out with the Luftwaffe for the remainder of the war.
Of advanced design for its time, the I-16 was, none-the-less, an illustration of poor timing, being the fastest of its type when first introduced, highly maneuverable, with excellent climbing speed and roll rate, yet soon outclassed by a newer craft developed by Germany and Japan. While the aircraft performed well against German combat aircraft during the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939), and against the Japanese Air Force in Manchuria starting in 1937, by the time Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, the aircraft was outclassed by new generations of enemy fighters. Yet, as the most numerous of the Soviet fighters available at that time, it bore the brunt of the battle for several years.
On the plus side, its simple, rugged construction, all-wood monocoque fuselage and metal wings made the I-16 easy to maintain under frontline conditions, and enabled it to absorb heavy punishment while staying in the fight. In fact, the plane itself was sturdy enough to be used as a ram to destroy enemy aircraft in midair when ammunition ran out in a dogfight.
On the negative side, it had poor longitudinal stability, a tendency to stall in a glide, and was exceedingly temperamental, requiring highly skilled airmanship to perform well and not kill the pilot before the enemy had a shot at him.
Although more than 7,000 of the fighters and their two-seat trainer variants were produced, not more than a handful have survived, with 3 non-flying craft being in museums (two in Russia, one in China). However, at least 6 wrecked I-16's had been restored to flying condition in New Zealand by the end of 1998, all of them Type 24s dating from 1939. At least one was imported to the USA in 1999."
http://www.warbirdalley.com/rata.htm
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: save on February 29, 2016, 04:57:10 AM
I will use any excuse to get the Tante Ju52 in the game :D
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: LCADolby on February 29, 2016, 05:42:20 AM
He112's would be great fun
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Vraciu on February 29, 2016, 06:35:57 AM
In 1926, he joined the US Navy hoping to become a naval aviator. In 1933, he graduated from the US Naval Academy. In 1934, he was assigned to US Navy aviation and became a pilot of a reconnaissance floatplane of the USS San Francisco cruiser. Because of problems with alcohol and brawls, he was dismissed from the Navy.
Later in 1935, Tinker joined the crew of a Standard Oil tanker running from New York to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a third mate. By July 1936, he left his job with Standard Oil, and looked for a job as a pilot.
After the start of the Spanish Civil War, Tinker offered his service to a Republican side, reportedly because of his aversion to fascist regime of Benito Mussolini, who was helping the Spanish Nationalists. He negotiated a high salary of $1,500 monthly, and a premium of $1,000 for any aircraft he shot down. Under nom de guerre Francisco Gómez Trejo, he went to Spain via France.
For a short time, from January 6, 1937, Tinker served in a light bomber squadron, flying obsolete Breguet 19 bombers. From January 23, he, along with some other American pilots, was assigned to a fighter unit, 1st Escuadrilla de Chatos commanded by Andrés García La Calle, flying Soviet Polikarpov I-15 "Chato" biplanes. In 1937, he flew many combat missions against the Fascist Falange air forces, generally duelling Germans and Italians. The squadron first entered action on February 10, and took part in a Battle of Guadalajara. On March 14, Tinker shot down his first aircraft, an Italian Fiat CR.32 fighter, followed by another CR.32 on March 20. On April 17, he shot down a German Heinkel He 51 fighter from Legion Condor over Teruel.
On May 3, 1937, Tinker was assigned to 1st Escuadrilla de Moscas, commanded by the Russian, Ivan Lakyeyev, flying the faster Polikarpov I-16 "Mosca" monoplane fighters. On June 2 and June 16, he shot down another CR.32. On July 13, he became the first pilot to shoot down one of the most modern German fighters, a Messerschmitt Bf 109A, near Madrid. It was piloted by Unteroffizier (Sergeant) Guido Honess of 2./J 88, flying a Bf 109A believed to be marked 6-4. Honess, who was killed in the ensuing crash, was the first German pilot to achieve three victories with this new type of aircraft. On July 17, Tinker shot down another Bf 109A. This first version of the Bf 109 was not a "good climber" and Tinker caught it from behind while the German pilot tried to gain altitude after a dive on him – a lethal mistake according to Tinker. The scene is described in detail in his book Some Still Live. His final victory was over a Fiat CR.32 on July 18, 1937. Tinker flew his last missions on July 29, 1937, then returned to the U.S.
While in Spain, Tinker socialized with Ernest Hemingway, Robert Hale Merriman, the leader of the American Volunteers of the Lincoln Brigade and his successor Milton Wolff, who led the 15th International Brigade during the Battle of the Ebro.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Devil 505 on March 07, 2016, 10:09:00 PM
great stuff Arlo. :aok
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 07, 2016, 10:13:17 PM
:salute :) :cheers:
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 08, 2016, 04:00:26 PM
In the interest of fairness, I present te Condor Legion's leading ace - Werner Mölders. (Leading aces who were true Spanish citizens will come later.)
(http://www.spitfireart.com/SET4CARD1.jpg)
Werner Mölders
In 1936, the Germans sent a Luftwaffe force, the Condor Legion, to assist the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. Mölders volunteered for service, and arrived by sea in Cadiz on 14 April 1938. He was assigned to the 3rd squadron of Jagdgruppe 88 (J 88) commanded by Oberleutnant Adolf Galland. The unit, stationed at the Valencia–Ebro front, was equipped with the Heinkel He 51, but later switched to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 B-2.[Note 1] Mölders assumed command of the squadron on 24 May 1938, when Galland returned to Germany.[9] He claimed his first aerial victory, shooting down a Polikarpov I-15 "Chato" ("Curtiss" to the Germans) near Algar, on 15 July 1938.[10] Over the remaining months of the year, Mölders became the leading ace of the Condor Legion, shooting down 15 aircraft in Spain: two I-15 "Curtiss", 12 I-16 "Rata" and one Tupolev SB (one "Rata" claimed on 23 September 1938 was not confirmed).[11]
The flight paths of four aircraft traveling in an asymmetrical V formation: the leading aircraft at the tip of the V-shape is aircraft 1, followed by aircraft 2 on its left, and aircraft 3 and 4 on its right. For the entire formation to execute a 90-degree right-hand turn, aircraft 2 is the first aircraft to make the turn, rising and passing over the flight paths of aircraft 1, 3 and 4. The flight path of aircraft 1 is next to curve right, passing over the flight paths of aircraft 3 and 4. Then the flight path of aircraft 3 curves right at a 90° angle, passing over the path of aircraft 4, which is the last to turn right. Once all four aircraft have completed the turn, aircraft 2 is to the right of aircraft 1, which has aircraft 3 on its left, followed by aircraft 4 on the far left of the formation. Schwarm formation and cross-over turn[12]
In recognition of his exceptional performance as a commander and fighter pilot, Mölders was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) on 18 October 1938, effective as of 1 October 1938. He claimed his 14th and final confirmed aerial victory of the conflict by downing a Polikarpov I-16 "Rata" near Mola on 3 November 1938[13] and returned to Germany on 5 December 1938.[14] From 6 December 1938 until March 1939, Mölders was a member of the 1st group of Jagdgeschwader 133 (JG 133) and held a staff position with the Inspector of Fighters at the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Imperial Air Ministry) in Berlin. His task was to devise new fighter pilot tactics. In March 1939 he was given command as Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 133, taking over command from Oberleutnant Hubertus von Bonin. JG 133 was later renamed Jagdgeschwader 53 Pik As (Ace of Spades).[15][16][Note 2]
For his achievements in Spain, Mölders was honoured with the Spanish Medalla de la Campaña and Medalla Militar on 4 May 1939 and the German Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten) on 6 June 1939.[17] The Condor Legion officially returned to Germany on 6 June 1939 and troops marched through Berlin to the Lustgarten, where the fallen were honoured. A formal state banquet for the most highly decorated soldiers was held in the marble gallery of the Reich Chancellery. Mölders was seated at table 1, with General der Flieger Hugo Sperrle, General Don Antonio Aranda, General Gonzalo Queipo de Llano, Oberst Walter Warlimont, Oberstleutnant von Donat, Leutnant Reinhard Seiler and Oberfeldwebel Ignatz Prestele.[18]
With other airmen in Spain, Mölders developed the formation known as the "finger-four".[19] This improved the all-round field of vision and combat flexibility of a flight (Schwarm), enhanced mutual protection, and encouraged pilot initiative. In the "finger-four", the aircraft assumed positions corresponding to the fingertips of an outstretched hand. The fighters flew in two elements (Rotten) of two aircraft each; two Rotten (four aircraft) made up a Schwarm (swarm).[19]
Mölders is often credited with inventing the cross-over turn.[19] An early version of the manoeuvre, as used by a "Vic" of five aircraft (a tight formation forming the letter "V"), appeared in the Royal Air Force (RAF) Training Manual of 1922, and the manoeuvre may even date back to 1918. However, it had fallen into disuse due to the difficulty of performing it in a multi-aircraft formation with the contemporary spacing of less than 100 feet (30 m) between aircraft. The wide lateral separation of 1,800 feet (550 m) introduced by J 88 both necessitated such a turning manoeuvre, to enable a Schwarm to turn as a unit, and minimised the risk of midair collisions previously associated with it.[19]
In World War II, he lost two wingmen in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, but shot down 53 enemy aircraft. With his tally standing at 68 victories, Mölders and his unit, the Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51), were transferred to the Eastern Front in June 1941 for the opening of Operation Barbarossa. By the end of 22 June 1941, the first day of Barbarossa, he had added another four victories to his tally and a week later, Mölders surpassed Manfred von Richthofen's 1918 record of 80 victories. By mid-July, he had 100 World War II victories.
Prevented from flying further combat missions for propaganda reasons, at the age of 28 Mölders was promoted to Oberst, and appointed Inspector General of Fighters. He was inspecting the Luftwaffe units in the Crimea when he was ordered to Berlin to attend the state funeral of Ernst Udet, the World War I flying ace. On the flight to Berlin, the Heinkel He 111 in which he was traveling as a passenger encountered a heavy thunderstorm during which one of the aircraft's engines failed. While attempting to land, the Heinkel crashed at Breslau, killing Mölders and two others.
Upon graduating from military college in 1936 he applied for combat in Spain, joining a Spanish Republican Air Force fighter squadron in 1937. Flying Polikarpov I-16s he claimed eight solo victories and 31 collaborative (shared) victories gained in 90 sorties during the Spanish Civil War.
Shestakov joined 69 IAP in September 1939, and was at the time one of the most famous Soviet aces.
At the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Shestakov was serving with 69 IAP (Fighter Aviation Regiment) on the Odessa front, and became the Regiment Leader on 16 July 1941. During the battle for Odessa 69 IAP pilots achieved 94 air victories. The losses inflicted on the Romanian Air Force above Odessa in 1941 by Shestakov's fighter pilots compelled the Romanian High Command to withdraw its entire air force from the Eastern Front.
At the end of 1941 69 IAP received the LaGG-3 to replace the outdated I-16 and relocated to the Stalingrad area. Over the next three years he held other commands in various regions, including Stalingrad.
On 9 August, Shestakov was engaged by fourteen Bf 109s of II./JG 77 escorting He 111s of KG 27. 69 IAP claimed nine Bf 109s shot down without loss (II./JG 77 reported one damaged Bf 109E)
Shestakov eventually flew more than 200 missions during the war, took part in 32 aerial combats and was credited with 26 kills before being killed in action on 13 March 1944.
On 13 March 1944 (other sources state 12 March), he intercepted German bombers but was never seen again.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Shestakov
(http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/317/pics/75_7.jpg)
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 08, 2016, 04:45:23 PM
In July 1938 he volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War in the dell 'files Aviation Legionnaire , taking over command of the 18th Squadron [3] of the XXIII Fighter Group [3] the 30th of the same month. The January 8, 1939 gave the command of the 18th Squadron Captain Vexio Mezzetti, to assume command, within the XXIII Group, an experimental Squadron [4] fitted with 12 monoplanes from fighter Fiat G.50 Lightning . [5] At the end of this operating cycle had to his credit a victory and 14 in collaboration ascertained, [3] and and had been decorated with a third silver medal for military valor. Back in Italy, July 18, 1939 assumed, with the rank of Major , the command of the 20th Fighter Group Terrestrial , belonging first to the 51st Fighter Wing Terrestrial , and then to the 56th Fighter Wing Earth . [6] At the entrance in the war of ' Italy, on June 10, 1940 his department [7] is deployed on ' Rome-Ciampino airport South . [6] at the command of their department, framed in the Italian Air Corps (CAI) , he took part in the battle of Britain . [6] The 45 fighter Fiat G.50 Lightning took part in free and fighter escort operations bombers Fiat BR20 Cicogna . [6] his return department at home in April 1941, to be transferred to North Africa during the ' summer of that year. [8] in Libya the 20th Group performed 4,103 hours flight in a war zone, knocking down 38 enemy aircraft and destroying another 12 on the ground, [9] and returned to his homeland in March 1942 for refitting with modern hunting Aermacchi C.202 Folgore . [8] For an action of Sidi El Barrani followed in September 1941, which brought down two enemy aircraft, he was awarded the fourth silver medal for military valor. He remained commander of the department until May 12, 1942, when it was replaced by Major Gino Callieri. Promoted to lieutenant colonel, August 4, 1942 was awarded the honor of Knight of the Military Order of Savoy . [10] After the ' armistice of 8 September 1943 he joined the Italian Social Republic , entering the newly established file Republican National Aeronautics . He held the post of clerk to the Services and Materials Airports until the end of the conflict, being particularly popular with German allies for his skills.
Along with Ugo Drago and Duilio Fanali would be credited with 15 knockdowns achieved between the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War, [1] seventh result between the pilots of the Royal Air Force . [11]
Born in Santoña ( Santander ) in 1917 , in 1934 he volunteered for military aircraft where two years later the Spanish Civil War began.
After a course at the School of pilots of Santiago de la Ribera ( Murcia ), he won the title of sergeant and went on to fly a Polikarpov I-15 "Chato". At the end of 1937 he was assigned to the 3rd Squadron Moscas based at the Carmolí . Shortly after he moved north, distinguishing himself in the battles of Bilbao and Santander. In December of that same year he was in command of the 4th Squadron Chatos , which participated in the Battle of Teruel. During the fighting at Teruel, he played a prominent role at the head of his unit, which was his first major performance in combat. Upon competition, months later, he took over command of the "Group 21" interceptor squadron and actively took part in the Battle of the Ebro . This made him one of only three Spanish pilots in the area who were part of the interceptor group. This unit also actively participated in the campaign of Catalonia and he was promoted to the position of commander, meritoriously. When the front at Catalonia withdrew, Zarauza decided to take refuge in France with his plane to prevent falling into Francoist hands, being interned in the concentration camp of Argelès-sur-Mer .
He later managed to move to the Soviet Union and became a Colonel of the Soviet Air Force (VVS), and flew in Kharkov ( Ukraine ) along with other Spanish pilots. With the onset of World War II he was evacuated to the rear and only later did he participate in military operations. In of October of 1942 he died in Baku while performing aerobatics with another plane. He had at least 10 victories during the Civil War.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 08, 2016, 05:09:10 PM
(http://www.requetes.com/Imagenes/morato1.jpg)
Joaquín García-Morato y Castaño
Joaquín García-Morato y Castaño, 1st Count of Jarama (4 May 1904 – 4 April 1939) was the leading Nationalist fighter ace of the Spanish Civil War. He is credited with 40 air victories, four gained while flying Heinkel He 51s and 36 with the Italian Fiat CR.32.[1]
An accomplished prewar pilot (he served in Morocco, fighting Berber guerrillas during the Rif War), excelled in aerobatics, and instructed instrument flying. He was on holiday in England when the Civil War broke out. Hastening home to join the Nationalist cause, he gained his first victory on 12 August 1936 in a Nieuport-Delage 52, shooting down one of three Vickers Vildebeest over Antequera. He then flew one of the first Heinkel He 51s received from Germany. Flying this aircraft, on 18 August, he shot down a Republican NiD 52 and a Potez 540. He downed another NiD 52 on 2 September. He then began flying an Italian Fiat CR.32, shooting down another NiD 52 on 11 September: it was his fifth victory.[1] Then he formed the Patrulla Azul ("Blue Patrol") of three CR.32 and during the early autumn 1936 he added six more aircraft of French manufacture, plus a British built Hawker Fury, to his score. He gained his 12th victory on 5 November (a Potez 540), followed by his first kill of a Soviet-built Polikarpov I-15 fighter.[1] On 13 January 1937, he managed to shoot down two Tupolev SB-2 bombers - that outperformed the Fiat in terms of speed - attacking them from a superior height: they were his victories number 16 and 17.[1]
Morato achieved 40 credited victories over Republican aircraft,[2] gained in 1,012 hours of operational flying.[1] The only time he was shot down was on 3 October 1937, by a novice pilot he was training. [2]
Shortly after the war, on 3 April 1939, he was performing low aerobatics for newsreel cameras, when his Fiat CR.32 crashed, killing him. [1]
Flying this aircraft, on 18 August, he shot down a Republican NiD 52 and a Potez 540. He downed another NiD 52 on 2 September. He then began flying an Italian Fiat CR.32, shooting down another NiD 52 on 11 September: it was his fifth victory.
