Reinhard Seiler in Spain

[Nokose]

Can anyone provide the victories Seiler scored in the Spanish Civil War and any verification.

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Nokose

I have been able to find nine victories for him in The Legion Condor 1936-1939 by Ries and Ring. These are included in the thumbnail biography that I have compiled of him. Perhaps this might be useful for you? Any comments or correction will be appreciated.

Seiler.zip

Horrido!

Leo

[Nokose]

Thanks Leo! That was very helpful but if anyone has the possible victims in Spain that can be verified I would also appreciate those. Leo, according to Christer Bergstroem his last in Russia was a Airacobra of the 30 GIAP.

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Nokose

Many thanks for your comments. I looked through Aces of the Legion Condor by Forsyth and Laurier as well as Condor: The Luftwaffe in Spain 1936-1939 by Laureau but was unable to come up with any verification of his claims as regards Republican losses. I was able, though, to update the thumbnail biography with an incident that he was involved with in August 1937.

Seiler.zip

Horrido!

Leo

[Nick Hector]

Hi gents,

Here's what I have for Seiler in Spain:

26.8.37. I-15 (claimed as a "Curtiss"), possibly Miguel Zambudio Martinez (unit not known to me)

4.9.37. I-16 (at this early stage, it would still be a Type 5, as Type 10s didn't arrive until later). I haven't found any I-16 losses for 4.9.37 but I know that 2 were lost the following day and therefore ask if the date of Seiler's claim is perhaps in error...?

29.11.37. Another I-16 type 5. Possibly from Grupo 21.

12.1.38. Tupolev SB. Claimed as an SB-2. I have guessed that it most likely belonged to Grupo 12 or Grupo 24 as these were units in action with the type around that time.

22.1.38. Another I-16 type 5. All that I have been able to establish is that the 4a Esc Grupo 21 was definitely in action this date.

7.2.38. 2 more "SB-2". Again, possibly Grupo 12 or Grupo 24. Several were brought down in the engagement and the crews of the first two were seen to bale out.

22.2.38. 2 more "Curtisses" (I surmise that these were I-15s. Possibly Grupo 26 as that unit was still flying I-15s at the time)

Hope this helps you.

Best source:
http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories...rmany-spcw.pdf

and the Aces of the Legion Condor book by Osprey.

Hope that helps,

Nick

[Nokose]

Thanks Nick! I went back and found an old post by Evgeny Velichko from 2008. He posted about a Russian book by S.V. Abrosov "Воздушная Война в Испании" (The Air War in Spain - Air Battles of 1936-1939). I understand that the book might have been updated as it was reprinted from the first edition but not sure. Evgeny put in his post for R. Seiler at the time from the book that it could be found one personal, 3 shared and 5 unconfirmed. So does anyone have the updated version (if there is one) with the information. How accurate is the dates for the Luftwaffe in the Condor Legion? Did they come from German records or pass down from different sources?

[Nick Hector]

Hey Nokose,

glad to be of help (repays a few favours, truth be known...)
I honestly don't know how accurate the dates etc. of Condor Legion claims really are but there is enough from both sides that matches up to make me think that a fair proportion is on the money.

Nick

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Many thanks to both of you for your information. It is a quite interesting thread and it made me more interested in the Legion Condor and the air war during the Spanish Civil War in general. Nick, reading through Spanish Republican Aces by López, I am left with the impression that Miguel Zambudio Martinez was serving with the Escuadrilla de Caza del Norte at the time that he may have been shot down by Seiler. What do you think?

Horrido!

Leo

[Nokose]

Leo, have you every heard of any post-war interviews or written articles he might have done? I know that during the war many pilots wrote things for the German public to read but they never were republished and probably are gone completely now. An "expert" from Spain that went on to become a day and night ace in WW2 would have been a good story to read about as long as it didn't stray off into fiction.

[Nick Hector]

Leo - a distinct possibility, but I don't feel I have enough to be dogmatic about it so I have left it blank for now in my own database.

Nick