Posted on Apr 26, 2021
Nazis test new air force, Luftwaffe, on Basque town of Guernica
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During the Spanish Civil War, the German military tests its powerful new air force—the Luftwaffe—on the Basque town of Guernica in northern Spain. Although the independence-minded Basque region opposed General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War, Guernica itself was a small rural city of only 5,000 inhabitants that declared non-belligerence in the conflict. With Franco’s approval, the cutting-edge German aircraft began their unprovoked attack at 4:30 p.m., the busiest hour of the market day in Guernica. For three hours, the German planes poured down a continuous and unopposed rain of bombs and gunfire on the town and surrounding countryside. One-third of Guernica’s 5,000 inhabitants were killed or wounded, and fires engulfed the city and burned for days.
During the Spanish Civil War, the German military tests its powerful new air force—the Luftwaffe—on the Basque town of Guernica in northern Spain. Although the independence-minded Basque region opposed General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War, Guernica itself was a small rural city of only 5,000 inhabitants that declared non-belligerence in the conflict. With Franco’s approval, the cutting-edge German aircraft began their unprovoked attack at 4:30 p.m., the busiest hour of the market day in Guernica. For three hours, the German planes poured down a continuous and unopposed rain of bombs and gunfire on the town and surrounding countryside. One-third of Guernica’s 5,000 inhabitants were killed or wounded, and fires engulfed the city and burned for days.
Nazis test new air force, Luftwaffe, on Basque town of Guernica
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World History
Aviation
Spain
Germany
Death
Edited >1 y ago
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Sad event. Wasn't the destruction of this city that Picasso used for his painting?
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CPT (Join to see)
An amazing//poignant painting.
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-guernica-picassos-influential-painting
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-guernica-picassos-influential-painting
What Makes Guernica Picasso’s Most Influential Painting?
While numerous works by Pablo Picasso have been crowned masterpieces, “Guernica” stands alone in the artist’s prolific oeuvre. But why?
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Although Britain and France had no intention of getting involved in the war, they deliberately sent forces to watch and evaluate how the new Luftwaffe would perform.
The “terror bombing” wasn’t new, but how “good they were at it,” was an eye opener. Germany destroyed every idea people had on aerial warfare.
Britain would return home and start rearming and rethinking. France did not. This would prove disastrous for France in 1940. Britain would avoid destruction due to the early “coming attractions” trailer that the Spanish war gave.
The “terror bombing” wasn’t new, but how “good they were at it,” was an eye opener. Germany destroyed every idea people had on aerial warfare.
Britain would return home and start rearming and rethinking. France did not. This would prove disastrous for France in 1940. Britain would avoid destruction due to the early “coming attractions” trailer that the Spanish war gave.
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PO3 Donald Murphy
MSgt James Clark-Rosa much is made of the armor which Hitler was keen to demonstrate. The Poles - cavalry gods that they were - forecasted a success by German-backed forces due to a German rethink. British armour inventors also made much to-do about Germany’s new fangled tank use.
But American Billy Mitchell and the RAF were blown away by the use of the Luftwaffe as pin-point artillery. Basically the fighter-bomber concept before it existed.
The RAF were blindsided by the finger-four formation and also how effortlessly the German pilot switched his thinking. The RAF/European insistence on having light and heavy fighters was also a drain on resources. The RAF movers and shakers had to dump the Fairey Battle, Welsley and other staples of their peacetime posturing. Politics of the day objected loudly only to apologize when the 1940 Blitz swept the RAF from the continent.
The illegal husbanding of Spitfire and Hurricane units would go on to save the day, starting at Dunkirk where the RAF’s “last squadron of Spitfires” assisted in killing 400+ Luftwaffe planes.
But American Billy Mitchell and the RAF were blown away by the use of the Luftwaffe as pin-point artillery. Basically the fighter-bomber concept before it existed.
The RAF were blindsided by the finger-four formation and also how effortlessly the German pilot switched his thinking. The RAF/European insistence on having light and heavy fighters was also a drain on resources. The RAF movers and shakers had to dump the Fairey Battle, Welsley and other staples of their peacetime posturing. Politics of the day objected loudly only to apologize when the 1940 Blitz swept the RAF from the continent.
The illegal husbanding of Spitfire and Hurricane units would go on to save the day, starting at Dunkirk where the RAF’s “last squadron of Spitfires” assisted in killing 400+ Luftwaffe planes.
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