I don't think I'd want to fly a plane called a Nid. I mean, just the name suggests doom...
- oldman
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 08, 2016, 08:11:31 PM
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Dahl graduated from flying school at Kelly Field on 28 February 1933 and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps as a Second Lieutenant. His commission ended in 1936 due to gambling and subsequent court convictions. He then became a commercial pilot, but again gambling forced him to escape to Mexico.
Dahl piloted charter and cargo flights carrying material for the Second Spanish Republic, as Mexico was one of the very few distant countries to support the Spanish government. He was told about the good salary paid for mercenary pilots and so he joined Spain under the name of Hernando Diaz Evans, Evans being his mother's maiden name. He reported nine kills in this unit, though only five were ever confirmed.
During the reorganization of the Fighter Squadrons in May 1937, Dahl was posted to a squadron with a large variety of nationalities. Frank Glasgow Tinker said that this made it very hard for a pilot to coordinate his place in the group during fighting. It seems that this was the case on June 13 of that year, where he was surprised by enemy planes and was shot down and taken prisoner.
Initially sentenced to death, there were some diplomatic movements to free Dahl. His first wife Edith Rogers, a known singer of impressive beauty, was said to have visited Francisco Franco herself to plead for his life. This story later became the basis of the 1940 movie Arise, My Love. He remained in prison until 1940 and then returned to the United States. After he and Edith Rogers divorced, he accepted another mercenary job, this time with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and served during World War II. He trained RCAF pilots for combat in Europe at an airfield near Belleville, Ontario. It was here that he met his second wife Eleanor Bowne, the daughter of the richest man in Belleville. After the war, he was accused of stealing decommissioned equipment from the RCAF.
Around 1951, Dahl joined the airline Swissair and lived in Switzerland. In 1953 he was caught smuggling gold with his girlfriend and was expelled from the country, an event that compelled his second wife to divorce him. Back in Canada, he became a cargo pilot flying DC-3s when on 14 February 1956 he was killed during a crash in bad weather.
Sergey Gritsevets was born in 1909 Barautsy, Minsk Governorate (in present-day Brest Region, Belarus) in a peasant family of Belarusian ethnicity[1] In 1931, Gritsevets joined the army, where he completed pilot training at an Orenburg military school in 1932 and further air combat training in 1936 at a pilot school in Odessa. In spring of 1938 Gritsevets volunteered to go to China, where he was involved in combat against Japanese forces attacking Wuhan and credited with two or three kills in a fierce 30 minutes air battle in which a total of 21 Japanese airplanes were downed. Gritsevets flew a Polikarpov I-15 biplane or I-16 monoplane.
Later the same year, Gritsevets volunteered to serve in the Spanish Civil War; he stayed there until the end of 1938, when all Soviet pilots were recalled. Flying an I-16, he claimed 30 victories in Spain, for which he received his first Hero of Soviet Union together with a Gold Star on 22 February 1939.
On 29 May 1939 a group of 48 experienced pilots, including Gritsevets, were sent to Mongolia to function as the backbone of a newly established air force to replace the former, which earlier had suffered a crippling defeat at the hands of Japanese forces and been decimated by NKVD arrests. Here Gritsevets was involved in several counts of actions with Japanese planes. On 26 June, during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, Gritsevets landed his I-16 alongside his commanding officer, Major V. Zabaluyev, whom an engine failure had forced down deep in hostile territory, 60 kilometers behind enemy Japanese lines. Zabaluyev climbed into Gritsevets airplane and together they escaped. For this, and other heroic action during the conflict, he was awarded a second Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union 29 August 1939. All in all Gritsevets claimed 11 downed Japanese airplanes during this time.
On 12 September 1939 Gritsevets and 20 other pilots were sent back to Ukraine in preparation of the invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939. Gritsevets was killed on the 16 September 1939 in an accident in Bolbasovo near Vitebsk, wherein his airplane was rammed by another while taxiing in preparation for take off.[2]
Gritsevets is credited with downing 42 enemy planes before he died in an aviation accident in 1939, two of them while flying biplanes. He was awarded the Hero of Soviet Union (twice), the Order of Lenin (twice), the Order of the Red Banner (twice) as well as a Mongolian order he received in Ulan Bator before returning.
A monument in his honour was later erected in his birth town of Baranovichi.
In his book Polikarpov I-15, 1-16 and 1-153 Aces, Mikhail Maslov writes:
"During his service in Spain, from 10 June to 26 October 1938, when all volunteer pilots were recalled to the USSR, Gritsevets commanded 5 Escuadrilla de Caza and then the whole group of I-16s. Having claimed a single kill over a Japanese aircraft attacking Hangchow on 29 April 1938, Gritsevets then volunteered for combat in Spain. Here he flew 88 sorties and fought in 42 aerial battles, and according to legend he shot down no fewer than 30 enemy aircraft. However, this tally probably reflects the total claimed by the unit whilst under his command because Gritsevets always stressed that enemy aircraft shot down should be credited to the unit as a whole, rather than to the individual. Nevertheless, official reports credit him with seven personal aerial victories in Spain.
"In any case, Snr Lt Gritsevets was judged to be a distinguished fighter pilot, and on 22 February 1939 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. That summer he became a squadron commander with 70th lAP and participated in the Khalkhin Gol campaign, where he increased his personal score by 12 more kills. On 23 August Gritsevets performed the heroic act of landing his 1-16 on the steppe amid enemy troops to rescue his CO, Maj V Zabaluev, who had been forced to bail out 60 kilometres behind Japanese lines. Six days later Sergey Gritsevets was again honoured with the Hero of the Soviet Union Star, bur he was killed in a flying accident at Bolbasovo airfield on 16 September 1939."
For five years, Rychagov was an ordinary fighter pilot, building up skills before becoming commander of an aviation squadron in Kiev Military District. In 1936, he was awarded the Order of Lenin for exemplary service; he was also amongst the first Soviet volunteers to fight in the Spanish Civil War.[1]
The most intense part of Rychagov's career as a fighter pilot came in the Spanish Civil War. On October 28, 1936, Rychagov, leading a group of 15 Soviet pilots flying 25 Polikarpov I-15 aircraft, landed in Cartagena, Spain. A few days later, a further group of 10 pilots and 15 aircraft arrived in Bilbao.[5] Rychagov's fighter group saw their first action on November 4. On that day, they shot down two Junkers Ju 52s and two Fiat CR.32s over Madrid, while no losses were reported among the Soviet pilots. During the next two days, Rychagov's pilots claimed 12 more victories, at the cost of two aircraft lost.[5]
However, on 16 November, Rychagov was shot down over Madrid by Fiat CR.32s,[5] and four days later the number of combat-ready Soviet aircraft in the area had dropped to 15. Seven had been lost in combat, two had been forced to land, and one was undergoing repair.[5] Rychagov, however, stayed on to fight into the spring of 1937. In December 1936 and January 1937 two more shipments of 30 Polikarpovs I-15s arrived in Spain, allowing the formation of a complete combat unit of four I-15 squadrons.[5] By the end of the war, Rychagov's fighter group claimed 40 victories overall.[1]
He returned to the Soviet Union in 1937 for a short time, where he was promoted to Brigadier General at the young age of 26. In 1938, he led another group of volunteers to China, where he participated in several skirmishes with the Japanese.[1]
In December 1939, he was promoted to the rank of Major General; he was also appointed Commander of the 9th Air Force Army. He directed operations in the Winter War against Finland.[1]
In May 1940, a third Order of the Red Banner was presented to Rychagov. He was promoted to Lieutenant General several months later.[1]
By 1940, Rychagov was a member of the top administration of the Air Force. He was appointed Head of Red Army Air Force Administration and became a member of the Red Army Chief Military Council, a predecessor of the Stavka. Eventually, he was appointed Commander of the VVS on 28 August 1940, succeeding Yakov Smushkevich.[1][2][3]
Shortly before Operation Barbarossa, Rychagov was removed from the position of Commander of the VVS as part of the purge of the Red Army in 1941, to be replaced by Pavel Zhigarev.[2][3] This was the result of a Politburo inquiry into the high accident rate in the Air Force. Furthermore, in May 1941, a German Junkers Ju 52 landed in Moscow, undetected by the ADF beforehand, leading to massive arrests among the Air Force leadership.[6] In the case of Rychagov specifically, he was punished for referring to Soviet planes as "flying coffins".[4]
Rychagov was tortured and executed on 28 October 1941 along with his wife.[4] Others who were executed that day included 20 other Soviet officers (including Rychagov's predecessors in the VVS, Yakov Smushkevich and Aleksandr Loktionov),[7] Rychagov was exonerated posthumously in 1954.[1]
Osipenko was born at Tursevo Kula, in what is now Finland prior to the First World War. In 1918 he was living with his family in Smolensk and in 1929 joined the Soviet Air Force, rising to the position of squadron leader in 1937.[1]
In January 1938 Osipenko went to Spain to service with the Spanish Republican Air Force. He flew with the 1st Escuadrilla de Caza, and was a successful fighter pilot, though his record is contradictory. One source credits him with 17 individual and 34 shared aerial combat victories[2] making him the most successful Soviet pilot of the conflict. On his return to the Soviet Union Osipenko was made Hero of the Soviet Union.
At the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War in June 1941 Osipenko was a divisional commander on the Southern Front; he rose to Corps commander in September 1943 and also served as deputy commander of the countries fighter air defence.
After the war he served in various posts until his retirement in 1954, after which he held several academic posts connected with aviation.
Alexander Osipenko died on 22 July 1991 in Moscow.[1]
Wolfgang Schellmann started his combat training as one of the select few German pilots at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school in the Soviet Union. After his return and upon the official announcement of the new Luftwaffe, he was given command of the new 2./JG 135 squadron, in March 1935. Two years later, on 19 December 1937, Oberleutnant Schellmann took over command of the 1st Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88, in the "Condor Legion", fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Over the next year he became one of the leading aces in the theatre with 12 victories, second only to Werner Mölders.[1]
Upon his return to Germany he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten) and promoted to Hauptmann (Captain). He then served on the Stab (Headquarters) flight of the newly formed IV Gruppe of the Jagdgeschwader 132, gaining command experience. Over the next year, it was renamed I./JG 331, then finally I./JG 77. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, he led this unit in the invasion of Poland, then afterward took up an administrative post for a short term, in the headquarters of Luftflotte 2.
On 15 December 1939, the now Hauptmann Schellmann, was made Gruppenkommandeur of the newly formed II./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing), but he only scored his first victory in World War II after the invasion of France, on 15 May 1940. By the end of the campaign he had amassed six further victories. Scoring another victory on 18 July in the Battle of Britain, on 3 September he was promoted to Geschwaderkommodore of JG 2 "Richthofen" as part of Göring's policy to replace the 'Old Guard' fighter commanders with young lions like Werner Mölders (JG 51), Adolf Galland (JG 26), Günther Lützow (JG 3) and Hannes Trautloft (JG 54).
On 18 September, he was awarded the 'Ritterkreuz' for his 23 victories (including the 12 in Spain). The presentation was made by Göring at the headquarters of the Befehlshaber der Wehrmachts in den Niederlanden (Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht in the Netherlands), General der Flieger (General of the Flyers) Friedrich Christiansen, at Wassenaar near The Hague on 19 September. That day, both Schellmann and Günther Lützow, Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing), were so honored.[2]
A month later he made way for the charismatic Helmut Wick (at the time in a 3-way battle with Galland and Mölders, as top-scoring pilot) and moved to take command of JG 27. Promoted to Major, he led this Geschwader into the Balkan campaign in Spring 1941, scoring a 24th victory in Greece (20 April 1941), before the unit was pulled out, to central Poland in June, to prepare for the invasion of the Soviet Union.
On 22 June 1941, Major Schellmann was probably the highest profile German casualty of the opening day of Operation Barbarossa. Schellmann's Messerschmitt Bf 109-E (Werknummer 4189—factory number) was rammed by an I-153 Chaykahe piloted by a Lt Kuzmin just after he had shot down his 25th victim, an I-16, near Grodno. Kuzmin was killed in the collision but Schellmann managed to bail out over Soviet territory but was never seen again. It was believed that while attempting to make his way back to German lines he was captured and later killed by NKVD troops.[3][4]
Wolfgang Schellmann scored 25 victories in 150 missions (including 12 over Spain), and was posthumously promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel).
Born in Sestao (Biscay), in Spain, he started his career in 1929 as an NCO after having got his license in a private aero club. He saw action immediately on the break of the civil war flying with all outdated planes for the time, like the Nieuport Ni-52 Delage, the Hawker Fury, the Loire 46 and the Dewoitine 371 where, nevertheless, he scored his first 3 victories. He was so promoted to Lieutenant.
Near September 1936 upon the arrival of the more modern soviet fighters Polikarpov I-15(Chato) and Polikarpov I-16 (Mosca) he participated in the first squadrons organized by the Russians, defending Madrid and contributing to the endurance of the city despite the terrorist air bombing attacks against civilians by German and Italian units. In November of the same year he took command as Captain of the 1st Fighter Squadron, organized now under Spanish control. It became known as the ‘Lacalle Squadron’, composed of 25 planes, the leader and another 6 groups of 4. One of these groups included only American pilots, and was named the ‘American Patrol’. The most prominent of them Frank Glasgow Tinker has left a detailed description on the character of Lacalle, in his book Some Still Live. The other 3 were Albert Baumler, Harold Evans Dahl and Benjamin Leider, who was killed early in the squadron's career. (Note : Leider was a true volunteer that refused extra payment for his services). Lacalle was very young for his duties (Tinker called him ‘The Kid’), almost careless as a child when driving a car but extremely skilled while flying a plane. Tinker was amazed that Lacalle scored victories flying the very difficult Ni-52. As a leader, Lacalle was careful not to expose his fighters to unnecessary risks - as he knew how difficult it was to replace them - but when the duty called he was ready to fight under any conditions.[2]
During the Battle of Jarama Lacalle demonstrated the effectiveness of his squadron by making multiple ground attacks to support closely the republican troops, and was thus nicknamed ‘The hero of Jarama’. During the Battle of Guadalajara he ordered his planes to fly under very poor visibility conditions that surprised the Italian attackers; their columns stuck on the roads to Madrid were decimated. End of 1937 he was promoted to Major, and was sent to Russia for advanced training. On his return he was promoted to Lt. Colonel, and given the task of reorganizing all the fighter units. Most of his pilots in the ‘Lacalle Squadron’ led these new fighter groups. Lacalle himself was officially credited with 11 confirmed victories at that time, but this number might have been as high as 21. The possible reason for the discrepancy was that the mercenary American pilots in his unit were highly paid for their salaries and extra for their kills (US$ 1,000 at 1936), while the Spanish pilots were receiving some 10 times less salary and no money for any kill. Lacalle was intentionally not keen in confirming any claims except the very obvious ones and so it went for his own kills.[2]
By the end of 1938 Lacalle found himself in an extremely hard position, desperately running out of equipment, material, planes, and mainly experienced pilots. He led the very last fighter operations after the Battle of the Ebro with only 30 fighters against some 550 of the combined German and Italian planes under Franco.
