Spanish Republican Air Force - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Spanish Republican Air Force, , was the air arm of the Second Spanish Republic

Second Spanish Republic

The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....

, the legally established government of Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

between 1931 and 1939. It was popularly known as "La Gloriosa" (The Glorious One).
This defunct Air Force is largely known for the intense action it saw during the Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...

, from July 1936 till its disbandment in 1939.

There was great ineptitude and lack of decision-making in the command structure of the Spanish loyalist forces throughout the Civil War. Starting from the crucial first weeks of the conflict in July 1936, the rebel side was able to undertake a massive airlift

Airlift

Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...

of troops from Spanish Morocco

Spanish Morocco

The Spanish protectorate of Morocco was the area of Morocco under colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, established by the Treaty of Fez in 1912 and ending in 1956, when both France and Spain recognized Moroccan independence.-Territorial borders:...

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.

The Battle of Guadalajara

Battle of Guadalajara

The Battle of Guadalajara saw the Republican People's Army defeat Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War...

and the defence of the skies over Madrid

Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

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, like the Battle of Teruel

Battle of Teruel

The Battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel during the Spanish Civil War in December 1937 – February 1938. The combatants fought the battle during the worst Spanish winter in twenty years. It was one of the bloodier actions of the war. The city changed hands several times,...

and the decisive Battle of the Ebro

Battle of the Ebro

The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War...

, where the Aviación Nacional

Aviación Nacional

Aviación Nacional or Fuerza Aérea Nacional may refer to any of the following military air units supporting General Franco in the Spanish Civil War:*Condor Legion, of Nazi Germany*Aviazione Legionaria, of Fascist Italy...

was relentlessly strafing the loyalist positions with accurate low-level attacks, 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.

Most of the FARE 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.

The first years

At the time of the democratic municipal elections that led to the proclamation of the Spanish Republic, the Spanish Air Force included mainly French planes, some of which were remnants of the Rif War (1920–1926). Once the Republican Government was established, General Luis Lombarte Serrano replaced pro-monarchist General Alfredo Kindelán

Alfredo Kindelán

right|thumb|Kindelán in aviator uniformAlfredo Kindelán y Duany was a Spanish general and politician.-Early career:...

as chief-commander of the air force, but he would be quickly succeeded by Commander Ramón Franco

Ramón Franco

Ramón Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade , was a Galician pioneer of aviation, a political figure and brother of later dictator Francisco Franco...

, younger brother of later dictator Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...

, a national hero who had earlier made a Trans-Atlantic flight in the Plus Ultra hydroplane.

Aviation was developing in those years in Spain; in 1931 Captain Cipriano Rodríguez Díaz and Lieutenant Carlos de Haya González flew non-stop to Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...

, then a Spanish colonial outpost.
In 1933, under Capitan Warlela, systematic cadastral surveys of Spain were carried out using modern methods of aerial photography

Aerial photography

Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...

. The following year Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva

Juan de la Cierva

Juan de la Cierva y Codorníu, 1st Count of De La Cierva was a Spanish civil engineer, pilot and aeronuatical engineer. His most famous accomplishment was the invention in 1920 of the Autogiro, a single-rotor type of aircraft that came to be called autogyro in the English language...

took off and landed on ship "Dédalo" with his autogyro

Autogyro

An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...

C-30P. In 1934 Commander Eduardo Sáenz de Buruaga

Eduardo Sáenz de Buruaga

Eduardo Sáenz de Buruaga y Polanco was a Spanish military officer from the Army of Africa...

became new chief-commander of the air force.

Following a Government decree dated 2nd October 1935, the Dirección General de Aeronáutica was placed under the authority of the War Ministry, Ministerio de la Guerra, instead of under the Presidencia del Gobierno
Prime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...

, following which in 1936 the Air Force regional units became restructured. Accordingly, the Spanish Navy

Spanish Navy

The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...

-based Escuadra model was replaced by Región Militar divisions which are still operative today in the Spanish Air Force

Spanish Air Force

-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...

.

