Taking to the Skies
The Condor Legion was sent by Adolf Hitler himself as an aid for Spanish Nationalist forces. If it were not for the Condor Legion, Germany would be walking into World War II a little more blindly, with not as much combat experience. It was by far one of the most important international ties in the war.
The Condor Legion achieved their goal in Spain of advancing their air power experience in Spain. The air force in Spain was led by none other than Wolfram von Richthofen (1895–1945), the Red Baron's cousin.
Generäle Löhr (Right) and W. v. Richthofen (Left) in Russia.
Under Richthofen, the Condor Legion developed multiple different tactics that were reflected in World War II. One such tactic was Rotte und Schwarm (rot and swarm). This maneuver allowed a formation to shed (rot) fighters in order to be more flexible and have more momentum (swarm) in the sky. This would be done with the brand new Bf-109 fighter aircraft.
An original Bf109E-1 that served with the Condor Legion. The paint reflected the Spanish Nationalist Air Force, not the German Luftwaffe.
The Bf-109 was ahead of its time, and lessons from the war further developed it into the backbone of the German air force. Some models made for the desert even had umbrella holders for pilots. It was highly customized and used for the entire war. Spain evolved the Bf-109 to a point where it was one of the most advanced aircraft by the time World War II started. It owned the skies until the fall of the Luftwaffe, following events like the Battle of Britain.
A Bf-109 with Nationalist Spain markings in flight.
German fighters with Spanish markings were not the only developed aircraft in Spain; bombers, dive-bombers, and close-air support aircraft were also developed. The Ju-87 Stuka was one such example.
A Ju-87A with Nationalist Spain markings.
The Ju-87 Stuka is best known for its combat service in Poland. Hollywood has used its Jericho trumpets in many intense scenes with aircraft. The noise creates a loud whine that terrorizes the ground forces. All of this was first developed with secret test flights in Spain, which were successful. The Ju-87, thanks to its successful test flights, was able to enter service in the German Air Force.
Richthofen would discover that Germany’s medium bombers were discovered to be ineffective in Spain against pin-point targets. However, ground attack aircraft and dive bombers offset that failure due to the air superiority given by the Bf-109 fighters. The ground attack and dive bomber aircraft doctrine was put into Luftwaffe tactics.
The Condor Legion returning to Berlin with Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring welcoming them back.
The Condor Legion would return to Germany on a secret cruise on May 24, 1939. When the Legion arrived in Berlin, they were greeted with parades and German high officials. The German military would change permanently, and Europe would feel the effects of Spain in the up-and-coming war. Germany, however, was not the only state experimenting in Spain.