A conflict that defined the early operations of the Luftwaffe in WWII and a general testing ground for the future combatants was the Spanish Civil War. The Germans basically got involved as Hitler was convinced that it was a conflict against the spread of communism more than anything else. This was due to the inclusion of Soviet weapons and men in the conflict on the Republican side of the battle. The Nationalists were being assisted by the Italians, but really, it was convincing Hitler of the need to get involved that really changed the war.

Initially, the Luftwaffe sent in Ju-52s to not only transport Franco's African troops to Spain, but later used these same aircraft as bombers. At first, the Nationalist forces were able to protect these planes against the Republican forces, but once the Soviets got involved with their I-15 and I-16 fighters as well as SB-2 bombers, it was obvious that more modern German fighters were needed. These were initially the He-51 and it was battle against the Soviet fighters that showed how inadequate and obsolescent the Heinkel fighters really were. Not fast enough to catch the Soviet bombers and not nimble or heavily armed enough to tackle the fighters, they were soon relegated to ground attack, where they served with distinction for the rest of the conflict.

Eventually the Bf-109B/C/D/E was brought into the mix and these were more than enough to handle the Soviet fighters. As you might expect, the extreme conditions of battle meant issues with serviceability, but many German pilots were able to reach ace status while flying these and the earlier He-51s. Initially, a pilot was sent home after 5 confirmed victories, but later this was overlooked and several pilots reached double ace status, including the top scoring pilot of the conflict, Werner Molders with 14.

Robert Forsyth tells a superb story of the fighter arm of the Legion Condor, from its initial formation with a few pilots, sent as 'civilians' to Spain along with the planes they flew. The changes in aircraft use as well as the changes in tactics are fully covered as is the constant moving of units to go where the fighting was located. Many times, the Germans were frustrated by the seeming inability of the Spanish troops to make any headway, yet eventually, their side ended up victorious.

The book is full of pilot stories, superb period photos and a goodly selection of full color profiles; just what we have all come to expect from Osprey. It is a book that I found fascinating to read and I am sure you will as well. It is one that I can most easily recommend to you. 

July 2011

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