Five years after the proclamation of the Spanish republic, a fraction of the army in Spanish Morocco rebelled under the orders of General Franco. The rebellion succeeded only in fractioning Spain and Franco went ahead and began a bloody war of attrition, the Spanish Civil War.
During the Civil War the Air Force of the Spanish republican government had to fight against the better equipped Aviación Nacional
Aviación Nacional
Aviación Nacional or Fuerza Aérea Nacional may refer to any of the following military air units supporting General Franco in the Spanish Civil War:*Condor Legion, of Nazi Germany*Aviazione Legionaria, of Fascist Italy...

, created by the fraction of the army in revolt and their powerful Italian Fascist and Third Reich supporters.

The Spanish Civil War

After the 18th July 1936 coup d'état

Coup d'état

A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...

, the Republican Air Force lost the planes that were in aerodromes under rebel control. The loyalist areas of Spain retained, however, a great part of the 60 Breguet XIX, 20 Vickers Vildebeest

Vickers Vildebeest

The Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent were two very large two- to three-seat single-engined British biplanes designed and built by Vickers and used as a light bomber, torpedo bomber and in the army cooperation roles...

and 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

Potez 540

-External links:*...

, among other military aircraft, for the value of 12 million francs. Unfortunately all these planes were largely obsolete at the time, 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-2

Douglas DC-2

The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-engine airliner produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247...

s that had been purchased recently and these were not combat aircraft, but transport planes.

Within the month of his military coup, the help received by Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco

from Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

(Condor Legion

Condor Legion

The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...

) and Fascist Italy

Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...

(Aviazione Legionaria

Aviazione Legionaria

The Legionary Air Force 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 Francisco Franco's Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War, alongside its German equivalent, the Condor Legion, and the Italian ground...

) 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. These planes helped the rebel army side to gain full control of the air, as did the Italian Aviazione Legionaria

Aviazione Legionaria

and the German Condor Legion

Condor Legion

. For identification purposes the Republican tricolor roundel was replaced by red bands.

In September 1936 the Navy and Air Ministry, Ministerio de Marina y Aire, and the Air Undersecretariat, Subsecretaria del Aire were established under the command of Indalecio Prieto

Indalecio Prieto

Indalecio Prieto Tuero was a Spanish politician, one of the leading figures of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in the years before and during the Second Spanish Republic.-Early years:...

as minister. In the same month the first serious air combat took place over Madrid when Italian bombers attacked the city in a massive bombing operation.

The western democracies, like France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

and the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

didn't help the young Spanish Republic. Afraid of the "Communist threat

Communism

Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...

" Neville Chamberlain

Neville Chamberlain

Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...

and Léon Blum

Léon Blum

André Léon Blum was a French politician, usually identified with the moderate left, and three times the Prime Minister of France.-First political experiences:...

were ready to sacrifice Spain, as they later sacrificed Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

, in the belief that Hitler could be appeased. In the void thus created, only the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

helped the Spanish government effectively. At the end of October, four months after the rebels had been supplied with German and Italian aircraft by Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...

and Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....

, the first Tupolev SB-2 bombers arrived from Russia. They were nicknamed "Katiuska". One month later the first Soviet

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

fighter planes arrived to alleviate the lack of operational planes in the loyalist side, the Polikarpov I-15

Polikarpov I-15

The Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during...

, nicknamed "Chato" (Snubnosed) and the Polikarpov I-16

Polikarpov I-16

The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...

, nicknamed "Mosca" (Housefly

Housefly

The housefly , Musca domestica, is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha...

) by the loyalists and "Rata" (rat) by the rebels. The Polikarpov R-5

Polikarpov R-5

The Polikarpov R-5 was a Soviet reconnaissance bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was the standard light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with the Soviet Air Force for much of the 1930s, while also being used heavily as a civilian light transport, in the order of 7,000 being built in...

and the R-Z

Polikarpov R-Z

|-See also:-External links:* * *...

reconnaissance bombers were known as "Natacha" in the Spanish Republican Air Force.

Many innovative, and often lethal, aeronautical bombing techiques 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. The ungainly French Potez 540

Potez 540

-External links:*...

