Spanish Assistance?

[Brag]

GWX1.03
While transiting off Cape Finisterre saw a Kondor. Later, studying the screenie, I noticed the Kondor had Spanish markings minus the St. Andrew's cross on the tail.

This tickled my curiousity and I have a few questions:

1.- Did the Spanish Air Force assist Germany in spotting Allied shipping.

2.-Did Germany operate Kondors out of Spain? (maybe a clandestine operation?)

[Hartmann]

1. perhaps yes,

2. i don´t think so

[Schöneboom]

Guten Tag, Brag,

You just had an unusually rare but not impossible sighting: a few damaged Luftwaffe FW200s that emergency-landed in Spain were interned, then bought & repaired for use by the Spanish Air Force. Considering the difficulty of coordinating inter-service intelligence even within the same country, it would be surprising to see any Spanish Air Force intel make its way to BdU in a timely fashion.

Mach's gut!

[Foghladh_mhara]

Well seeing as the Spanish let the Germans refuel U-Boats out of their harbours I wouldnt imagine they would have had a problem with sending the odd contact report:hmm:

[Brag]

Guten Tag, Brag,

You just had an unusually rare but not impossible sighting: a few damaged Luftwaffe FW200s that emergency-landed in Spain were interned, then bought & repaired for use by the Spanish Air Force. Considering the difficulty of coordinating inter-service intelligence even within the same country, it would be surprising to see any Spanish Air Force intel make its way to BdU in a timely fashion.

Mach's gut!

Guten Tag Schoneboom,

Interesting info on interned planes. I know Spain manufactured ME-109s after the war. But hadn't heard about the FW 200s.

Viel danks.

[Foghladh_mhara]

Got a picture somewhere of a B-17 that crash landed in Sweden and was converted into a 14 seater passenger plane. And someone in this forum pointed out to me before that the Irish Air Corps managed to salvage a Hudson and a few Hurricanes from crashed planes. Certainly beats paying for them:D

[bigboywooly]

Guten Tag, Brag,

You just had an unusually rare but not impossible sighting: a few damaged Luftwaffe FW200s that emergency-landed in Spain were interned, then bought & repaired for use by the Spanish Air Force. Considering the difficulty of coordinating inter-service intelligence even within the same country, it would be surprising to see any Spanish Air Force intel make its way to BdU in a timely fashion.

Mach's gut!

Guten Tag Schoneboom,

Interesting info on interned planes. I know Spain manufactured ME-109s after the war. But hadn't heard about the FW 200s.

Viel danks.

The Swiss had 109's as well - in 1938
Even shot down a Do17 and an He111 with them
:rotfl:

[Schöneboom]

Re Spain & the Reich, it would be accurate to call this a "relationship in flux". Early in the war, Franco collaborated openly with the Reich, looking the other way when U-boats resupplied from interned German ships -- & even sending a volunteer division to the Russian front. But by mid-war, growing Allied influence & the Axis decline made Franco hedge his bets. In fact, Spain interned 2 damaged U-boats (U-573 & U-760), certainly not what the Reich would've expected from a "friend"; at least the Spanish Navy bought U-573 for 1.5 million RM.

So, Kameraden, don't expect much help from the Spaniards; if your boat is badly damaged & you take refuge in a Spanish harbour, it would be wise to make repairs & depart within 24 hrs., or else risk internment.

[KeptinCranky]

Franco was definitely concerned about the allies, yes, mainly because they told him if you don't stop helping out we might just invade YOU, and since after the civil war Spain was fairly war-exhausted (and wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell) he stopped being very helpful to the Axis.

Spain also used He111s until 1968 mainly as towplanes for targets