On February the 6th, 1939, Lacalle left from the Vilajuiga airfield for the Francazal aerodrome near Toulouse in his last I-16 fighter, leading a great part of the planes of the Spanish Republican Air Force to France so that they would not fall in the hands of the enemy. However, immediately upon landing Lacalle was arrested by the French authorities and was interned in the Argelès-sur-Mer concentration camp located near Perpignan, until he was able to escape to Mexico. He died in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 1980.[1]
Lacalle was awarded three medals for his service, and wrote a book on the civil war, titled : ‘The myths and the truth’, Mitos y Verdades.[3]
His son is the Dominican-Mexican actor Andrés García.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 09, 2016, 06:10:13 PM
(http://s19.postimg.org/3p3du5zs3/LW_Pilot_Shelmmann.jpg) Otto Bertram
Born in Wilhelmshaven on 30 April 1916, Betram joined the Luftwaffe in 1935. His brothers, Hans and Karl, were already serving with the Luftwaffe.
Bertram joined the Condor Legion in March 1938, supporting Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. During the course of the war, Bertram, a leutnant, claimed nine victories flying with 1./Jagdgruppe 88, becoming one of the most successful fighter pilots in that conflict. On 4 October 1938, he was shot down by a Republican I-15 fighter. After bailing out he was taken prisoner of war. For his accomplishments in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Diamonds.
On 26 October 1939, Bertram was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 2. Now an oberleutnant, Bertram claimed his first aerial victory of World War II on 20 April 1940, when he downed a Morane 406 fighter over Saint-Avold, flown by future French ace Sgt. Chef Antoine Casenobe. However, the claim was not confirmed. In total, he claimed four victories during the Battle of France, although he was forced to crashland after gaining two victories on 19 May 1940. He returned to his unit unhurt.
Bertram led 1./JG 2 during the opening phases of the Battle of Britain. He claimed seven Royal Air Force (RAF) fighters downed in five days between 2 September 1940 and 6 September with the unit. On 26 September 1940, he was promoted to hauptmann and appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 2. He claimed two further victories with the unit, two RAF Bristol Blenheim twin-engine bombers shot down near Le Havre on 9 October, to record his 21st and 22nd victories.
On 28 October 1940, Bertram was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 13 victories in World War II and was banned from further combat flying and ordered to return to Germany. Both of his brothers who were also serving in the Luftwaffe had recently been killed in action. Hans, Gruppenadjutant of I./JG 27, was shot down over England in September 1940, and Karl, a nightfighter pilot with 9./NJG 1, was killed when he crashed his Bf 110 west of Kiel following an engagement with a RAF bomber on 28 October.
Bertram, as the sole surviving brother, was hence excused from further combat duty. He was to spend the remainder of the war in administrative posts or training units. He served at the Jagdfliegerschule 5 at Wien-Schwechat for the rest of 1940 and into 1941. He was Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 101 from 6 January 1943 to 30 April 1944. From February 1945, promoted to major, Bertram was Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 6, a position he held until the end of the war.
Bertram joined the Bundeswehr after the re militarisation of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1956. He held various positions in the Bundeswehr including that of press officer. Promoted to Oberstleutnant he served as an military attaché in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Bertram died in Freiburg im Breisgau, at the age of 70.
Herbert Ihlefeld (1 June 1914 – 8 August 1995) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, a fighter ace credited with 132 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1,000 combat missions. He claimed nine victories in the Spanish Civil War, and during World War II, 67 on the Eastern Front and 56 on the Western Front, including 15 four-engined bombers and 26 Supermarine Spitfires. He survived being shot down eight times during his 1,000 combat missions.
Born in Pinnow, Ihlefeld volunteered for military service in the Reichswehr of the Third Reich in 1933.[Note 1] Initially serving in the Heer (Army), he transferred to the Luftwaffe (Air Force) in 1935. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 132 "Richthofen" (JG 32—132nd Fighter Wing) in 1937. He volunteered for service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War where he was assigned to 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group). From February–July 1938, he claimed nine aerial victories, two remained unconfirmed. For his service in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords.
Following service in Spain, Ihlefeld was posted to I. (Jäger) Gruppe (1st fighter group) of Lehrgeschwader 2 (LG 2—2nd Demonstration Wing), the unit was later redesignated to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing). With this unit he participated in the Invasion of Poland and Battle of France. During the height of the Battle of Britain on 13 September 1940, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after 21 aerial victories in World War II. Ihlefeld, who had been appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of JG 77 in September 1940, fought in the aerial battles of the Balkan Campaign. He was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery and spent eight days in Yugoslav captivity before he was rescued by German ground forces. During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. There, after 40 aerial victories of World War II, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 27 June 1941. Ten months later, following his 101st aerial victory of the war, Ihlefeld was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 24 April 1942.
On 22 June 1942, promoted to Major (major), Ihlefeld was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing). He was injured in combat on 22 July 1942 and after convalescence, he was given command of Jagdfliegerschule 3 (3rd Fighter Pilot School), which was later redesignated to Jagdgeschwader 103 (JG 103—103rd Fighter Wing). On 21 July 1943, he was tasked with leadership of a high flying de Havilland Mosquito intercept unit called Jagdgeschwader 25 (JG 25—25th Fighter Wing) in Defense of the Reich. This unit failed to achieve its objective and was disbanded in late 1943. Ihlefeld was then assigned to the Stab (headquarters unit) of the 30th Fighter Division before he briefly commanded Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) in May 1944. On 20 May 1944, he took command of Jagdgeschwader 1 Oesau (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing) and participated in Operation Bodenplatte. In the final weeks of the war, the Geschwader was equipped with the Heinkel He 162, a single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft. Ihlefeld died on 8 August 1995 in Wennigsen, Lower Saxony.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Ihlefeld
(http://i40.tinypic.com/2435h1j.jpg)
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 09, 2016, 06:22:14 PM
Seiler was born on 30 August 1909 in Rawitsch, in the Province of Posen at the time a Prussian province in the German Empire and now in Poland.[1] He joined the fledgling Luftwaffe in 1935. After completing his pilot training, he was sent to Spain with the Condor Legion, and served from 1938–1939 with 2./JGr 88 (2nd Squadron of Jagdgruppe 88). During that time he established himself as one of the top aces in the Condor Legion, returning to Germany with 9 victories, and in June 1939 he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Diamonds.
After his return, on May 1939, he was appointed the Staffelkapitän (Squadron leader) of the newly established 1./Jagdgeschwader 70 (JG 70—70th Fighter Wing) based near Nürnberg, being declared operational in July 1939.[Note 1] As war opened in September 1939 it was kept back on Home Defence duties. Soon after, on 15 September, the Gruppe was re-designated I./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing)—with Seiler's unit now renamed 1./JG 54—and transferred to the Western Front to cover the southernmost region of the French border. He scored his first victory of the war on 10 January 1940, shooting down a French reconnaissance Potez southwest of Freiburg.[2] He scored a second victory on 7 April west of Strasbourg. However he scored no further in the subsequent Battle of France, when his unit covered the Panzer advance through the Ardennes forests and later over the Dunkirk bridgehead. Pulled out early, back to occupied Netherlands as the campaign wound down, I./JG 54 was then one of the first units to re-occupy the Pas de Calais, in early August 1940 in anticipation of the upcoming Battle of Britain. On a bomber escort mission over Dover on 5 August 1940 Oberleutnant Seiler scored his third victory (a Spitfire), but was bounced by a Hurricane squadron, shot down and severely injured. Taking to his parachute over the English Channel, he was rescued and hospitalised, but was out of action for over 6 months.[3]
Promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) in December, he returned to his command of 1./JG 54 in the spring of 1941, as the Luftwaffe prepared for the upcoming invasion of Russia - Operation Barbarossa. JG 54 was tasked with providing the fighter cover for Army Group North and its advance toward Leningrad. On the opening day of the campaign (22 June 1941) he shot down 3 aircraft, thereby doubling his score, and as his unit leap-frogged to new airbases across the Baltic States over the next few weeks his score continued to rise. By the end of September, he had 33 victories and his unit had finally settled down, establishing itself at Siverskaya, (about 60 kilometers (37 mi) south of Leningrad). He had been awarded the Ehrenpokal on 20 August recognising his leadership and combat success.
With the loss of Arnold Lignitz on 30 September (shot down over Leningrad), Hauptmann Seiler was assigned to command III Gruppe (also based at Siverskaya), as Barbarossa entered its critical phase. Despite surrounding the city, it could not be taken so Hitler decided instead to besiege it. For the next three years, JG 54 would stay, essentially, encamped outside the city interdicting the supply lines and intercepting the frantic attempts of the Russians to lift the siege in offensive after offensive.
Seiler himself remained as Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 54 for nearly one and a half years. He was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 15 October then the Knight's Cross on 20 December 1941, having flown 200 missions. In spring 1942 Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) Hannes Trautloft had the idea for fighter interceptions of Soviet night-harassment raids on moonlit nights. A great success, they claimed 56 victories for no losses. Seiler was the most successful pilot in these missions, scoring 16 night-victories between March and June 1942[4] and he was also promoted to Major in June. Throughout 1942, JG 54 continued to cover the north: the Leningrad siege and Demyansk fronts. In December though, Seiler took his III./JG 54 to Smolensk in the centre, and then soon after in early 1943 rotated back to the west as part of Adolf Galland's mis-guided plan to swap units between the western and eastern fronts in exchange for I./Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing).[5]
Re-equipping instead onto Bf 109G-4s, they spent 6 weeks on the Channel Front. Unused to operating at higher altitudes and in large formations, JG 26 Geschwaderkommodore Josef Priller refused to declare the unit ready for operations. Finally in March, they were transferred back to Oldenburg in northern Germany for further training and to stay on Defence of the Reich duties. Fittingly perhaps, with the unit's first successes on 17 April, unit commander Seiler scored his one and only Viermot (4-engine bomber) kill. However, he was already under orders to return to the Leningrad Front, as on 15 April he had been made the new Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 54, flying the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. He was replacing the phenomenally successful Hans Philipp who had just become the 2nd pilot to reach 200 victories, and who was himself being rotated back to Germany for Reich Defence command duties.
Unseasonably bad weather limited operations for the next few months and then all attention was turned to the main 1943 offensive - Operation Zitadelle against the Kursk salient. Seiler's I./JG 54 was transferred in June to Orel to join the fighter cover over the northern attack. On the opening day of the offensive, 5 July, he scored 5 victories to take his tally to 97. The following day he scored a further two kills. Eager to reach the magic 'century', he chased and shot down an Airacobra of 30th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (30 GIAP). However immediately afterward he was himself shot and forced to bail out badly wounded over enemy territory east of Ponyri, midway between Orel and Kursk.[6] He was the 44th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[7] Although rescued by German troops and sent back to the Reich for successful hospital treatment, he was declared unfit for further combat duties.
In recognition of his long service and command in JG 54, he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 2 March 1944. Later in the year, on 8 August, he was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of the fighter-pilot training unit Jagdgeschwader 104 and served in this position until it was disbanded on 28 April 1945, just days before the end of World War II.
Released in 1946, Reinhard Seiler died on 6 October 1989, at the age of 80, in the town of Grafengehaig near Kulmbach, in Bavaria. Over approximately 500 missions, he was credited with 109 air victories, including 9 in Spain and just 4 in the west. The remaining 96 victories were scored over the Russian Front.
Awards
Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (6 June 1939) Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (20 January 1940)[8] 1st Class (30 July 1940)[8] Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (20 August 1941)[9] German Cross in Gold on 15 October 1941 as Hauptmann in the 1./Jagdgeschwader 54[10] Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 20 December 1941 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 54[11][12] 419th Oak Leaves on 2 March 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 54[11][13] Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Seiler
(http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/232044-2/LGiB)
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 09, 2016, 06:36:39 PM
Walter "Gulle" Oesau was born to a bank director in Farnewinkel near Meldorf, Germany on 28 June 1913. He joined the German Army (Heer) in October 1933 and served in the Second Artillery Regiment as an enlisted soldier. After being transferred to a Luftwaffe transport unit, he undertook flying training in 1934 as a cadet (Fahnenjunker) at the Luftwaffe Academy (Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule) in Hanover. Upon completion of his training he was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 132, as a Leutnant. The unit was re–designated as Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" in May 1939.[Note 1][1][2][3][4]
Oesau started his operational career with the Condor Legion, along with future contemporary aces such as Werner Mölders and Adolf Galland. He was one of the first to join 3. Jagdgruppe 88 in Spain in April 1938.[Note 2][1] The Staffel, commanded by Werner Mölders, took part in the Spanish Civil War where Oesau claimed eight victories, flying 130 combat missions. For this he received the Spanish Cross (Spanienkreuz) in Gold with Diamonds. He was also wounded in this conflict which earned him the Spanish Wound Badge. He also received the Medalla de la Campaña and the Medalla Militar.[1][2][4]
On 1 March 1939 Oesau joined the Headquarters Flight (Stabsschwarm) of I./JG 2. By 15 July 1939 Oesau was promoted to Oberleutnant and given command of 2./JG 20. On 15 July 1939, I./JG 20 was activated in Döberitz initially consisting of two Staffeln drawn from JG 2. Prior to the invasion of Poland I./JG 20 was transferred to Strausbergon 26 August 1939. From there, the group was transferred to Sprottau (modern Szprotawa) anticipating an attack from the Polish Air Force. A week later the group moved to Brandenburg. On 21 February 1940, the unit was relocated to Bönninghardt under the control of JG 51. It continued to operate in this fashion until the end of the Battle of France. On 4 July it was re–designated III./JG 51. Oesau served as Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 51.[5][6]
Oesau got his first World War II victory during the Battle of France on 13 May 1940, when he claimed a French Curtiss P-36 Hawk over Halsteren in the Netherlands, earning him the Iron Cross 1st class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse). On 31 May, he claimed three Spitfires during a patrol North West of Dunkirk and next day he claimed a Bristol Blenheim. On 13 June 1940, he shot down the last French aircraft kill claimed by JG 51, a French Amiot bomber. By the end of hostilities in France on 25 June, his World War II tally stood at 5 (13 including Spanish kills).[5][7]
Following the Battle of France, the Luftwaffe started its attacks on Channel convoys as a prelude to the Battle of Britain. The primary task of JG 51 during this time was to provide fighter escort to these bomber missions. The commander of JG 51, Oberst Theo Osterkamp established a policy of unrestricted combat air patrol (freie Jagd) of fighter Staffeln providing loose protection rather than close escort to the bombers, actively seeking out Royal Air Force fighters. On 7 July 1940 Oesau claimed one Spitfire.[2][5]
German records indicated that his death was caused by an explosive shell in the cockpit, his body having several bullet wounds. Later an image from the Gun camera was published (without caption) that purportedly showed Oesau's aircraft from the right side.[32][33][34]
Oesau was aged 30 at the time of his death. He had a total of 127 kills gained over 300 missions. 27 were Spitfires, 14 four-engined bombers, 44 were scored on the Eastern Front and 9 in the Spanish Civil War. In recognition of his record, JG 1 received the title Oesau in honor of its fallen Geschwaderkommodore. Only Werner Mölders had a similar honor with JG 51 Mölders. Walter Oesau is buried in Meldorf, close to his birthplace and the town museum (Dithmarscher Landesmuseum) has documented his last journey in pictures.[2][3][6][15]
During his career, Oesau was mentioned five times in the Wehrmachtbericht. These were the daily reports by Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and even one mention is considered to be high military honor. The last one on 15 May 1944 was after his death.[35]
Awards
Spanish Medalla de la Campaña Spanish Medalla Militar Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (15 May 1940) 1st Class (20 May 1940) Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold for fighter pilots with pennant "300" Wound Badge (1939) in Black German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Oberstleutnant and Jagdfliegerführer 4 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Sword Knight's Cross on 20 August 1940 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 7./JG 51 9th Oak Leaves on 6 February 1941 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./JG 3 3rd Swords on 15 July 1941 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./JG 3
Mayer was born 8 March 1911 at Rouffach, in Alsace-Lorraine. He served with the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War with 1. Staffel, Jagdgruppe 88, claiming eight victories. On his return from Spain Oberleutnant Mayer was posted to 1. Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing), becoming Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) in October 1939. He claimed his first victory of World War II on 5 November 1939 downing a French Potez 63. Mayer claimed eight more victories during the Battle of France, including five aircraft shot down on 14 May 1940 alone. During the Battle of Britain he then shot down two Hurricanes over the Isle of Wight on 12 August 1940. On 25 August Mayer shot down a Hurricane for his 15th victory, that of F/L AWA Bayne (8 victories) of 17 Squadron, who bailed out. The next day Mayer shot down two Spitfires. One of his victim was ace Sgt Cyril Babbage (7 victories) of No. 602 Squadron RAF, who bailed out. Hauptmann Mayer was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 3 September.
