Showing posts with label Spanish Civil War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spanish Civil War. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Legion Condor by Hugo Jaeger

NATIONALIST VICTORY PARADE IN MADRID

Members of a Falangist youth band prepare for a victory parade in honour of Franco’s forces in 19 May 1939. The Falange developed youth organizations, with members known as Flechas and Pelayos, under the umbrella of the Spanish Youths Organization. Most of these young members wore red berets. Photo by Hugo Jaeger.

Spanish Soldiers march past the reviewing stand during the Nationalist victory parade in honour of General Francisco Franco in Madrid, 19 May 1939. The Madrid Victory Parade was held over a month after the victory of the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). It was the first of a yearly series held from then on in April the First, named Día de la Victoria (Victory Day). The parade was commanded by General Andrés Saliquet, Commander of the Madrid Military Region, and was presided by the Head of State Generalísimo Franco.


More than 120.000 men and 1.000 vehicles took part in the parade, including small contingents of the German Condor Legion, the Italian Corpo Truppe Volontarie and the Portuguese Viriatos. The forces went along Paseo de la Castellana, the main Madrid avenue, in a North to South direction and in total spent around 4 hours in marching past the full path. Around 400.000 people attended the event. The environment was spectacularly fitted out with countless patriotic, triumphal and Franco`s Cult of personality slogans.



Spanish Phalangist soldiers march past the podium in the Nationalist victory parade held in Madrid on May 19, 1939. "Falange Española" was the official name of the anti-Communist, anti-liberal and anti-democratic movement of the Spanish extreme right. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), this group was embraced by the Nationalist leader Francisco Franco, who wanted all right-wing parties and groups to unite in one place. No less than 150,000 Phalangist militia fought alongside the Spanish Armed Forces in a life and death war against the leftist Republicans. Photo by Hugo Jaeger.



Local spectators at the Nationalist Victory Parade held in Madrid on May 19, 1939. These people wore traditional Spanish clothing worn by the common people, most of whom were peasants. The woman at the front wears a special scarf called "mantoncillos" or "picos". Photo by Hugo Jaeger.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WELCOMING CEREMONY IN BERLIN


Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) at the welcoming ceremony for the Condor Legion personnel, which were held in Lustgarten, Berlin, on 6 June 1939. Behind Hitler is his Chief Adjutant, SA-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Brückner; slightly to the right (wearing a brown shirt facing the camera) is one of the commander of Condor Legion, Hellmuth Volkmann (last rank General der Flieger); three men in the center is, from left to right: Großadmiral Erich Raeder (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine), Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres) and Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe); the officer walking on the far right wearing a brown shirt and his face covered with a flag is the last commander of the Condor Legion, Generalmajor Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (last rank Generalfeldmarschall); behind von Richthofen in a black Allgemeine-SS uniform - you will surely know - is Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und deutschen Polizei), while the Luftwaffe general next to him is Generalmajor Otto Deßloch (Kommandeur 6. Flieger-Division). The nameplates in the background contain those from the Condor Legion personnel who had fallen in the battlefields of Spain during Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger.


Source :
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2010/10/koleksi-ratusan-foto-berwarna-dari-life.html
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/m064km4b?hl=en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_Madrid_Victory_Parade
https://visualhistory.livejournal.com/85241.html?noscroll&utm_medium=endless_scroll

Monday, May 9, 2022

Spanish Tank Troops during Parade

A Russian T-26 with a machine gun installed in the turret.

Tank troops of the Spanish army during a parade in the ruins of Madrid, 1939-1940. Soviet-made T-26, German Panzer.I and Italian L-3/33 tanks were demonstrated at the parade, passing the Carretera de La Coruña, Moncloa. The Pz.I and L-3/33 tanks were handed over to the Spanish nationalists (Francos) during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), while Soviet-made tanks were captured in battles with the Republicans. The picture was made by German photographer Otto Wunderlich.


The same previous tank with another on its side. In the background the Clinic.


Photograph similar to the previous ones.

A T-26 passes in front of the ruins of the Pérez Galdos school, in the background the buildings of the Plaza de la Mopncloa can be distinguished.


Source :
https://477768.livejournal.com/6484593.html?utm_source=3userpost
http://florentinoareneros.blogspot.com/2017/03/wunderlich-acorazados.html

Sunday, February 28, 2021

Legion Condor

 

 
Photo of a German Condor Legion Volunteer in Spain

On 27th July, 1936, Adolf Hitler sent the the Spanish Nationalists 26 German fighter aircraft. He also sent 30 Junkers 52s from Berlin and Stuttgart to Morocco. Over the next couple of weeks the aircraft transported over 15,000 troops to Spain. The fighter aircraft soon went into action and the Germans suffered their first losses when airmen Helmut Schulze and Herbert Zeck were killed on 15th August.

In September 1936, Lieutenant Colonel Walther Warlimont of the German General Staff arrived as the German commander and military adviser to General Francisco Franco. The following month Warlimont suggested that a German Condor Legion should be formed to fight in the Spanish Civil War.

The initial force consisted a Bomber Group of three squadrons of Ju-52 bombers; a Fighter Group with three squadrons of He-51 fighters; a Reconnaissance Group with two squadrons of He-99 and He-70 reconnaissance bombers; and a Seaplane Squadron of He-59 and He-60 floatplanes.

Adolf Hitler hoped this would not be necessary as General Francisco Franco claimed he was on the verge of victory. This prediction proved to be wrong and in November the International Brigades and aircraft and tanks from the Soviet Union began arriving in Madrid.

Hitler now gave permission for the formation of the Condor Legion. The initial force consisted a Bomber Group of three squadrons of Ju-52 bombers; a Fighter Group with three squadrons of He-51 fighters; a Reconnaissance Group with two squadrons of He-99 and He-70 reconnaissance bombers; and a Seaplane Squadron of He-59 and He-60 floatplanes.

The Condor Legion, under the command of General Hugo Sperrle, was an autonomous unit responsible only to Franco. It was initially equipped with around 100 aircraft and 5,136 men. The legion would eventually total nearly 12,000 men. Sperrle demanded higher performance aircraft from Germany and he eventually received the Heinkel He111, Junkers Stuka and the Messerschmitt Bf109. It participated in all the major engagements including Brunete, Teruel, Aragon and Ebro.

The Condor Legion participated in all the major engagements including Brunete, Teruel, Aragon and Ebro. During the war Werner Moelders was credited with fourteen kills, more than any other German pilot.

In the Asturias campaign in September 1937, Adolf Galland experimented with new bombing tactics. This became known as carpet bombing (dropping all bombs on the enemy from every aircraft at one time for maximum damage). German aircraft dropped 16,953,700 kilos of bombs during the war and air units expended 4,327,949 rounds of machine-gun ammunition.

A total of 19,000 Germans served in the Spanish Civil War. Of these, 298 were lost, with 173 being killed by the enemy. This included 102 aircrew, 27 fighter pilots and 21 anti-aircraft crew. A large number were killed in accidents and others died of illness. The Condor Legion lost 72 aircraft to enemy action. Another 160 were lost in flying accidents.

Source :
https://www.passionmilitaria.com/t51197-la-legion-condor
https://spartacus-educational.com/SPcondor.htm