, a plane that proved itself a failure in Spanish skies during the Civil War, was labelled as 'Flying Coffin

Coffin

A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...

' by loyalist pilots.
The rebel side, however, claimed that both air forces were almost equal, since the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

was helping the loyalist air force, but the fact was that:
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

Wolfram von Richthofen

Dr.-Ing. Wolfram Freiherr von RichthofenIn German a Doctorate in engineering is abbreviated as Dr.-Ing. . was a German Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War...

during the Civil War. As an air force it became practically ineffective after the Battle of the Ebro

Battle of the Ebro

The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War...

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 April 1, 1939.

The last Republican military airport in Catalonia

Catalonia

Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...

was in Vilajuiga

Vilajuïga

Vilajuïga is a municipality in the comarca of Alt Empordà, Girona, Catalonia, Spain.Vilajuïga's area is home to a group of Megalithic dolmens. Starting from the 10th century AD it was a possession of the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. In the nearby is also the Quermançó Castle, documented from...

, from where on the 6th February 1939 Commander Andrés García La Calle

Andres Garcia La Calle

Andrés García La Calle was the squadron leader of the 1st fighter squadron of the Spanish Republic and later Commander of all the fighter units of the Spanish Republican Air Force during the Spanish Civil War.Born in Sestao , in Spain, he started his career in 1929 as an NCO...

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

Francazal

Francazal is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-References:*...

near Toulouse

Toulouse

Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...

, where the French authorities impounded them, arrested the Spanish Republican pilots and swiftly interned them in concentration camps.

The Escuadrilla España

The Escuadrilla España or Escuadra España, Squadron España, , also known as Escuadrilla Internacional, was a Spanish Republican Air Force unit organized by French writer André Malraux

André Malraux

André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...

. Even though it was largely ineffective, this squadron became something of a legend after the writer's claims of nearly annihilating part of the rebel army in the Battle of the Sierra Guadalupe

Battle of the Sierra Guadalupe

The Battle of the Sierra Guadalupe , also known as the Tagus Campaign, was a continuation of the Nationalist Army's race north toward Madrid in the early stages of the Spanish Civil War...

at Medellín

Medellín (Spain)

Medellín is a village in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain, notable as the birthplace of Hernán Cortés in 1485 and the site of the Battle of Medellín, during the Peninsular War...

, Extremadura

Extremadura

Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...

.

During the 1930s, André Malraux was active in the anti-fascist Popular Front

Popular Front (France)

The Popular Front was an alliance of left-wing movements, including the French Communist Party , the French Section of the Workers' International and the Radical and Socialist Party, during the interwar period...

in France. Upon hearing the news of General Franco's rebellion that marked the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, he put himself at the service of the Spanish Republic. Despite opposition from French President Albert Lebrun

Albert Lebrun

Albert François Lebrun was a French politician, President of France from 1932 to 1940. He was the last president of the Third Republic. He was a member of the center-right Democratic Republican Alliance .-Biography:...

, Malraux helped to organize the aid to the Republican air force helped by his contacts with highly-placed personalities within the French Air Ministry, like Jean Moulin

Jean Moulin

Jean Moulin was a high-profile member of the French Resistance during World War II. He is remembered today as an emblem of the Resistance primarily due to his role in unifying the French resistance under de Gaulle and his courage and death at the hands of the Germans.-Before the war:Moulin was...

, future French Resistance

French Resistance

The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...

leader. Even though President Albert Lebrun opposed direct assistance to the threatened fellow republic, Léon Blum, then the Prime Minister of France

Prime Minister of France

The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...

,decided to help the Spanish Republicans with discretion. Thus some badly equipped Potez 540

Potez 540

-External links:*...

planes were sent to Spain at the beginning of the conflict.