Mayer was made Gruppenkommandeur I./JG 53 on 1 September 1940, and recorded his 30th victory on 15 September. On 17 October 1940 Mayer took off on a test flight and never returned, his body washing up on the English coast 10 days later. He was possibly a victim of RAF ace F/L D. McMullen of No. 222 Squadron RAF.[1] He was buried in the German Plot, (Row 3, Grave 4) at Hawkinge Cemetery, Kent.[2]
During his career he was credited with 39 aerial victories, 8 in the Spanish Civil War and 31 in World War II.
Grabmann joined the Police force in 1924, learnig to fly and serving with the Luftpolizei (Air Police), assigned to Flight Surveillance North Bavaria, Fürth. He then enlisted in the Luftwaffe in October 1934, and served as Adjutant, Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" from March 1936.
From September 1938 to March 1939 Major Grabmann was Commander of Jagdgruppe 88 with the German Condor Legion in Spain, equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes and early versions of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. He claimed a Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and an SB-2 bomber all shot down on 23 September 1938. Another SB-2 was downed on 10 October 1938, and a I-16 on 15 October. His last claim (an I-15) was on 4 January 1939.
He returned to Germany in April 1939 as commanding officer of I./Lehrgeschwader 1, equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter.
In July 1939 he served with V.(Z)/LG 1. Whilst providing cover for the Heinkel H 111Ps of II./Kampfgeschwader 1, LG 1 encountered Polish PZL P.11s of the Brygada Pościgowa over Warsaw on the evening of 1 September 1939. Major Grabmann was wounded in this encounter when his Bf 110 was hit by fire from a Polish PZL P.11 fighter.
On 15 April 1940 Grabman became CO of Zerstörergeschwader 76. On 18 May 1940 Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricanes shot down 3 Bf 110Cs of ZG 76, including Grabmann, while flying a low-level attack on Douai airfield. He parachuted to safety (his gunner Fw. Krone was killed) and was captured by French troops. Grabmann was repatriated six days later by an advancing German panzer column.[1]
He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 September 1940. Oberstlt. Grabmann was credited with a further 6 victories during World War II — 1 during the Battle of France and 5 in the Battle of Britain — claimed in about 110 combat missions.
In August 1941 Grabmann commanded Zerstörerschule 2 in Memmingen, and in August 1942 was appointed Fighter Leader for the Holland area (Jafü Holland). During this time Grabmann flew a Focke Wulf Fw 190A-5, (Werknummer 410054—factory number) "X" as his personal mount. In November 1943 Grabmann became Commander, 3. Jagddivision and then 1. Jagddivision in April 1945.
Taken prisoner at the end of the war, General Major Grabmann was repatriated to Germany in May 1948. Walter Grabmann died on 20 August 1992 in Munich.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 09, 2016, 06:45:57 PM
(http://www.luftwaffe.cz/images/tietzen.jpg)
Horst Tietzen
Tietzen was born 19 July 1912 at Arnswalde (today Choszczno in Poland). As a Leutnant, Tietzen served with 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 of the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. He claimed his first air victory on 19 July 1938, downing a Republican I-16. He claimed a further six victories and was awarded the Spanienkreuz in Gold. In August 1939 Tietzen was appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./Jagdgeschwader 51.
He shot down a French Bloch MB.174 bomber for his first victory of World War II on 20 April 1940. He recorded his 17th victory on 25 July 1940, a Spitfire near Dover. On 15 August Tietzen shot down three Hurricanes. He became the fourth German fighter pilot to record 20 victories on 18 August. However, on the same day he was shot down in aerial combat with Royal Air Force Hurricane fighters over the Thames Estuary. His body later washed ashore at Calais in France. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 20 August 1940 and was also promoted to Hauptmann. He was credited with 27 victories, 7 during the Spanish Civil War and 20 during World War II.
Balthasar was born in Fulda, Hesse-Kassel. Like his father, who was killed in action on Western Front in World War I, Wilhelm served in the Reichswehr as an artillery officer from 1933 until his transfer to the Luftwaffe in 1935. In November 1936, he volunteered to join Sonderstab W, named after its commander General Helmuth Wilberg, for deployment in the Spanish Civil War.
Following his arrival in Spain, Balthasar served with Kampfgruppe K/88 and Aufklärungsgruppe A/88 flying bomber and reconnaissance missions in Junkers Ju 52 and Heinkel He 70. On 23 November 1936, he brought back information that enabled German forces to successfully bomb the port city of Cartagena and also gained his first victory when he shot down a Spanish Republican Air Force I-16 on 20 January 1937.
On 16 March 1937 Balthasar made an emergency landing at Almorox airfield. As he landed his crippled He-70, 3 J/88s fighters were taking off on a train strafing mission. Spotting an experimental Heinkel He-112 fighter nearby Balthasar, claiming to be an experienced fighter pilot, received permission to fly the monoplane fighter. Balthasar took off and using the Heinkel's 20mm cannon blew up an ammunition rail-car. On his way back to the airfield, he also claimed a republican tank destroyed. Upon landing, Balthasar was initially reprimanded by the commanding officer. However, when the commander learned of his escapade, he was given command of Aufklärungsgruppe A/88, a detachment of He-45 biplanes and the He-112 fighter given the tasks of armed reconnaissance, ground attacks and artillery spotting.
In September 1937, Wilhelm Balthasar joined Jagdgruppe 88 J/88 and claimed six more victories (including four Tupolev SB bombers in one mission on 7 February 1938) flying He-51 and the legendary Messerschmitt Bf 109. He returned to Germany in March 1938. For his bravery and leadership in Spain he became one of only 28 men to be awarded the Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten.
At the outset of World War II, Balthasar was Staffelkapitän of 1./Jagdgeschwader 1, which was in July 1940 renamed 7./Jagdgeschwader 27. The squadron did not see any action during the 1939 operation Fall Weiss, as it was tasked with the air defense of Berlin. On 10 May 1940 German forces launched the offensive in Western Europe and it was there Balthasar made his mark. On his first mission, 11 May 1940, he claimed three Belgian Air Force Gloster Gladiator fighters and a French Morane 406. He also recorded 9 victories in two days between 5 and 6 June 1940, which brought his World War II tally to 21. For this achievement, on 14 June 1940, Hauptmann Balthasar was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), becoming the second Luftwaffe fighter pilot after Werner Mölders, to be so decorated.[1] Ultimately, Balthasar was the most successful German fighter pilot of the French campaign with 23 victories.
On 1 September 1940, Balthasar was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III/ Jagdgeschwader 3, hunting in the skies above London. On 4 September he was seriously wounded in the leg during a dogfight with several 222 Squadron Spitfires over Canterbury and although still on crutches, Balthasar was flying operationally again some 14 days later. On 23 September 1940 he claimed two Spitfires and had three more victories before returning for hospital treatment in November 1940.
On 16 February 1941 Hauptmann Balthasar took over the Richthofen Geschwader, succeeding Hauptmann Greisert who assumed temporary command following the loss of Helmut Wick . Between 22 June and 27 June 1941 he claimed another nine Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft, including five Bristol Blenheim bombers on 23 June, which brought his victory total to 40. For this milestone, he was awarded Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 2 July 1941.
Wilhelm Balthasar was killed only a day later during an aerial combat with RAF fighters over Aire, France. As he was diving violently in his Bf 109 F-4, the wing of his aircraft malfunctioned and he crashed to his death near Saint-Omer. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major and buried at a World War I cemetery in Flanders alongside his father.
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 09, 2016, 06:51:51 PM
(http://i57.tinypic.com/25jh0cl.jpg)
Herbert Schob
Herbert Schob (12 May 1915 – 5 April 1981) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career Herbert Schob was credited with 34 aerial victories, 6 in the Spanish Civil War and 28 during World War II.
Gotthard Handrick received his Abitur (diploma) in 1929 and the joined the military service of the Reichswehr.
As a fighter pilot, he participated in Spanish Civil War and claimed 5 aerial victories while flying for the Legion Condor (including a I-15 on 9 September 1937 and an I-16 on 18 May 1938).
In July 1937 Handrick was appointed to command Jagdgruppe 88 (18 July 1937 – 10 September 1938) and assumed command of I./JG 26 (1 May 1939 – 23 June 1940) after his return from Spain in 1938.[3] On 24 June 1940 command of Jagdgeschwader 26 was handed over to Major Handrick, who passed command of I./JG 26 to Hpt. Kurt Fischer.[4] On 22 August 1940 Major Adolf Galland of III./JG 26 replaced Handrick as Geschwaderkommodore of JG 26.
He then became Kommodore of Ergänzungsjagdgruppe 2 briefly before a posting in October to I./JG 28. In June 1941 Handrick was posted to command JG 77. While serving on the Eastern Front he claimed a MiG-3 on 29 September and a Pe-2 on 22 October 1941.
During World War II he claimed another 10 victories[5] while serving in the German military, earning him the German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943.[6]
In May 1942 Oberstlt. Handrick transferred to command JG 5 in Norway and Northern Russia. From June 1943 to June 1944 he was Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark, then as an Oberst. become commanding officer of 8. Jagddivision in Austria until the end of the war.
After the war he worked in Hamburg as a representative of Daimler-Benz.[7]
The Spanish Republican Air Force was the air arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939.
Initially divided into two branches: Military Aeronautics (Aeronáutica Militar) and Naval Aeronautics (Aeronáutica Naval), the Republican Air Force became the Air Forces of the Spanish Republic, Fuerzas Aéreas de la República Española (FARE), also known as Arma de Aviación,[5] after it was reorganized following the restructuring of the Republican Armed Forces in September 1936, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.[6] This defunct Air Force is largely known for the intense action it saw during the Civil War, from July 1936 till its disbandment in 1939.
The Spanish Republican Air Force was popularly known as "La Gloriosa" (The Glorious One). But, according to some historians, the command structure of the Spanish loyalist forces was marred by ineptitude and lack of decision-making throughout the Civil War.[7] Starting from the crucial first weeks of the conflict in July 1936, the rebel side was able to undertake a massive airlift of troops from Spanish Morocco using mostly the slow Ju 52, without any Spanish Republican interference. This was the world's first long-range combat airlift and the military planes on the Spanish Republican side failed to check it.[8]
The Battle of Guadalajara and the defence of the skies over Madrid against Nationalist bombing raids during the capital's long siege would be the only scenarios where the loyalist air force took part in an effective manner. In other important republican military actions, such as the Segovia Offensive, the Battle of Teruel and the decisive Battle of the Ebro, where the Aviación Nacional was relentlessly strafing the loyalist positions with accurate low-level attacks,[9] the republican military airplanes were practically absent from the skies. Moreover, when they appeared and attacked, they did so in an unorganized and inadequate manner that mostly failed to achieve positive effects.[10]
Most of the Spanish Republican planes that survived the conflict were repainted with the markings of the Aviación Nacional after the defeat of the Spanish Republic in the Iberian battlefields.[11]
After 18 July 1936 coup d'état, the Republican government lost the military planes that were in aerodromes under rebel control. The loyalist areas of Spain retained, however, a great part of the 60 Breguet XIX, 27 Vickers Vildebeest and 56 Hispano-Nieuport Ni-52 planes that the Spanish Air Force had before the hostilities, for the Republic had the control of the majority of the territory. Nevertheless, confronted with a war of attrition in the same month, the Spanish Republican government bought in France 14 Dewoitine D.371, 10 Dewoitine D.373 and 49 Potez 540, among other military aircraft, for the value of 12 million francs.All these planes were largely obsolete at the time,[16] so that in the first four months after the start of the hostilities, the only aircraft of the Republican government that could be considered modern were three Douglas DC-2s that had been purchased recently for LAPE, the Republican airline in March 1935.[17] These were requisitioned by the Spanish Republican Air Force and used as military transports.
Within the month of his military coup, the help received by Francisco Franco from Nazi Germany (Condor Legion) and Fascist Italy (Aviazione Legionaria) gave the rebels the upper hand in airpower over Spain. The first German and Italian bombers arrived to increase the size of the rebel air force already in July 1936 and Fiat CR-32 and Heinkel He-51 fighter planes began operating in August.[18] These planes helped the rebel army side to gain full control of the air, as did the Italian Aviazione Legionaria and the German Condor Legion.
In September 1936 the Navy and Air Ministry (Ministerio de Marina y Aire) and the Air Undersecretariat, (Subsecretaria del Aire), both part of the National Defence Ministry (Ministerio de la Defensa Nacional) were established under the command of Indalecio Prieto as minister. For identification purposes the Republican tricolor roundel was replaced by red bands, an insignia that had previously been used on Aeronáutica Naval aircraft during the monarchy in the 1920s, before the time of the Republic.[19][20] In the same month the first serious air combat took place over Madrid when Italian bombers attacked the city in a massive bombing operation.[21]
The western democracies, like France, the United Kingdom and the United States didn't help the young Spanish Republic. Afraid of the "Communist threat" Neville Chamberlain and Léon Blum were ready to sacrifice Spain, as they later sacrificed Czechoslovakia, in the belief that Hitler could be appeased.[22] In the void thus created, only the Soviet Union helped the Spanish government effectively.[23] At the end of October, four months after the rebels had been supplied with German and Italian aircraft by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, the first Tupolev SB bombers arrived from Russia. They were nicknamed "Katiuska". One month later the first Soviet fighter planes arrived to alleviate the lack of operational planes in the loyalist side, the Polikarpov I-15, nicknamed "Chato" (Snubnosed)[24] and the Polikarpov I-16, nicknamed "Mosca" (housefly) by the loyalists and "Rata" (rat) by the rebels. The Polikarpov R-5 and the R-Z reconnaissance bombers were known as "Natacha" in the Spanish Republican Air Force.[25]
The Republican air arm was restructured again in May 1937. The new structure included two branches, the Arma de Aviación and the Subsecretaría de Aviación, but unified the Aeronáutica Militar and Aeronáutica Naval. Some sources give this date as the date of the creation of the Spanish Republican Air Force, although it had been previously operative as an air force already. The Republican Air Force would keep this structure until this disbandment two years later.[26] Many planes belonging to the fleet of the Spanish Republican Airline LAPE (Líneas Aéreas Postales Españolas) were requisitioned by the Spanish Republican Air Force and used as military transports.[27]
Many innovative, and often lethal, aeronautical bombing techniques were tested by Hitler's Condor Legion German expeditionary forces against loyalist areas on Spanish soil with the permission of Generalísimo Franco. The pilots of the Spanish Republican Air Force were unable to check these modern-warfare attacks. Their planes were mostly obsolete and often in a bad state of disrepair.[28] The ungainly French Potez 540, a highly vulnerable plane that proved itself a failure in Spanish skies during the Civil War,[29] was labelled as 'Flying Coffin' (Spanish: Ataúd Volante) by loyalist pilots.[30] The rebel side, however, claimed that both air forces were almost equal, since the Soviet Union was helping the loyalist air force, but the fact was that:[31]
On the other side, the fabled military support provided by the Soviet Union was too little and too late – and generally of poor quality. In addition, whilst the Nationalists received vast supplies on credit from the US and Britain, Stalin's assistance came with strings attached.
The Spanish Republican Air Force was unable to counteract the deadly low-level attacks and close support of the infantry tactics developed by Wolfram von Richthofen during the Civil War.[32] As an air force it became practically ineffective after the Battle of the Ebro in 1938, when the spine of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces was broken. Finally the Spanish Republican Air Force was completely disbanded after the decisive rebel victory on 1 April 1939.
The last Republican military airport in Catalonia was in Vilajuiga, from where on 6 February 1939 Commander Andrés García La Calle led a great part of the planes of the Spanish Republican Air Force to France. The orders had been given in haste by the beleaguered authorities of the doomed Republican Government who wanted to prevent the aircraft from falling into the enemy's hands. The planes landed in Francazal near Toulouse, where the French authorities impounded them, arrested the Spanish Republican pilots and swiftly interned them in concentration camps.
