Quote:
Originally Posted by GuerraCivil
In the official history of Legion Condor the day of 12.12.1936 was a great and almost unrivalled victory for the pilots of 4th Staffel of Fighter Group 88 (4.J/88). ....
However if the slower biplanes were happily at higher altitude, they could catch to bombers by diving. This appears to have been the case on 12.12.1936 when five happy pilots (Knüppel, von Gilsa, Rehahn, Sawallisch and Godecke) were each credited with destroyed "Martin" (SB) bomber. Von Gilsa, Rehahn, Sawallisch and Gödecke got a "confirmed" SB kill whereas Knüppel had to be content with "probable".
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Taking all above in account I would say that the five SB claims of LC pilots on 12.12.1936 are very dubious. Of all claims of Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War these claims are the least credible.
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Hello,
Where is it taken from, Ries, Ring book, something like that?
It seems that J/88 was already serving in the northern front at that time. There were no SB there, never. Only the Turjansky I-15 squadron (12 planes) covering about 400 km front line. A safe place for Legion Condor can we say.
Anyway no SB losses even on central spanish front this day, and very few flights due to bad wheather. (Clouds at very low level, sometimes from the ground.)
Might be some Monospars ST-25, or even Miles from northern airfields.
Anyway i undersand how less prestigious could it be to declare weak, slow and often unarmed aeroclub planes instead of powerfull and fast Tupolevs...
Regards