The French planes, however, were not up to the enemy aircraft. The slow Potez 540 rarely survived three months of air missions, moving some 80 knots against enemy fighters flying at more than 250 knots. Few of the fighters proved to be airworthy, and were delivered intentionally without guns or gun-sights. The French Ministry of Defense had feared that modern types of planes would easily be captured by the Germans fighting for Franco, and the lesser models were a way of maintaining official "neutrality". The planes were surpassed by more modern types introduced by the end of 1936 on both sides. The writer also helped to hire crews for the planes, mainly volunteers and professional pilots who had served in the Aéropostale

Aéropostale

Aéropostale may refer to:*Aéropostale , an apparel retailer*Aéropostale , formerly la Compagnie générale aéropostale, a defunct French airmail company...

. After the pilots and the planes arrived to Madrid in August 1936, Malraux himself took charge of the organization of the squadron. The Escuadrilla España reached a maximum of 130 members. It would fly a total of 23 combat missions before it was wrapped up in February 1937.

In order to give the whole operation an official character, the Spanish Republican War Ministry authorities gave André Malraux the rank of lieutenant colonel

Lieutenant colonel

Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...

, even though he was not a pilot and hadn't even been through military service. This title gave Malraux authority as Squadron Leader of Escuadrilla España, for he was only answerable to general

General

A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....

Ignacio Hidalgo de Cisneros

Ignacio Hidalgo de Cisneros y López de Montenegro was a Spanish General of the Spanish Air Force.-References and notes:...

, the Spanish Ministerio del Aire commander-in-chief.
Malraux was given considerable autonomy, in Albacete

Albacete

Albacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....

he recruited his own personnel, who escaped the control of the International Brigades

International Brigades

The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....

run by hard-line Stalinist André Marty

André Marty

André Marty was a leading figure in the French Communist Party, the PCF, for nearly thirty years. He was also a member of the National Assembly, with some interruptions, from 1924 to 1955; Secretary of Comintern from 1935 to 1944; and Political Commissar of the International Brigades during the...

who tried to impose discipline. The only thing that held together the writer's motley group of pilots, gunners

Air gunner

An air gunner a.k.a. aerial gunner is a member of an air force aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft...

, mechanicians and airfield assistants and guards, was their common antifascist resolve.

Malraux had to pay a heavy price for his freedom of action though. The Escuadrilla España would suffer a chronic shortage of spare parts and supplies. The number of planes in combat condition was greatly reduced by accidents, lack of quality and by being shot down in action. André Marty, unhappy with the groups autonomy, plotted to bring the Escuadrilla España under his command. Finally the situation was resolved by means of the integration of the squadron in the regular Spanish armed forces. Once the contracts of the professional pilots was severed, the Escuadrilla España would become part of the official Republican Air Force, losing its former status, but taking the name of Escuadrilla Malraux in honor of its founder. The losses, however, escalated, and after covering the flight from ennemy-occupied Málaga

Málaga

Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...

, the last two bombers were shot down and the Escuadrilla Malraux was formally dissolved

Even after France joined the Non-Intervention Committee

Non-Intervention Committee

During the Spanish Civil War, several countries followed a principle of non-intervention, which would result in the signing of the Non-Intervention Agreement in August 1936 and the setting up of the Non-Intervention Committee, which first met in September...

, Malraux helped the Spanish Republic to acquire military aircraft through third countries.
The Spanish Republican government circulated photos of Malraux's standing next to some Potez 540 bombers suggesting that France was on their side, at a time when France and the United Kingdom had declared official neutrality. Malraux, however, was not there at the behest of the French Government. Aware of the Republicans' inferior armaments, of which outdated aircraft were just one part of the problem, he toured the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

to raise funds for the Spanish Republican cause. In 1938 he published L'Espoir
L'espoir
L'espoir is a 1945 Spanish black and white war film, directed by Boris Peskine and André Malraux, who wrote the novel L'Espoir for the film. The director won the 1945 Prix Louis Delluc award.-Cast:...

(Man's Hope), a novel influenced by his Spanish war experiences.