The Legionary Air Force (Italian: Aviazione Legionaria, Spanish: Aviación Legionaria) was an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force. It was set up in 1936 and sent to provide logistical and tactical support to the rebel faction after the pro-Fascist military coup which marked the onset of the Spanish Civil War. This air force would fight the conflict against the Spanish Republic alongside its Nazi German equivalent, the Condor Legion, and the Italian ground troops of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie. They served from August 1936 to the end of the conflict in March 1939. Their main base of operations was Majorca in the Balearic Islands.[1]
At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, the rebel armies in Spanish North Africa led by Francisco Franco had about 30,000 troops and Moroccan nationals under his command, along with some artillery units. In order to transfer his troops and material to mainland Spain, on 24 July 1936, Franco turned to the Italian consul in Tangiers and then directly to major Luccardi, the military attache in the Italian consulate. Through them Franco tried to convince Benito Mussolini to send twelve transport aircraft, twelve reconnaissance planes, ten fighter aircraft, 3000 aerial bombs, antiaircraft machine guns and at least forty five transport ships. At first Mussolini was reluctant to send them, despite his sympathy for Franco, but his son-in-law Galeazzo Ciano put pressure on him and he changed his mind on July 25. Ciano had in the meantime spoken with two representatives of the Spanish monarchy about thirty fighter planes and other equipment sent by the French government that would arrive on August 2.
On July 27 Mussolini ordered the under-secretary for the Regia Aeronautica, general Giuseppe Valle, to send 12 three-engined Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 bombers with crews and the relevant specialists. These would form the first unit, initially known at first as Aviación del Tercio[2] and set out at dawn on 30 July from Cagliari-Elmas on Sardinia, where they had picked up three officials from the Scuola di Navigazione di Altura at Orbetello, the 'gerarca' Ettore Muti and the tenente-colonnello Ruggero Bonomi. The aircraft crews and the specialists were all volunteers from 7th, 10th and 13th Stormo and were provided with civilian clothes and fake documents. All the Italian symbols on the planes had been blotted out to prevent an international incident with pro-Republican European governments. Fake documents stated that the planes were being sold to the Spanish journalist Luis Bolin.
Not all of the Fascist Italian planes sent to the rebel faction reached Morocco - the plane commanded by Angelini crashed in the Mediterranean, that under Mattalia crashed near Saïda (in a French-controlled part of Morocco), and that commanded by Lo Forte had to make an emergency landing near Berkane (also in French Morocco) and was seized by the local authorities. The nine survivors of the Moroccan crashes were provided with nationalist papers and transferred to the airport at Tetuan, from which they helped over the following days to escort the transport ships Araujo, Ciudad de Alicante and Ciudad de Ceuta, which together carried 4,000 men, 4 artillery batteries, 2 million cartridges and 12 tons of other munitions to mainland Spain.
Encouraged by this first operation's success, Mussolini began to send a more steady stream of munitions, personnel and supplies under the name of Aviación Legionaria, Aviazione Legionaria.
Besides military targets, the Aviazione Legionaria carried out a great number strategic bombings of cities in the Spanish Republican rear-guard intended to terrify the civilian population into surrender. The most significant are the 1936 Bombing of Madrid ordered by General Franco, in which the city's residential areas were subject to aerial bombardments —with the exception of the upper class Salamanca district which was assumed to contain many Nationalist supporters. Three Italian bombers attacked the Renteria bridge in the outskirts of Guernika some before[3] the Bombing of Guernica done on April 26 1937 by the Condor Legion, followed by bombed Almeria.[4]
But it would be in 1938 when the Italian planes did most of their large-scale bombing operations over the cities of Barcelona, Alicante, Granollers and Valencia, as well as the Bombing of Xàtiva in 1939, with a total of 728 raids over Spanish Mediterranean cities launching a total of 16.558 bombs mostly over civilian targets and inflicting many, mostly civilian, casualties.[4]
On 12 May 1939 the last Italian aircrew embarked for Italy on the ship Duilio at Cadiz. By the end of the conflict the Aviazione Legionaria had had a total of 135,265 hours' flying time on 5,318 operations, dropping 11,524 tons of bombs and destroying 943 enemy air units and 224 ships. 171 Italian personnel had been killed and 192 wounded, with 74 fighters, 8 bombers, 2 ground-attack planes and 2 reconnaissance aircraft shot down or destroyed. The ratio of results to men and machines lost was positive, but also confirmed the Regia Aeronautica's commanders in their mistaken belief that biplanes and triplanes were still valid in modern combat. In fact the age of air warfare dominated by these aircraft was waning and it was becoming evident that radio needed to be mounted on all aircraft and that bomb-aiming now had to be done with special instruments rather than by sight[5] These errors of judgement would prove decisive when Italy entered the Second World War in 1940.
12 Fiat CR.32 biplanes arrived in Melilla in transport ships on 14 August 1936 (405 would have been sent to Franco by the end of the operation) and by the end of August the "Cucaracha" squadron was formed at Caceres with aircraft of that type. Initial dispatches of aircraft were followed by more numerous ones - in March 1939 eleven of the new monoplane Fiat G.50 fighter were sent, to be based at the base at Ascalona, though in the end they never saw action.
Various bombers were sent 55 three-engined S.M.81 "Pipistrello", 99 of the three-engined Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 "Sparviero" and 16 of the Fiat BR.20 "Cicogna". The units were made part of the 21st Stormo da Bombardamento Pesante and from the 251st and 252nd Squadriglia Pipistrelli delle Baleari. The "Cicogne" went to 230th Squadriglia da bombardamento veloce in summer 1937, before being moved to the 231st in 1938.
In 1931 he was assigned as a fighter pilot to 2a Escuadra Aérea, based at Seville-Tablada. He also received the title of air mechanic. Salvador had logged 550 flying hours by the time he and most of his fellow officers at the base backed the Nationalist cause on the night of 18 July 1936 and occupied Seville-Tablada airfield.
In July 1936, he was sent to Gancedo’s squadron, at Tablada, and moved with them to Algeciras and Malaga on the morning on 18 July.
On 28 July, after the arrival at Burgos of two Nationalist fighters from Tablada airfield, Seville, there was the first combat between Ni-H.52s from both sides over the Sierra de Guadarrama.
When Heinkel He 51s arrived in Seville he, like Joaquín García Morato, joined the Rambaud Escuadrilla.
SS Usaramo with the first contingent of German volunteers arrived.On 10 August, the first He 51 was fully assembled and ready for operations. The German pilots at Tablada were able to put on a display patrol to both test the re-assembled Heinkels and to impress their Spanish comrades with the performance of their aircraft. In accordance with their instructions they were not authorised to enter combat, and so the first few days were spent training five rebel Spaniards selected from the first group of 18 fighter pilots to join the Nationalist side; capitán Luis Rambaud and Joaquín García Morato and teniente Miguel García Pardo, Ramiro Pascual and Salvador.
The small cadre of Spanish pilots working with the Germans had formed themselves loosely into what they called the Escuadrilla Rambaud. After the losses suffered on 23 August, the Escuadrilla was disbanded in the end of the month.
On 17 August, he claimed his first victory when he claimed a Potez 54 over Santa Cruz de Mudela.
Next day, on 18 August, he claimed one Ni.52 and two Breguet XIXs over Merida.
On 27 August, Captain Ángel Salas took off from Aragon in a Nieuport aircraft, eventually arriving at Olmedo. He had written to Joaquín García Morato, from Saragossa hospital, asking if he could occupy the vacant place in the He 51 squadron. Morato had replied to the effect that the situation, so far as the He 51s were concerned, was not very hopeful, but that he had heard some Fiat fighters were due to arrive in Seville, and suggested that it might be better for him to try to get one of these machines allocated to him.
In fact, Salas went to Cáceres, where for some days he acted as a machine-gunner in Ricardo Guerrero's squadron of Ju 52s, and from there he went to Seville in company with Salvador.
By this time, Capitano Vincenzo Dequal commanded both Escuadrillas of the Aviación del Tercio and capitán Salas was accepted into the 2a Escuadrilla de Caza del Tercio
On 20 September, Ángel Salas and Salvador joined the forces in Cáceres, where they continued to operate with the Fiat squadron.
On 5 November came the first big aerial battle of the war. Nine Fiats from Torrijones, led by Maccagno (the pilots included Joaquín García Morato, Ángel Salas and Salvador) met about 15 Chatos and some Potez aircraft between Leganés and Madrid. Without waiting for the support of five additional Fiats from Talavera, Maccagno led them in to attack, relying on superior performance to compensate for lack of numbers. Morato shot down a Chato, and then damaged the engine of a Potez, forcing it to land. Salas shot down a Chato, which crashed in flames, and 5 km south-east of Barajas he scored hits on two more Chatos. He, in turn, came under attack, but put his aircraft into a steep dive and made good his escape at treetop level. Salvador chased a Chato as far as Barajas and attacked two Potez machines without success.
On 13 November, 14 Fiat CR.32s escorted five ”Junkers” and three ”Romeos”. Over the Paseo de Rosales (Madrid) they were surprised by 16 I-15s led by Starshiy Leytenant Pavel Rychagov, which dived on them from above out of the sun. Despite immediately being on the defensive, the Fiat pilots managed to protect the bombers as the air battle broke up into a series of individual combats.
In the early morning on 18 February, two Nationalist Ro.37s (flown by Spanish pilots) took off, followed by three Ju 52/3ms escorted by the Spanish Patrulla Azul and the Italian Fiat Group (totally 25 CR.32 including the Spanish). When they arrived over the front at Jarama, the CR.32s turned so that they were patrolling parallel to the front, while a large formation of Polikarpov fighters waited on the other side. When the Ro.37s and Ju 52/3ms were safe and returning, capitán Joaquín García Morato broke formation and, followed by teniente Salvador and capitán Narciso Bermúdes de Castro, launched himself into Soviet fighters near Arganda. Among the Spaniards, Capitán Morato, who returned with damage to his fighter, was credited with an I-15 and another as a probable while teniente Salvador was credited with and I-16 and a second fighter as a probable.
General Kindelán recommended that Morato be awarded the Cruz Laureada de San Fernando; Spain’s highest military honour for bravery while Salvador was proposed for the Military Medal. The Nationalist Government also exploited the success of this fight against the odds to lobby Italy for additional CR.32s. In the evening on the same day, two I-16s were shot down. Capitano Guido Nobili and Sergente Maggiore Vittorino Daffara shared one between them and teniente Salvador was credited with the second.
Between 11 and 16 July, he claimed two R-5s, one I-16, a A-101 and an additional enemy aircraft.
On 2 September, 2-G-3 surprised a formation of about 15 Chatos in the Belchite area, of which they destroyed seven. These victories were scored by Ángel Salas Larrazábal and Salvador (two each) and by Joaquín García Morato, Javier Allende Isasi and Careaga. These claims can’t be verified with Government records.
On 31 May, 2-G-3 took off with a total of eight machines, in company with capitán Javier Murcia Rubio's squadron (3-G-3). Their task was to escort a number of Ju 52/3ms and Ro.37s over the Puebla de Valverde sector.
On arrival, they encountered 25 Chatos and ten Ratas. Combat began immediately but the Nationalist crews were successful in protecting the bombers, which, their task completed, made good their escape.
Eight I-15s and two I-16s were shot down without losses. The successful pilots were de Hemricourt (I-15), Salvador (3 I-15s and 1 I-16), Rafael Simón García (I-15), Manuel Vázquez Sagastizábal (I-15), Murcia (2 I-15s) and Meurza (I-16).
During this combat Ángel Salas was attacking a Chato when three enemy fighters in turn attacked him. His Fiat was hit several times before he managed to break away from the attack, but his machine was vibrating so badly that he had to return to base.
During a second sortie of the day on 19 June Teniente Salvador (CO 1-E-3) enjoyed better luck, bouncing two Chatos from above near La Puebla, one of which exploded in the air, the other following in flames. It seems that these come from the 3a Escuadrilla and both pilots survived with wounds. Salvador then had to retire with an overheating engine.
On 1 August, near Fayón, a group of Spanish pilots led by comandante Joaquín García Morato (3-G-3) engaged a formation of I-15s. Although CR.32 pilot Munaiz de Brea lost his life during the action, the Spaniards claimed seven ‘Curtiss fighters’ destroyed. Two of these aircraft were the first successes for alférez Antonio Manrique Garrido (1-E-3) - one I-15 was seen to fall in flames near Mequinenza, while the pilot of the second machine escaped by parachute. The other kills were individually credited to comandante Morato, capitán Salvador (1-E-3), teniente Manuel Vázquez Sagastizábal (1-E-3), teniente Joaquín Velasco Fernández Nespral (7-E-3) and teniente Emelio O’Connor Valdivielso (4-E-3).
On 25 August, 2-G-3 shot down two Chatos (Ángel Salas and Salvador) and lost José M.a Etayo Elizondo (2-E-3), who died of injuries after trying to land his burning Fiat (3-63) at Campanario. It seems that Elizondo possibly was credited with one victory at the time of his death.
During the war, Salvador claimed 24 biplane victories and 1 balloon.
During the Spanish Civil War, he accumulated 1,066 flying hours in 567 operational sorties. With the Fiat CR.32 alone, he flew 515 sorties totalling 893 hours. Among his claims were 13 I-15s.
When the war ended, he was sent to the 22nd Fighter Regiment (Tablada) and was later named as leader of the Fighter School, which had been moved from Villanubla to Reus and then to Morón, where it remained until it was disbanded in 1953.
He relieved Salas in Command of the expeditionary squadron in Russia, where he remained from March to November 1942.
In the afternoon on 22 August, the Bf 109F-2s of 15. (Span)/JG 51 were involved in combat with Soviet LaGG-3s. At 17:25, they made two claims when Salvador claimed one and Manuel Bengoechea Menchaco (4th and last claim) a second.
On 29 October, Salvador claimed a LaGG-3.
15. (Span)/JG 51 made one additional clam this day when capitán Carlos Serra Pablo-Romero claimed another LaGG-3 at 12:25, at 600 meters south-east of Kislino (he also claimed an additional LaGG-3 as a probable during the day).
He returned to Morón, remaining there until he was named as Air Attaché in Washington.
Salvador ended the war with 24 biplane victories and a total of 26.
Later, he was Director of the Academia General del Aire, Chief of Staff for the Straits Air Region, leader of the Defensive Air Forces and second in command of the Alto Esládo Mayor.
In November 1969, he was named Air Minister and in 1970 was promoted to Lieutenant-General.
Salvador passed away on 22 June 1987.
Title: More on Frank Tinker
Post by: Arlo on March 12, 2016, 02:17:41 PM
He volunteered for the Republican side loyal to the left-wing government, and soon found himself at a training center near Guadalajara, where he and fellow American pilots Whitey Dahl and Jim Alllison were introduced to the Russian-built Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, nicknamed the Mosca—the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world. Tinker recalled this exchange with the commander of the Russian squadron, "Captain Ramon": RAMON: Have you ever seen planes like those before? JIM: Segurrissimamente. (Why, certainly.) WHITEY: Hell, yes. (Whitey had actually flown our American P-26 model while in the American Army.) MYSELF: Sí, sí. (My Spanish was still a little weak.) RAMON (looking slightly surprised): Do you think that you could fly them? WHITEY: Oh, I flew planes like this about three years ago. RAMON (looking astonished): What! JIM: Yeah, they're a little antiquated, but I suppose we could learn to fly the things again.... ....RAMON: These planes are the most modern fighting planes in the world. THE THREE OF US: Aw, bologny (or its equivalent); we've seen the same things in the United States at least five years ago. ALL RUSSIANS: !*%&@_#$&%****! (may be translated as general disbelief). Tinker spent just six months in Spain, shooting down eight enemy planes before returning home in July 1937. Author Carl Posey, who wrote about Spanish Civil War pilots in our May 2009 issue, tells what happened then: Tinker earned a bit of fame and fortune with his memoir, along with a law suit from former comrades who didn’t like his characterization of them. Some Still Live ends with a lament: Having been rejected by the Army Air Corps, Tinker wrote “I suppose there is nothing left except to follow Horace Greeley’s advice and go West.” He meant China. In the event, he only got to Arkansas. On June 13, not three months after the war in Spain ended, Tinker was found dead in his room in Little Rock’s Hotel Ben McGee, shot in the head with a .22 pistol. He was 29. Tinker's apparent suicide saddened and puzzled friends like Ernest Hemingway, who as a war correspondent had hung out with him and other American pilots in Madrid. Written on Tinker's tombstone is this epitaph in Spanish: "Quien Sabe" (Who Knows).
