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by Eduardo Manuel Gil Martinez and Juan Arraez Cerda.
Softcover (8.3×11.7 inches). 78 pages. 2025.
Subtitle: Europe at War 58
If you enjoy reading about a hodge podge lodge of aircraft, look no further than this volume in the popular series. The Spanish government (Republicans) and rebels (Nationalists) scrounged new and obsolete planes from all over Europe.
The Italians sent 400 Fiat CR.32 fighters and 600 pilots while the Soviets sent I-15 and I-16 fighters and Soviet pilots to start to wrest air superiority away from the CR.32s and the Heinkel HE-51 fighters. Heinkel also sent HE-45, HE 59, HE-60, and HE-70 aircraft long before the first HE-111 bombers showed up. Then the initial Bf-109s arrived with JU-52s and JU-87s as part of the Condor Legion. SB-2s, SM.79s and SM.81s, Nieuport Ni52s, DO-17s, Potez 540, and a lot of small-quantity or even single version aircraft, like the one Boeing 281, appeared in the air over Spain.
It’s all explained, complete with combat operations supporting offensives as well as aircraft deployment strategies. From the original airlift of what became Franco’s rebel army to the battles around Madrid and northern Spain, this volume covers it in enough detail to give you the context of first-person pilot accounts.
The Guernica air bombing of April 26, 1937 is covered (p54), with the initial intention of destroying a bridge. Alas, accuracy left much to be desired and bombs hit everywhere except the bridge, ultimately razing 70% of the village to the ground, including the armament factories.
As for typos, the same sentence about Polish Army armaments (p19) appears twice, but the back cover promo of the series may need reworking: “The Europe @ War series provides revealing accounts and new insights into armed conflicts and military forces in Europe since 1945” — which the SCW years don’t fit.
The booklet contains 172 black and white photos, one color map, 21 color camouflage aircraft profile illustrations, and six color unit insignia illustrations.
Volume 2 will present “decisive moments” that led to Franco’s final victory (p2). I look forward to the next volume.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