Malraux has often been criticized by opponents for his involvement or motivations in the Spanish Civil War. Comintern

Comintern

The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...

sources, for example, described him as an 'adventurer'. The professional pilots of the Escuadrilla España charged exorbitant rates to the Republican Government for their services.
Other biographical sources, including fellow combatants, praise Malraux's leadership and sense of camaraderie. At any rate, Malraux's participation in such an historical event as the Spanish Civil War inevitably brought him adversaries, as well as supporters, resulting in a polarization of opinion.

Soviet Pilots in Spain

Some of the most effective pilots in Spain were young men from the Soviet Union. The Spanish Republican Air Force didn't only lack modern planes, it also lacked experienced pilots. Unlike most other foreign pilots in the service of the Spanish Republican Air Force, Russian pilots were technically volunteers. They received no incentives, like combat bonuses, to supplement their modest wages.

Many Soviet airmen came in the fall 1936, along with the new aircraft that the Spanish Republic had purchased from Russia. After the western democracies refused military assistance to the established Spanish Government in the name of so-called "Non-Intervention" —British MI6 agents actually helped Franco launch his coup d'etat—, the Soviet Union was practically the only nation that helped Republican Spain in its struggle. In a similar manner as Hitler with his Third Reich re-armament

German re-armament

The German re-armament was a massive effort led by the NSDAP in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.During its struggle for power the National Socialist party promised to recover Germany's lost national pride...

, Stalin saw the acquisition of first-hand combat experience in Spain by Soviet pilots and technicians as essential for his plans regarding the capability and combat readiness of the Soviet Air Forces. Therefore much emphasis was placed on detailed reporting of the results of the testing of the new Russian military equipment and air-warfare techniques.

The first planes that came to Spain were Tupolev SB-2 bombers; the fighters would arrive later. Their first action was a morale-lifting bombing raid on the Talavera de la Reina military airfield used by the Legionary Nazi and Italian planes that dropped their bombs over Madrid every day. This action made the Russian pilots very popular among the people in Madrid. The Katiuska pilots took advantage for the time being of their aircraft's relatively higher speed, but the plane was vulnerable and its fuel tanks easily caught fire when shot at. Furthermore, when the Condor Legion brought the speedier Messerschmitt Me 109 fighters later in the war, the SB-2 squadrons suffered heavy losses.

Sergei Fyodorovich Tarkhov was one of the first Russian fighter pilots reaching Spain along with the new Russian Chato and Mosca planes in October 1936. Very quickly Tarkhov distinguished himself by claiming five victories against the Junkers Ju 52

Junkers Ju 52

The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...

Nazi planes that dropped bombs over Madrid. But this young and enthusiastic pilot's plane was shot down on the 13th November 1936 and, while parachuting, he was shot at by the Ju 52 guns. Tarkhov died from his wounds one week later at the Gómez Ulla Military Hospital in Madrid and a Squadron, Escuadrilla Tarkhov, was named in his honor.

Anatol Serov, nicknamed "Mateo Rodrigo", established the Escuadrilla de Vuelo Nocturno fighter squadron along with Mikhail Yakushin. This night-flight section would use I-15 Chatos that had modified exhaust pipes, so that the flames in front would not impair the pilot's night vision. M. Yakushin would become the leader of the Night Fighter Squadron that would be quite effective against the Condor Legion Ju 52 night bombing raids.

There were about 300 Russian pilots in or around Madrid by the end of November 1936. The improved defensive capacity of the Spanish Republic boosted the morale of the areas of Spain under loyalist control. The Russian pilots gave their best performance in the Battle of Guadalajara

Battle of Guadalajara

The Battle of Guadalajara saw the Republican People's Army defeat Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War...

, routing the Italian Aviazione Legionaria and pounding the Fascist militias incessantly from the air.

Following the demands of the Non-Intervention Committee

Non-Intervention Committee

, Soviet pilots were phased out in the fall of 1938 and trained Spaniards took their places. From about 770 Russian airmen that served the Spanish Republican Air Force for over two years, a total of 99 lost their lives. Little gratitude or recognition were shown to the surviving pilots despite their effort and, to compound their sad lot, many would later become victims of the Stalin Purges after their return to the USSR.