One of the teams of the 1st LaCalle comprised American pilots only : Frank Tinker, Harold Evans Dahl,Jim Allison and Charlie Coch and was eventually called the 'American Patrol' by the Spaniards. Coch left early due to health problems, Allison was shot down wounded and stayed away until he was transferred to a bomber group. Tinker and Dahl stayed together for most of the time on the 1st LaCalle until Dahl was shot down and taken prisoner. A replacement that joined the group then was the American-Spanish S.Selles nicknamed 'Chang' because he had stayed long time in Japan. He became a very close friend with Tinker until one day Selles was arrested by the Russian anti-spy police as a japanese agent, disappeared for a long period and then it became known he was executed. Tinker reported that he was constantly keeping notes on many things which he mailed to his sister in Japan while the Russians said he was also very fluent in the Russian language , a secret to all , that enabled him to listen to what was said around him. From Tinker's book it seems that this view was considered rather probable, although it is something that can not be thoroughly checked .
(http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Coch_in_WW1.jpg) (http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Koch.gif) (1) Charlie Coch : as young pilot when he was to join the Lafayette squadron in WW1 and (2) when he joined the 1st LaCalle to lead the 'American Patrol'. Coch was an aviation veteran of the middle war years that lost his fortune in the economic crisis.
(http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Jim_Allison.gif) (3) Jim Allison : He was shot down and wounded and when recovered was sent to a bomber squadron. He later quit Spain and went over to Mexico.
(http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Leider.jpg) (4) Ben Leider : A professional reporter-journalist and a Communist Jewish militant, who volunteered without pay to the democratic cause. Fluent in Spanish and the ideological jargon was loved by the Spanish pilots. He served in a different but neighbouring squadron with Tinker and fought heroically. Tinker watched him shot down and killed in a combat they fought together.
(http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/baumler1.jpg) (5) Albert John ,'Ajax', Baumler: A decommissioned US Air Corps cadet , Baumler went to Spain and was sent early to a Russian squadron equipped with I-15. After a reorganisation of the Spanish Air Force and when Tinker left the 1st LaCalle they flew together in the 1st Moscas manned with Russians. They stayed close until the end of the war and actually until Tinker's death; Baumler was most probably the last man to meet him and encouraged him to enlist to the 'Flying Tigers.
Baumler was the closest friend to Tinker on his last days. He will finish the war as Major of USAF considered as the only American pilot to have fought against all enemy countries : Italy , Germany and Japan. Baumler flew initially as an American pilot liaised to the Flying Tigers then this unit became the USAF 23rd Group . Baumler ended WW2 as a Major, commanding one squadron in this group, eventually becoming the Group's executive officer. Before retirement he served as a radar controller in Korea when some of his Russian colleagues of his own squadron in Spain were fighting in Migs on the other side . Looking them on the radar he used to laugh bitterly saying : 'These are ...my boys !'
(http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Moscabf.jpg) Tinker's victory against the Bf109B , 6-4 (12/6/1937)
"...The key to Tinker's character was his ability to walk on the tightrope between's exposure to the brutalization of war and the simple faith of his Arkansas roots - a mental and moral equilibrium which allowed him to serve both as a paid mercenary and genuine hero of the Republican cause"
This was an 'epitaph' written by Hemingway on the death of his friend F. Tinker
He was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. In 1935-1936, he underwent primary pilot training at Randolph Field and was commissioned in the United States Army Air Corps.
After the start of the Spanish Civil War, Baumler resigned his commission and offered his services to the Republican side. He went to Spain and served there from December 27, 1936, on a contract that promised him a salary of $1,500 a month plus $1,000 for each aircraft he shot down. In February 1937, he was assigned to the Escuadrilla Kosakov fighter unit under Russian command, flying a biplane Polikarpov I-15 "Chato". In 1937, he flew many combat missions against the Nationalists, generally dueling against German and Italian aircraft. On March 16, he was credited with his first victory, over an Italian Fiat CR.32 fighter, in a team with A. Zaitsev. On March 20, he was credited with another CR.32, 10 km southeast of Brihuega, as his first individual kill. On April 17, he claimed a German Heinkel He 51 fighter from the Legion Condor over Teruel, and with a second He-51 credited as probably shot down.
In late May 1937, Baumler was assigned to the 1st Escuadrilla de Moscas unit, commanded by the Russian Ivan Lakyeyev, flying a faster Polikarpov I-16 "Mosca" fighter. On June 2, he claimed another CR.32 in the Segovia area, and on June 14 another over Huesca. On July 8, he probably shot down his last CR.32. He became a close friend of another American mercenary pilot flying for the Spanish Republic, Frank Tinker, who was posted to this squadron after having fought successfully with the 'Lacalle Squadron'. Baumler flew his last missions on July 15, then returned to the United States in August.
In total, he was credited with shooting down four enemy planes individually and the fifth as a team victory (sometimes counted as 0.5), and with two probables.
In 1938, Baumler rejoined the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant, but in 1941 he resigned his commission again to join the American Volunteer Group ("Flying Tigers") then training in Burma. He was however refused a passport due to his Spanish combat. He returned to the U.S. Army, and in December was assigned to the U.S. Military Mission in China, probably with the expectation that he would serve as AMISSCA's liaison to the AVG, which was in need of experienced staff officers. He flew east on a Pan Am Clipper flying boat that was carrying tires and spare parts for the AVG fighter planes. The cargo was dumped, and Baumler and the aircraft returned after it was strafed at Wake Island on the morning of December 7, 1941 - the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
In February 1942, Baumler served in the 45th Pursuit Squadron, and in May he was sent to China as a U.S. Army captain. He was credited with two aerial victories, on June 3 and 22, though these cannot be confirmed, and the first is probably erroneous.
From July 4, 1942, he served in the successor of the Flying Tigers, the 75th Fighter Squadron of the 23rd Fighter Group as a pilot and as squadron adjutant under Major David Lee "Tex" Hill. Flying P-40E fighters, he was credited with four or five further Japanese aircraft from July to September 1942, his last victories. From December 11, 1942 to February 18, 1943, he commanded the 74th FS. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal, and was promoted to major. He seems to have been the first American pilot credited with destroying aircraft of all three Axis Powers.[citation needed]
The end of the war resulted in the rapid demobilization of the Air Force and Baumler, lacking a college degree and with a history of drinking problems and former association with the Soviets, was turned down for a regular commission, and accepted a permanent rank of master sergeant in order to remain in the service. In the immediate postwar period, he served at Gander Air Force Base in Newfoundland.
During the Korean War, he served as a Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) operator and was selected as the controller to direct the landing of General (and President-Elect) Dwight D. Eisenhower's plane when he made his famous visit to Korea. It is said that during the Korean War he was responsible for a radar interception unit and from the way some Migs were manoeuvering he identified some of the Russian pilots as his former wingmen in Spain. He used to refer to them, laughingly, as 'My Boys'.
His final duty station was Perrin Air Force Base in Texas, where he met and married Erma Loraine Northern of Telephone, Texas. He separated from the Air Force in September 1965 and was placed on the retired list at his reserve rank of major based on his combat decorations.
He died on August 2, 1973 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Waco, Texas and was buried in Georgetown Cemetery, outside of Pottsboro, Texas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Baumler
During his thirty-plus years of military service, Baumler was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (with oak leaf cluster), Air Medal, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, American Defense Service Medal (with foreign service star), American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with 3 campaign stars), World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal (with 2 campaign stars), Air Force Longevity Service Award (with 6 oak leaf clusters), Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and United Nations Korean Service Medal, and was rated a Senior Pilot.
Two Americans stand out as among the most effective and least typical of their generation to aid Spain in its fight against Fascism. Unlike most of the other U.S. volunteers who participated in the Spanish Civil War, the flyers Frank Tinker and Albert J. “Ajax” Baumler were not politically motivated men who learned to fight; they were military men who learned their role in 20th-century history.
Tinker and Baumler both grew up in modest families and were in the U.S. military early in the Depression. Baumler came from New Jersey and joined the Army as a radio operator in 1933. He later got his wings, was discharged, and worked briefly as a United Airlines co-pilot before signing a contract with the Spanish government to fly for the Republic. Tinker was raised in rural Arkansas, where his father was an engineer at a rice mill. Determined to go to the Naval Academy, but from a family with no political connections, Tinker joined the Navy as an enlisted man and won admission to the Academy by examination. Graduating in the depths of the Depression, he had no Navy job waiting for him, so he joined the Army to be trained as a fighter pilot. He completed his training at the Navy’s Pensacola flight school.
Like many in Spain, Tinker and Baumler clearly saw that the civil war was a prelude to World War II, which would eventually envelop the United States. However, they did not join the Spanish Republic’s Air Force (FARE) out of idealism. Early in the war the Spanish government desperately needed trained flyers and paid well for the best.
Remember the coolly calculating character played by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, who had made money smuggling arms to Ethiopia? But, as the Vichy-French police commander points out, “The winning side would have paid you much better.” The same held true for the two American flyers Tinker and Baumler.
Tinker grew to hate Hitler and Mussolini and foresaw the probability of the U.S. eventually being at war with them. As a result of being in hotels and movie theaters in Madrid under fire, in his 1938 book Some Still Live, Tinker writes, in our country “we may expect more or less the same thing. I can almost see the crowds standing around watching the Little Rock Fire Department dig bodies out of… hotels… and philosophically discussing the condition of the remains.”
As flyers and fighters, Tinker and Baumler distinguished themselves. They arrived in Spain and initially flew old French-built planes that were barely suited for warfare. After they proved their abilities, they were assigned to fighter squadrons flying some of the very last biplane fighters, I-15s (which look more like World War I planes than World War II) and the first monoplane fighter with retractable wheels, the Russian-built I-16, which the Spanish referred to as the Mosca (a pun based on the word for fly and the fact that the crates the planes arrived in were stamped “Moscow”).
Since both men were paid bonuses for each enemy plane they shot down, the Spanish bookkeeping was very conservative. Witnesses had to verify and wreckage had to be produced. Tinker’s officially recognized 8 “kills” and Baumler’s 4½ (indicating shared credit for a victory) are only part of the count. Tinker also had 11 “probables.”
Either way, the two pilots were the most accomplished Americans to fly for the Spanish. In 1937 they flew over and participated in some of that year’s most important battles: Madrid, Teruel, Jarama and Guadalajara. Among their accomplishments: Tinker was the first U.S. pilot (some accounts say the first anywhere) to down a Messerschmitt 109 (the Nazis’ most advanced fighter) and Baumler downed both German and Italian planes.
Neither man was a saint. They were both hard drinkers who liked to party to excess. Both had disciplinary problems in the U.S. military. Tinker had been kicked out of the Navy for brawling and lack of discipline. When off duty, they would go to Madrid and hang out with people like Ernest Hemingway. Tinker and the writer told each other tales about their exploits hunting along the White River in Arkansas. Tinker also went to movie theaters while the city was under attack and observed how cartoon characters could speak much better Spanish than he could.
Despite that limitation, Tinker briefly commanded his fighter squadron, which included Spanish and Russian pilots. How was that possible? In 1937, most planes did not have radios; cockpits were open and the commands were given by hand signals.
By mid 1937, Spain had trained enough of its own pilots and had no further need of the Americans’ services.
Upon returning home, the flyers were not greeted as heroes. They both encountered severe problems with the Passport Office and other government branches. Tinker was denied when he tried to re-enlist in the Navy. He wrote and delivered radio broadcasts in support of the Spanish government during the Civil War, although he kept his distance from some supporters of the Republic because he was unabashedly anti-Soviet. Baumler kept a lower profile and was able to rejoin the Army.
Both men kept in mind that there were more battles to be fought. When Tinker was found dead in 1939 (recent research debunks the theory that he committed suicide), correspondence about flying for China against Japan was found next to his body. Two years later, Baumler had signed up with the Flying Tigers.
Even though the White House covertly supported the Tigers, the Passport Office still gave Baumler trouble and delayed his departure for Asia. His fellow flyers were already in Burma, but he was on his way to China when the Japanese shot up his passenger plane at Wake Island on Pearl Harbor Day. He escaped injury and had to fly to China in the other direction, via the Atlantic, Africa and India. In his first victory over a Japanese plane, he simultaneously became an Ace (with 5 victories) and the first American pilot to down a plane from each of the three Axis enemies (Germany, Italy, and Japan.) He ended the war as Major Ajax Baumler.
After the war, Baumler remained in the U.S. Air Force at the reduced rank of sergeant. Was that payback for bucking the government in the Spanish Civil War, as many thought, or, as his detractors claimed, simply because of his drinking and the fact that he didn’t finish college? As it says on Tinker’s gravestone, “¿Quién Sabe?” (“Who knows?”)
Both pilots have been honored by the Spanish aviators’ organization, the Asociación de Aviadores de la República (ADAR). They are listed on its website among “Our Flyers,” and ADAR sent a medal and a Republican flag to the centennial celebration held at Frank Tinker’s gravesite in DeWitt, Arkansas.
Title: More on 'Whitey' Dahl
Post by: Arlo on March 12, 2016, 03:23:46 PM
More on 'Whitey' Dahl (or rather ... a Youtube video in his honor with a song written by his son):
A snippet from 'Arise My Love':
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 12, 2016, 05:55:42 PM
And yes .... I've been writing the script for this movie in my head for 20 years. (A lot of good it does me - or anyone - there). ;0 :cool: :cheers: :bolt: :old:
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 12, 2016, 10:08:59 PM
Born in Kobe ( Japan ), his father was a merchant of spices Novelda (Alicante) and his mother was Italian-Japanese. He was a cousin of the Spanish-Japanese writer Jideko Sellés Ogino .
Chang Sellés studied as a pilot at the military academy " Nagoya Aviation School" where he obtained his license approx. in 1932. He was living in Japan until he moved to Spain shortly before the start of the Spanish Civil War, which was when he entered the Spanish Republican Air Force (FARE). He participated in battles such as Jarama and the Battle of Guadalajara in 1937.
Because of its Japanese origin and spoke with great respect for the emperor of Japan, the Soviets suspected him of being a spy and on March 31, 1937 he was arrested and for several months was severely tortured by Russians in a "torture chamber" of Valencia and then confined to a concentration camp.
He was officially decommissioned in Aviation on June 12, 1938. A year and half after his arrest (1939), having no evidence against him, he was released and became an English teacher in Alicante. It is said that he was later arrested by Franco after the civil war and tortured again for his Republican ideology.
In 1953 he was the first professor of judo when the first school of this specialty was founded in Valencia (the club "Sakura No Hana" - cherry blossom). Most thought he had reached the level of black belt in Judo when he studied as a pilot in Nagoya but actually he had specialized in Jiu-Jitsu. The following year, in 1954, the club "Sakura No Hana" in Valencia organized an exhibition of judo open to the public (in a pavilion located between the streets Císcar and Salamanca).
Spanish Civil War
He went into combat immediately after the start of the war, and after September 1936 specialized in piloting modern Soviet aircraft like the Polikarpov I-15 ( Chato ). He took part in several operations such as strafing factory gases and chemicals The Marañosa , or in dogfights with the first squadrons organized by the Russians to defend against the Madrid bombing of the Junkers-52 and other combat missions, generally he fought duels against German and Italian planes.
He was promoted to sergeant on November 12, 1936 (GR 6 01/06/1937) when Andres Garcia Lacalle was promoted to captain and took command of the 1 st Fighter Squadron called 'Squadron Lacalle', consisting of 25 aircraft divided into 6 groups 4. in January 1937. One of these groups consisted of American pilots (the 'Patrol American') which consisted of Chang Sellés Ogino, Frank Glasgow Tinker , Harold Evans Dahl and Jim Allison , although this last longer in the group and end the trio Chang-Tinker-Dahl were the only members of the group.
Chang Sellés joined the "American squad" on 9 October due to the low numbers pilots. Since he spoke perfect English (as well as Spanish and Japanese) that made him a natural to fly with the Americans. Because of this and his nickname, many historians have talked about him as if he were an American mercenary or even Chinese, when in fact he was Japanese with Spanish nationality.