Distinguished Air Aces

Name	Country	Service	Victories	Observations
Lev L. Shestakov	Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...	4ª Escuadrilla de Moscas	39	His total victory count may be 42
Sergei I. Gritsevets Sergey Gritsevets Sergey Ivanovich Gritsevets was a Soviet major, pilot and twice recipient of the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union....	Russia	5ª Escuadrilla de Caza	30	Nicknamed "Sergio", later victim of Stalin's 1941 purge Purge of the Red Army in 1941 Between October 1940 and February 1942, the impending start of the German invasion in June 1941 notwithstanding, the Red Army, in particular the Soviet Air Force, as well as Soviet military-related industries were decapitated by repressions once again...
Manuel Zarauza Clavero	Spain	3ª & 4ª Escuadrilla de Caza	23	Reputed to be the most skilled Spanish pilot on the Mosca. Exiled in the USSR and KIFA Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... over Baku Baku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal... on 12/October/1942
Leopoldo Morquillas Rubio	Spain	3ª & 2ª Escuadrilla de Caza	21	Also in Escuadrilla Vasca
Pavel Rychagov	Russia	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	20	Nicknamed "Pablo Palancar". Arrested and executed in Stalin's 1941 purge
Anatol Serov	Russia	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	16	Nicknamed "Mateo Rodrigo" He established the Escuadrilla Vuelo Nocturno night-flight squadron
Vladimir Bobrov	Russia		13	Flew more than 100 combat missions
Andrés García La Calle Andres Garcia La Calle Andrés García La Calle was the squadron leader of the 1st fighter squadron of the Spanish Republic and later Commander of all the fighter units of the Spanish Republican Air Force during the Spanish Civil War.Born in Sestao , in Spain, he started his career in 1929 as an NCO...	Spain	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	11	Supreme commander of the fighter squadrons of the Spanish Republic in Dec. 1938
Manuel Aguirre López	Spain	1ª Escuadrilla, Grupo 21	11	Also in 3ª Escuadrilla de Moscas
Abel Guidez	France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	Escuadrilla España	10
José María Bravo Fernández	Spain	1ª & 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza	10	Became Commmander of 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza and Grupo 21. Exiled in the USSR he took part in WW2 as a Soviet pilot. Some documents ascribe him 23 victories
Juan Comas Borrás	Spain	3ª Escuadrilla de Caza	10	Also in Escuadrilla Lacalle & Esc. Vasca. KIA Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... on 24/Jan/1939
Emilio Ramirez Bravo	Spain	4ª Escuadrilla de Caza	10	Also in Escuadrilla Lacalle
Miguel Zambudio Martinez	Spain	Escuadrilla Vasca	10	Also in 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza, 26 Grupo de Caza
Antonio Arias Arias	Spain	1ª, 3ª & 4ª Escuadrilla de Caza	9	Exiled in Russia, Arias fought in the Soviet Air Forces during WW2. He returned to Madrid as an old man in 1990 and retired.
Vicente Beltrán Rodrigo	Spain	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	9	Also in 3ª Escuadrilla, Grupo 21, shot down in Battle of the Ebro Battle of the Ebro The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War... . Exiled in Russia, joined the Soviet Air Forces. Returned to Spain in 1958
Frank Glasgow Tinker Frank Glasgow Tinker Frank Glasgow Tinker was an American mercenary fighter pilot for the Spanish Republican Air Force, during the Spanish Civil War. He was the top American ace during the Spanish Civil War.-Early years:...	USA	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	8	Part of the Yankee Squadron Yankee Squadron The Yankee Squadron was a group of mercenary American military aviators who flew for the Spanish Republican Air Force, during the Spanish Civil War.-History:...
Sabino Cortizo Bertolo	Spain	5ª & 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza	8	KIA Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... on 21/Jan/1939
José Falcón San Martín	Spain	5ª & 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza	8	Also in Escuadrilla Vuelo Nocturno