In his squadron Chang was very appreciated for his peculiar sense of humor. He also invented the Squadron song, copying music from a popular French song of the era of the First World War. According to Captain Lacalle, he helped him every morning to wake up to the squad playing the ukelele .
In the first edition of the book "War of Spain from the air" (1970) Jesus Salas Larrazabal wrote that Chang was shot. In the next edition of the book (January 1972), he said that was not executed and the error was due to partner Chang, the American pilot Tinker, who said so in his autobiography.
Later books on the subject, such as "The International Brigades of the war in Spain" (1975) by Andreu Castells Peig, and "1936, the espagnole maldonne" Léo Palace kept repeating the original data in Tinker's book without verifying that Chang Sellés Ogino was not shot for being a spy and lived until the early 90s although there who says (falsely) that died in Brunete (Madrid).
Although Francisco Tarazona Toran was born in Mexico City on 21 June 1915, his parents were Spanish and they returned home to settle in Valencia when he was still a child. Working as a draughtsman when the civil war commenced, Tarazona soon volunteered to serve the Republican cause as a pilot. On 17 January 1937 he sailed for the USSR on board the SS Ciudad de Cddiz and subsequently joined the flying course at Kirovabad. Returning to Spain in June, Tarazona attended the Escuela de Alta Velocidad at El Carmoli and was promoted to sargento piloto in April. He then became a member of the 2a Patrulla of the recently established escuadrilla de Moscas, led by Soviet pilot Boris Smirnov.
In August 1937 Tarazona flew with his unit from Alcala de Henares to La Albericia to reinforce the fighter force on the Northern front. There, he was quick to demonstrate his skill as a fighter pilot, downing a CR.32 on the 17th of that month and a Bf 109 on the 27th. However, on 13 October Tarazona was himself shot down near Gijon. Taking to his parachute, he landed in a tree in enemy-held territory and made his way to Valencia, via France, to recover from his wounds.
In March 1938 Tarazona was posted to the la Escuadrilla of Grupo de Moscas N° 21, based at Liria airfield and subsequently at Caspe for thedefence of the Aragon front during the Nationalist offensive. Having claimed a share in the destruction of a CR.32 with this unit on 15 March, Tarazona was posted to the recently re-formed 3a Escuadrilla -the Seis doble of Grupo N° 21 de Moscas - and appointed patrulla CO on 10 April. He duly participated in the campaign in Levante while based at Sagunto and Camporrobles, claiming four and three shared victories and one unconfirmed success from 25 Aprilthrough to 24 August.
During the latter month capitan Jose Maria Bravo was promoted to deputy grupo CO, and Tarazona - then still a sargento — assumed command of the 3a Escuadrilla, which he led in the aerial engagements during the battle of the Ebro. He was promoted to teniente in September (having been credited with one and one shared CR.32 victories that month) and confirmed as escuadrilla CO. In October Tarazona claimed one and three shared victories, followed by another success in November, but on 8 December he was injured when his Mosca ('CM-249') suffered engine failure while taking off from Vails. After a short spell in hospital, Tarazona returned to Catalonia to fly Mosca 'CM-193'. He claimed his last success in this machine on 30 December when he downed a Bf 109. On 7 February 1939 Tarazona was lucky to escape with his life when 'CM-193' was attacked by Legion Condor aircraft while he wasattempting to take off from Vilajuiga.
As Republican resistance crumbled the high-scoring ace sought refuge in France. Thanks to his Mexican nationality, Tarazona was able to return to Mexico and join his family there. Francisco Tarazona Toran later found employment as a captain with the airline Mexicana, flying Douglas DC-3s, DC-4s and DC-6s, de Havilland Comet 4s and Boeing 727s. After retirement from the flightdeck, he served as an air service inspector at the airline's headquarters at Mexico City international airport, before becoming operations manager for the Servicios Aereos de la Comision Federal de Electricidad. Tarazona then established the Francisco Tarazona Flying School, which he ran until he retired to Cuernavaca. He died there on 1 July 1988.
Francisco Tarazona logged a total of 23,300 flying hours and was awarded the Emilio Carranza medals for reaching 10,000 and 15,000 commercial flying hours. He was also a successful author, displaying a meticulous, precise style in numerous articles published in magazines and newspapers like Helice, the magazine of the Asociacion Sindical de Pilotos Aviadores (ASPA - Pilots' Trade Union). Tarazona also wrote two books, the first, entitled Sangre en el cielo (Blood in the Sky) and published by Costa Amic in Mexico City in 1958, was an account of his experiences in the civil war. It was also published in Spain by Editorial San Martin in 1974 — while the country was still ruled by General Franco — under the title Yo fuipiloto de caza rojo {I was a Red Fighter Piloi). His second book, El despertar de las dguilas {Eagles Awake), detailed the history of the ASPA, of which Tarazona was an enthusiastic member and office holder. In his book Blood in the Sky, Tarazona stated that he had scored six individual aerial victories and some shared with other pilots during the civil war. The author interviewed Francisco Tarazona during a visit to Spain in 1988 and, after checking documentary sources and consulting renowned historians such as American Thomas Sarbaugh, he believes that Francisco Tarazona Toran scored at least eight aerial victories and another eight shared with Eduardo Claudin Moncada, Antonio Calvo Velasco, Jose Maria Bravo Fernandez and Manuel Montilla y Montilla.
His scored kills
17/8/37 CR.32 27/8/37 Bf 109 15/3/38 CR.32 (half-share) 25/4/38 He 111 11/5/38 Bf 109 10/6/38 Bf 109 (half-share) 14/6/38 Bf 109 (half-share) 4/7/38 SM.79 19/7/38 CR.32 (half-share) 14/8/38 He 111 (unconfirmed) 24/8/38 CR.32 21/9/38 CR.32 22/9/38 CR.32 (half-share) 16/10/38 2 CR.32s (credited to patrulla) 30/10/38 CR.32 31/10/38 He 111 (credited to patrulla) 7/11/38 Do 17 (set on fire) 30/12/38 Bf 109
Text taken from 'Spanish Republican Aces' by Rafael Lopez
Koch, Charles D. (Koch, Charles August, Jr.), b. November 24, 1894, Hoboken, New Jersey; Pilot; Attended the University of Georgia; Prior military service in WWI, he joined the English Airforce in 1917 but contracted influenza and missed seeing combat in France; Married; Aeronautical engineer; No party affiliation; received passport# 354165 on November 24, 1936 which listed his address as Bristol Pike, Bristol, Pennsylvania, 42 years old; Arrived in Spain on December 9, 1936; After he completed Piloto DeCaza (Fighter Pilot) training on January 7, 1937 he reported to a Breguet 19 bomber squadron; later to La Calle squadron where he served as a flight leader; after ulcerated stomach issues he joins a different squadron and had two victories; Repatriated due to continued stomach issues; Mustered out April 8,1937; Returned to the US on April 19, 1937 aboard the Queen Mary; WWII he was a Civilian Aeronautical Engineer and consultant; d. September 5, 1983, Flushing, New York.
(From Five Down, No Glory: Frank G. Tinker, Merenary Ace in the Spanish Civil By R. Hall)
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: bustr on March 16, 2016, 12:51:02 PM
Hey! Arlo....you trying to tell Hitech you want a Spanish Civil War arena or is this a family album post? Some of those guys look like your avatar. Or on an outside guess, looks like they had a lot of dames in that war.....wink wink..... :O
Title: Re: Hey .... how about a Spanish Civil War arena/plane set? :D
Post by: Arlo on March 16, 2016, 01:03:27 PM
Bruno (Brunetto) di Montegnacco came from an Italian aristocratic family from Friuli . He volunteered for the Regia Aeronautica at the top of his class which earned him an assignment to the elite 1 Fighter Wing ( 1 ° Stormo Caccia ) based in Campoformido , equipped fighters Fiat CR.32 . He was a member of the aerobatic team. In August 1936 he volunteered for organized aviazione legionaria and was sent to Spain under a false name of Antonio Romualdi.
His first aerial victory was won on 22 September 1936, shooting down a Loire 46 piloted by Edward Downes Martin of Escuadra Internacional . He won a total of 14 victories and one probable victory. After returning to Italy, he was promoted to the rank of Sottotenente (equivalent to second lieutenant ) and awarded the Medaglia d'argento al valor militare . He returned in the 1 ° Stormo Caccia and aerobatic team. April 13, 1938, during practice aerobatics team near Gorizia he collidedat the top of the loop of the second plane formation and died in the wreckage. He was posthumously awarded the Medaglia d'Oro al valore Aeronautico.
Spanish Civil War flying ace who “attacked like a rabid dog” dies aged 97
José Falcó reportedly took down two elite Nazi fighters in one mission in his Soviet biplane For years the Republican pilot took flowers to the grave of one of the Germans he killed.
José Falcó – whose Catalan surname means “falcon” – seemed predestined to become a bold aviator.
He reportedly took down two Messerschmitts Bf 109, the Luftwaffe’s state-of-the-art fighter planes during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), in a single sortie. He could fly and fight in the dark, going where only the most skilled and daring pilots ventured.
But he was also the man who, for years, took flowers to the grave of one of the German pilots he shot down.
Now, at the age of 97, it is old age that has finally caught up with Falcó, rather than the machine guns of an enemy aircraft.
Falcó, who died on Monday in the French city of Toulouse, where he lived, took part in what is considered to be the last air battle of the Spanish Civil War in Catalonia.
It was on February 6, 1939. The Republican army was beating a hasty retreat following the Battle of the Ebro, and the surviving air force had regrouped at Villajuiga airfield in Girona before moving on to France. Franco’s air force had already conducted a raid the day before. Falcó did not have time to take off that day, but he fired against the attackers with a rifle and always claimed that he hit an Italian pilot.
But it was the next day that the big attack by the Messerschmitts took place. The Republican aircraft scrambled to take off as hell began raining down around them. One of the few to manage it was Falcó aboard his Polikarpov I-15 biplane, also known as a Chato. After zigzagging in and out of the German planes’ firing range, Falcó suddenly lunged at them “like a rabid dog,” according to the testimony of his own attackers, and managed to take one down. Then he reportedly shot down a second, although this claim has been contested.
His plane’s engine petered out just then, and Falcó was forced to make an emergency landing in a field. He managed to reach the French border by car, and was interned at the camp in Boulou, then transferred to Argelès-sur-Mer.
Falcó was born in Barcelona, on Robadors street, part of the former Barrio Chino (Chinese quarter). He always said he developed his passion for flying at school, where he learned about the adventures of Ramón Franco and his seaplane Plus Ultra – ironically it was Ramón’s brother Francisco Franco who Falcó would later end up fighting.
In 1936 he was conscripted for service in Marina, but after the uprising he was admitted into the flying school in Alcantarilla, and graduated as a Polikarpov I-15 pilot. David Íñiguez, co-author of La guerra aèria a Catalunya (or, The aerial war in Catalonia), says Falcó is one of the few Republican fighter pilots to have trained exclusively in Spain.
In 1938, after many combat hours, he was selected for night missions against the Condor Legion’s air raids on Barcelona. Falcó had no prior experience with night flying and had to learn as he went along. His mechanic made some superficial changes to his Chato and the flying ace learned to take off and land in the dark, and to coordinate with the anti-aircraft gunners. He drew a bat on the fuselage to lift his own spirits. He spent many hours sitting inside his aircraft, a telephone cradled in his lap, waiting for alerts about incoming air raids. Following the death of Walter Katz, the German-Jewish head of the night fighter squadron, Falcó took over his duties but continued to participate in daytime missions.
In France he attempted to join the French air force during World War II, but was turned down. He then moved to Algeria, where he worked as a mechanic and got married. After obtaining French citizenship, he moved back to France and settled down in Toulouse.
One day, while visiting the old airfield of Villajuiga to relive his day of glory, Falcó ran into the memorial for one of the downed Messerschmitt pilots, Heinrich Windemuth, and never stopped bringing him flowers after that.
“He was an affable man, very generous and welcoming,” recalls Íñiguez, who knew him well. A purebred pilot, he was proud of his deeds and was prone to some exaggeration, which does not detract from his track record. He worked actively with the association of republican aviators to bring dignity to this community and recognition for their role in the Civil War.
The French journalist Pierre Challier has written a biography of Falcó, and the Barcelona comic book festival Salón del Cómic, which begins on Thursday, will include a stand dedicated to Republican pilots and sell a t-shirt depicting Falcó and his biplane.
Falcó has been officially credited with taking down eight enemy planes during the course of 20 combat missions, and even though the Messerschmitts affair is still steeped in controversy, this is perhaps not the right time to take credit away from him.
“The eternal debate of whether he shot down one or two will never end,” says Íñiguez. “But it was very likely two, and very likely that the Germans never wanted to admit that a Chato was able to take out two of its best fighters.”
The port of Cartagena. The revolt of the pro Franco officers was silenced by Republican marines who founded a Committee on the battleship "Jaime 1" around July 20th. July 1936.
Spanish Civil War starts; Spanish Air Force splits. most of the 60 Breguet XIX recon bombers and 20 Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers go Republican. Most of the Nieuport-Delage Ni.D.52 biplane fighters go Republican (40 Repub, 9 Nat’l).
The Spanish Loyalist government buys 12 million francs worth of aircraft, including 14 Dewoitine D.371 and 10 D.373 parasol-wing fighters, and 49 Potez Po.540 medium bombers.
Malraux raises money and buys a squadron of Potez Po.540 bombers to form the Escuadrilla Espana. Based in Madrid, manned by warriors and intellectuals from all over Europe, they are colorful - but not very effective. By December, having lost half their aircraft, they are absorbed into the Republican Air Force. Germany sends 10 Ju52s to airlift Franco’s Spanish Legion troops from Morocco to Spain· .
Italy sends a squadron of CR.32 fighters as escort for the two freighters sent to help move the Spanish Legion from Morocco to Spain.
Aug-36
After sending several dozen aircraft, France cuts off further arms shipments to Republican Spain.
10 Ju52/3m and 6 He51 were established at Tablada airfield near Sevilla as part of a German volunteer detachment, ostensibly to train Spanish pilots to fly the new equipment. The Germans call their Spanish adventure Operation Feuerzauber (Magic Fire).
An Italian squadron flying Fiat C.R.32 fighters was set up but without the pretense. A squadron of Savoia bombers (SM.81s?) fly into Sevilla. A squadron on Caproni Ca.135s fly into Sevilla; they are used in the north.
In the first few weeks, several combat sorties were flown. Among the pilots who claimed victories over Republican aircraft were two Spanish pilots: Joachim Garcia Morata (40) and Julio Salvador Diaz-Benjumea (24). (The number in parentheses is the claimed total for the war.) Flying He51's, they encountered a variety of enemy aircraft. It is certain that more than one Breguet XIX did not return from an encounter with an He 51 during August 1936, but victories over other types are less clear.
By August's end, the Germans and their Spanish "trainees" had moved to Escalona del Prado, near Madrid. By now, the pretense was dropped and the German volunteers started flying combat sorties. Herwig Knuppel (8), Kraft Eberhardt (7), and Hannes Trautloft (5) initiated their scores. Flying a Republican bomber over the Nationalist Northern Army was fast becoming an unhealthy proposition.
Sept-36
9 He 51s based at Caceres.
After the defeat of a Republican invasion force, an Italian fighter sqdn is stationed in Majorca. Throughout the war, Italian air and naval units operate from Majorca.
After scoring four kills, Morato got himself transferred to the Italian squadron. The Fiat CR 32 was widely regarded as the best fighter in the Spanish skies so the attraction was self-evident despite a clear antipathy between Italian and Spanish officials. Morato scored 36 more victories while flying the Fiat. In the ensuing weeks his example would be followed by several of the more talented Spanish pilots.
Oct-36
The German Kondor Legion’s air unit is 36-48 He51s (JGr88), 48 Ju52s (KGr88), a seaplane sqdn, a recon sqdn (18x He70s), and an experimental sqdn. Other units include 6 batteries of AAA. The Italians have several fighter and bomber squadrons.
The Republicans received an infusion of about 50 Russian aircraft. SB-2 Katuska bombers began operations before the month was out, and I-15 Chatos scored their first kill on November 4, 1936 against a Ju-52. The Soviets eventually send several hundred aircraft.
Nov-36 Russian/Republican units clash with German and Italians. See the November, 1936 scenarios. Germans start to bomb Madrid.