Pavel Agafonov	Spain	Escuadrilla Palancar	8	Nicknamed "Ahmed Amba". Returned to the USSR in April 1937
Felipe del Río Crespo	Spain	Escuadrilla Vasca	7	Also in Escuadrilla Norte (1937); KIA on 23/Apr/1937
Juan Lario Sanchez	Spain	4ª & 2ª Escuadrilla de Caza	7
Jan Ferák	Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...	Escuadrilla España	7	Dewoitine D.372 pilot
Francisco Meroño Pellicer	Spain	1ª & 6ª Escuadrilla de Caza	7	Also in Escuadrilla Norte (1937)
Orrin B. Bell	USA	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	7	Shot down 7 He 51 over the Córdoba-Granada front
Andrés Fierro Menú	Spain	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	7	Had engine trouble during a mission protecting Tupolev SB-2 bombers; was taken prisoner following emergency landing at Almenar Almenar Almenar is a municipality in the comarca of the Segrià in Catalonia, Spain.The Battle of Almenar, one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, was fought in the hills close to this town on 27 July 1710.- Demography :-External links :... airfield. After escaping he reached the USSR where he joined the Soviet Air Forces
Francisco Tarazona Torán	Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...	1ª & 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza	6	Claims 8 victories in his autobiographical book.
José Pascual Santamaria	Spain	1ª Escuadrilla de Caza	6	Also in Escuadrilla Norte (1937)
Ivan Trofimovich Yeryomenko	Russia	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	6	Nicknamed "Ramón", "Antonio Aragón". or "Alexandrio" Leader of the 1ª Escuadrilla between May and October 1937.
Evgeny Nikolayevitch Stepanov	Russia	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	6	Knew how to use the "ramming Ramming In warfare, ramming is a technique that was used in air, sea and land combat. The term originated from battering ram, a siege weapon used to bring down fortifications by hitting it with the force of the ram's momentum... " technique. Shot down over Ojos Negros Ojos Negros Ojos Negros is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 531 inhabitants.... and made prisoner on 17/Jan/1938 Returned to Russia and fought in WW2 in the Soviet Air Forces
Božidar "Boško" Petrović	Yugoslavia Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...	2ª Escuadrilla, Grupo 12	5	Nicknamed "Fernandez Garcia"
Rafael Magrina Vidal	Spain	2ª Escuadrilla de Caza	5	KIA on 16/Jul/1937
Julio Pereiro Peréz	Spain	2ª, 4ª & 5ª Escuadrilla de Caza	5
Harold E. Dahl	USA	Escuadrilla Lacalle	5	Nicknamed "Rubio". Also in 1ª Escuadrilla de Caza
Sergei Fyodorovich Tarkhov	Russia	1ª Escuadrilla de Caza	5	Nicknamed "Capitán Antonio". Some authors claim Tarkhov flew a Chato. However, he was most likely a Mosca pilot.
William Labussière	France	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	5	Fought also in WW2
James Peck James Peck (pilot) James L. H. Peck was an American pilot who served in the Spanish Republican Air Force during the Spanish Civil War.-Biography:Peck was one of the few African-American aviators in the Air Force of the Spanish Republic...	USA	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	5	One of the few African-American pilots in the FARE. Victories not confirmed
Albert J. Baumler Albert Baumler Albert John "Ajax" Baumler was an American fighter ace during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.-Biography:...	USA	Escuadrilla Tarkhov	4	Also in Escuadrilla Lacalle and 1ª Escuadrilla de Caza
Benjamin Leider	USA	Escuadrilla Lacalle	3	Nicknamed "Ben Landon". A true volunteer refusing payment for his services to the Spanish Republic
Jesús García Herguido	Spain	1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	3	Nicknamed "Dimoni Roig". KIA on 6/Jan/1937
Manuel Orozco Rovira	Spain	4ª Escuadrilla de Chatos	3	Became a lieutenant on 22/Feb/1938
Josip Križaj	Yugoslavia Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...	Escuadrilla España, 2ª Escuadrilla Lafayette, 1ª Escuadrilla, grupo 71	3	Nicknamed "José Antonio Galiasso" Dewoitine D.371 pilot Victories not confirmed.

External links

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