Dec-36 A squadron of I-15s are stationed in Bilbao.
Jan-Feb '37
Germany adds He-111Bs, Do17Fs, and Me109Bs for ‘field testing.’
Italy add S.M 79s.
France sneaks in 20 Loire 46 fighters (on par with the Polish PZL P.11).
Mar-37
In response to a Nationalist advance on Madrid using Italian troops, the Republicans added ground support missions - with devastating effects on the Italian ground units. Nationalist attention shifts to Basque Spain. A wide swath of northern Spain was Republican, from Bilboa to Oviedo. The Nationalists began a series of offensives, each aimed taking a major northern port and its surrounding area. 40 aircraft new aircraft are added to Mola’s Nationalist Army of the North. He goes into action with 120 aircraft, including the Kondor Legion and the Legione Aviazione. Late in March, Durango, an otherwise defenseless town, is bombed.
Apr-37
The Guernica raid occurs (German He-111Bs and Ju52s bomb the militarily insignificant town of Guernica solely as a terror action, destroying it. A fresh wave hits the town every 20 minutes ofr three hours.)
Kondor Legion is upgraded:
Bf109B-1 introduced in small numbers (eventially replace 2 of three fighter squadrons of J/88; He51s given to Nationalist Spain);
He111B-2 replaces 2 Ju52 bomber squadrons in K/88;
18 Do17Fs replace the surviving 12 He70s (given to Spain);
Jun-37
Soviets send updated designs (I-152 and I-16 Type10).
Jul-37
Battle of Brunete (a Republican attempt to relieve pressure on Madrid). Republicans commit 150 aircraft - and lose 100 of them. The Nationalists lose 23. The Bf109Bs are included in the Nationalist flight line. (See the Spanish scenarios)
Aug-37
Republicans have some 470 aircraft against about 350 Nationalist aircraft. However, Nationalists are still better trained. (Not clear if these numbers include the Kondor Legion and the Legione Aviazione).
18 Russian fighters and 15 older fighters and bombers defend Santander.
Nov-37
Germany and Italy add one kette of Ju87A (for testing), 5 Ju86D-1, a squadron He111E-3s and some Fiat BR.20s.
Apr-38
He51s and Meridonali Ro.37bis provide good ground support to Nationalist offensives.
May-38
Basque areas are completely undefended from the air. They are bombed constantly.
Summer '38
Soviet airmen are phased out, taking the most experienced pilots flying for the Republicans. Heavy losses in July.
Oct-38
5 Ju87B-1s added to K/88 for field testing.
Jan-39
Fiat G.50s and Bf109E-1s receive ‘field testing.’ Republicans on the wane
Feb-39
Republicans down to 40 aircraft for the Army of the Center; by the 3rd week, the full Republican air force is “3 sqdns of Natacho bombers, 2 sqdns of Katiuska (SB-2) bombers, 25 fighters.” The Nationalists have some 600 aircraft.
Mar-39
The final Republicans surrender. As the Germans leave, they hand over to the Spanish Air Force their surviving equipment.
http://world.std.com/~ted7/tlspain.htm
Title: From the Spanish Civil War to the Fall of France (link and excerpt)
Post by: Arlo on March 20, 2016, 12:06:33 PM
From the Spanish Civil War to the Fall of France: Luftwaffe Lessons Learned and Applied
Excerpt:
Operation Magic Fire (28 July 1936 - 29 March 1939)
Hermann Göring proclaimed the existence of the reconstructed German Luftwaffe on 10 March 1935. [1] Within eighteen months, the new Luftwaffe embarked upon Operation Magic Fire, a program to assist the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. The war, which broke out in the summer of 1936, provided Hitler with an excellent opportunity to distract European attention from his machinations elsewhere on the Continent while at the same time enabling the fledgling Luftwaffe to field test its air warfare doctrine and equipment in military action. [2] The Luftwaffe learned much from the Spanish War in the way of strategy, tactics, logistics, and operations. These lessons were reinforced by the Polish Campaign in September 1939 and applied in Scandinavia, the Low Countries and France in 1940.
Condor Legion was the name given to the German military units dispatched in November 1936 to fight in Spain. The task of this paper is to address issues surrounding the Condor Legion in Spain. Specifically, what lessons did the Luftwaffe learn from the Spanish War? What was the role of the Condor Legion in that war? Was the Luftwaffe helped or hampered by the experience of the Spanish Civil War? Did the Spanish War play a decisive role in influencing the Luftwaffe operational doctrine that contributed to Germany's defeat in World War II? By answering these questions, I hope to show that the Spanish War provided ambiguous benefits to the nascent Luftwaffe. Although the Condor Legion involvement in Spain proved an invaluable training and testing opportunity, the lessons it taught were occasionally interpreted erroneously. On the whole, however, the Condor Legion experience in Spain established a wellspring of variegated experience from which the Luftwaffe was to draw heavily at the beginning of the Second World War.
Small Beginnings
On 18 July 1936, Adolf Hitler approved the Spanish Nationalist request for military assistance in the civil war that had begun one day earlier. [3] Within ten days, twenty Junker Ju52s had been dispatched to Spain, flown by Lufthansa (Germany's commercial airline) pilots and Luftwaffe volunteers. Shortly thereafter, six Heinkel He51 biplane fighters were shipped to Spain, along with twenty 20mm flak guns. [4] Although many historians have claimed that Germany entered the Spanish conflict without reservation, this is untrue. Hitler supported Franco over the objections of every ministry in his government. [5] However, the initial German assistance was restricted in both men and materiel. Indeed, only 85 Luftwaffe volunteers were sent originally to serve in Spain under the command of Major General Hugo Sperre, and the designated mission explicitly excluded direct military participation in combat operations. [6] The Freiwillige (volunteers) released from the Luftwaffe were under orders only to train Spanish men to fly the German planes. In less than a week, however, one of the Spanish trainees killed himself and destroyed a plane, while two other Spaniards crashed on their first mission. [7] Because of these mishaps, the German pilots sought and received permission to fly combat missions. [8]
The international reaction to German intervention in Spain was both immediate and hostile. Great Britain lodged a formal protest against the German volunteers and began to support the Spanish Republicans. [9] The Soviet Union subscribed to a French non-intervention plan in principle, but then demanded that Germany immediately cease aid, and began to aid the Republicans themselves. [10] Göring, having succumbed to Hitler's desire to intervene in Spain; demanded that the Luftwaffe expand yet faster. [11]
Hitler's true reasons for intervening in Spain had little to do with Franco's need of assistance or the simple desire to test and develop military equipment; rather they were strategic. [12] A Nationalist-controlled Spain, as Antony Beevor points out, "would present a threat to France's rear as well as the British route to the Suez Canal." [13] There was also the tempting possibility of U-boat bases on Spain's Atlantic coast (Spanish ports were actually used occasionally by the Germans during World War II). Hitler also viewed the war as a way to forge the Axis with Italy while distracting Mussolini's attention from Austria and the Balkans. The idea of the war as a testing ground for German equipment was secondary at best. Yet as the equipment initially provided to the Legion demonstrated itself deficient, Berlin responded by supplying new, untested aircraft. [14] Spain became a testing ground for the Luftwaffe by chance, not design.
In Spain, the Condor Legion was divided into six parts: a command staff (S/88), one bomber wing with three squadrons of Ju52s (K/88); one fighter wing with three squadrons of He51s (J/88), a reconnaissance squadron of twelve He70s and four heavy flak batteries of 88mm guns (A/88), two 20mm light flak batteries (F/88), and a communications detachment (Ln/88). [15]
More at: http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v07/v07p133_Oppenheimer.html
Title: Spanish Republican T-26
Post by: Arlo on March 21, 2016, 05:28:47 PM
The Spanish Civil War was the first conflict in which the T-26 participated. At the request of the Spanish Republican government, the Soviet government sold weapons and military equipment to Spain and provided military advisers (including tankers) within the framework of Operation X. The first shipment of tanks to Spanish republicans was delivered on 13 October 1936, at the Spanish port city of Cartagena; fifty T-26s with spare parts, ammunition, fuel, and around 80 volunteers under the command of colonel S. Krivoshein, the commander of the 8th Separate Mechanized Brigade. The first German delivery of armoured vehicles to Franco’s insurgent Nationalist forces was of (Panzer I light tanks for the Condor Legion), which arrived only a week later. The Italians had begun to provide Nationalists with CV-33 tankettes even earlier, in August 1936.
Republican and Nationalist tanks saw their first combat during the advance of Franco’s forces towards Madrid, and during the Siege of Madrid, where the Nationalist Panzer I and CV-33 tankettes suffered heavy losses from Republican tanks armed with 45 mm gun. The first Soviet T-26 tanks delivered to Cartagena were intended for Republican tankers training in the Archena training center (90 km from Cartagena), but the situation around Madrid became complicated and fifteen tanks formed a tank company under the command of Soviet captain Paul Arman.
Arman’s company engaged in battle on 29 October 1936 near Seseña, 30 km south-west of Madrid. Twelve T-26s advanced 35 km during the ten-hour raid and inflicted significant losses to Francoists (around two squadrons of Moroccan cavalry and two infantry battalions were defeated; twelve 75 mm field guns, four CV-33 tankettes and twenty to thirty trucks with cargo were destroyed or damaged) with the loss of 3 T-26 tanks to gasoline bombs and artillery fire. The first known instance of ramming in tank warfare was made that day when the T-26 tank of platoon commander Lt. Semyon Osadchy encountered two Italian CV-33 tankettes from the Nationalist 1st Tank Company near Esquivias village and overturned one of them into a small gorge. Crewmembers of another tankette were killed by tank machine-gun fire after they abandoned their vehicle. The T-26 of captain Arman was burned by a gasoline bomb; although wounded, Arman continued to lead the tank company. Arman’s T-26 destroyed one, and damaged two CV-33 tankettes by tank gun fire. On 31 December 1936 Captain P. Arman was awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union for that tank raid and active participation in the defense of Madrid. On 17 November 1936, Arman’s company had five T-26 tanks in operable condition.
The day before (28 October 1936) Francoist cavalry and Panzer IA tanks from the 88th Tank Battalion met with Rebublican T-26 tanks. The Pz.IA proved to have insufficient armament when pitted against the T-26.
The Krivoshein’s tank group, consisting of 23 T-26 tanks and 9 armoured cars, attacked Francoists on 1 November 1936, supporting the main Republican column retreating to Madrid. The Krivoshein’s tank group took part in the fighting for Torrejón de Velasco and Valdemoro on 4–5 November 1936, a counter-attack in the suburb of Cerro de los Ángeles on 13 November 1936, and in continuous fighting inside Madrid itself through the middle of December 1936. Soviet military personnel of Krivoshein’s group returned to the USSR in the end of November 1936, except for some tankers from Pogodin’s company, mechanics from Alcalá de Henares tank repair base and military instructors from the Archena training center.
The 1st Republican Tank Brigade initially consisted of a tank battalion, a Spanish motorcycle company and a transport battalion. It was created in December 1936 on the delivery of about 100 Soviet tanks and military personnel under the command of Soviet brigade commander D. Pavlov at the Archena training center. The Soviet volunteer tank commanders and drivers sent to Spain were from the best tank units of the Red Army: the Mechanized Brigade named after V. Volodarsky from Peterhof, the 4th Separate Mechanized Brigade from Babruysk (commander – D. Pavlov), and the 1st Mechanized Corps named after K.B. Kalinovsky from Naro-Fominsk. The tank gunners were usually Spanish.
The 1st Republican Tank Brigade (1.a Brigada Blindada) first saw action near Las Rosas and Majadahonda (north-west of Madrid) in the beginning of January 1937, supporting the 12th and 14th International Brigades. This action broke up the second Nationalist assault on Madrid.
There were around 70 T-26s in the Republican Army in the beginning of 1937. In February 1937, company-sized detachments of the Tank Brigade participated in the Battle of Jarama. On 14 February 1937 the Tank Brigade, together with the 24th Infantry Brigade, took part in a counterattack and overcame a major Nationalist force, causing about 1000 Nationalist casualties. On 27 February 1937, the Tank Brigade launched five attacks on Nationalist positions without infantry support, but took heavy losses from anti-tank guns (35 to 40 percent of its tanks in some attacks). Nevertheless, the T-26 was used with great success during the Battle of Guadalajara in March 1937 after the 1st Tank Brigade was finally formed (its HQ was in Alcalá de Henares). For example, a platoon of two T-26 tanks under the command of Spaniard, E. Ferrera destroyed or damaged twenty-five Italian tankettes on 10 March 1937. In September/October 1937 the Republican 1st Tank Brigade was disbanded. Some volunteers returned to the USSR, while others joined with the International Tank Regiment under the command of Soviet major S.A. Kondratiev.
From autumn 1937, all T-26 tank crews were Spanish. In summer 1938, the Republican Army had two armoured divisions, formed with Soviet help. Turrets from irreparable T-26 and BT-5 tanks and from BA-6 armoured cars were mounted on Chevrolet 1937s and other armoured cars developed and produced by the Republicans. It should be noted that Republican armour and infantry often suffered from cooperation problems throughout the war. T-26 tanks often attacked enemy trenches or defense positions in the narrow streets of Spanish towns without support, where they met strong resistance. Nationalist infantry, the Moroccans especially, defended courageously despite heavy casualties, throwing hand grenades and gasoline bombs, which are dangerous to tank engines.
Ultimately, the Soviet Union provided a total of 281 T-26 mod. 1933 tanks, which were used by the Republicans in almost all the battles of the Spanish Civil War. Many sources state that a total of 297 T-26s were delivered to Spain but this probably includes the first planned delivery of 15 T-26s on 26 September 1936.
Approximately 40 percent of T-26s fell into Nationalist hands by the end of the war, mostly after the defeat of the Republicans. In March 1937, a tank company of captured T-26 tanks was included into Panzergruppe Drohne, a tank unit of the German Condor Legion in Spain. The Nationalists prized the Soviet tanks, even offering a bounty of 500 pesetas for each tank captured intact. In August 1937, a reorganization of the Drohne Group into Spanish control started, which resulted in the formation of Bandera de Carros de Combate de la Legion, a part of the Spanish Foreign Legion, in March 1938. The Bandera consisted of two battalions (1. and 2. Agrupacione de Carros). One was equipped with Panzer I tanks and the second with captured T-26 tanks. Approaching 1939, both battalions had similar organization, their third companies equipped with T-26 tanks. The Nationalists used captured T-26 tanks in the Battle of Teruel, Battle of Brunete, Battle of Bilbao, Battle of the Ebro and the Catalonia Offensive. The Nationalists developed their own light tank prototype (Verdeja) during the war, with the wide use of elements from Panzer I, and especially the T-26. Later, T-26s formed the base of the Spanish Brunete Armoured Division, serving until 1953.
The T-26 was the most widely used tank of the Spanish Civil War in both armies. It was referred to as “the tank of the Spanish Civil War” in the title of one of Lucas Molina Franco’s articles. “Out-gunned, out-manoeuvred, and hard-pressed, the Spanish had no effective answer to the tank”, sparking several interesting developments within the context of tank design and anti-tank tactics. This was especially true regarding the T-26, given that there was no other tank in the field able to knock it out. Despite the T-26’s superiority over the German Panzer I light tanks and Italian CV-33 tankettes (armed only with machine guns), the Spanish Civil War uncovered a vulnerability of the T-26 – weak armour. Even the frontal armour of the T-26 was easily penetrated by German and Italian anti-tank guns, at close ranges. Italian reports said about this vulnerability: 20 mm Italian and German guns, not effective over 400 m; 3.7 cm Pak 36, not more than 500 m; Cannone da 47/32 M35, not more than 600 m. The Italians were concerned about the powerful armament of the T-26, often used at very great ranges, up to 1,500 m. Italians rated the small and older Cannone da 65/17 modello 13 as better than the high-velocity guns they had, even if it was not used as an anti-tank gun. Greater danger was posed by the 8.8 cm FlaK 18/36/37/41 anti-aircraft gun, first deployed in those years, and capable of destroying any tank at very great range. The 15 mm bullet-proof armour of the T-26 provided little protection against it, even when firing only HE rounds. Not all Soviet military commanders recognized the T-26 light infantry tank’s obsolescence in the mid-1930s and work designing tanks with anti-projectile armour was slow in the USSR at that time.