The Spanish fightersquadrons were deployed to support the German Heeresgruppe Mitte, where they mostly were used to cover and defend the German bombers. They paticipiated in the german attack on Moscow and the following retreat, also they took part in the bloody combats in the skies above Kharkov, Smolensk and Kursk.
The first victim of these volunteers was Luis Alcocer, member of the first squadron and son of the mayor of Madrid.
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| Members of one of the Blue Squadrons |
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| First Lieutenants Mendoza and Ibarreche, successful pilotes of the Blue Squadrons |
Captain Salas Larrazábal, the right hand of legendary García-Morato, was instructed by the Spanish Department of Aviation (Ministerio del Aire), to command the first Blue Squadron, that left Madrid on July, 24´th 1941 and was trained at the fighter school Warneuchen, near Berlin. The squadron was subordinated to Luftflotte 2, commanded by Generalfeldmarschall von Kesselring.
Another member of staff was deputy squadron leader, Captain Muñoz Giménez, who invented the "Kette"-formation, consisting of three planes, used by all actual airforces for ground attacks. The squadron consisted of three captains and twelve lieutenants, all veterans of the Spanish Civil War (7/18/1936 - 4/1/1939). The ground personal was commanded by Ramón Salas, the brother of Captain Salas.
On September 24´th, the squadron was transfered to an aerodrom near Moschina, in the southwest of Smolensk, where they got brand new Messerschmitt Bf 109 E (E-4 und E-7) and took off for their first operations to cover german bombers in the area of Viasma.
After serveral days, First Lieutenant
Alcocer was shot down. The squadron moved to Byelov, at the Moscow-front and later to
Kalinin, from where it operated since October 28´th. After that it transfered to Staritza and
later, on November 14´th, to Rudsa, 80 km from Moscow.
On November 27´th, Captain Muñoz crashlanded
on enemy territory.
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| Captain Salas Larrazábal, who claimed seven aerial victories. |
The following day, the squadron was transferred to airport Klin. It was forced to leave again on December 21´st by motorized Soviet infantry, approaching the base, after the german attack on Moscow was defeated. By early December the squadron also got the new Bf 109 F (F-2 and F-4). It was moved to Duguino and later to Vitebsk, where it was reinforced.
On February 7´th, 1942, the squadron got the order to prepare its replacement. General of the
Lufwaffe Wilfried von Richthofen decorated the squadrons leader and other officers and soldiers
of this Blue Squadron.
The squadron downed an total number of 14 russian planes during 422 missions. In the
same time, Captain Muñoz, the First Lieutenants
Alcocer, Alfonso
Ruibal, Ricardo Bartolomé and some more soldiers
were killed in action.
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| Members of one of the Blue Squadrons |
I was commanded by Julio Salvador Díaz-Benjumea and consisted of three Schwärme, lead by Captains Bengoechea (a Basque), Serra and Frutos. It was deployed in the Orel-area, where it got its babtism of fire on Juli 21´st 1942. Captain Gavilán distinguished most of all other members of this squadron.
The first victim of this squadron was Captain Noriega. Second Lieutenant Antonio Navarro and the soldier Zazo died during an accident, caused by technical problems. They also flew Bf 109 (G-2).
The squadrons emblem was the "Cross of Santiago de Compostela", the patron of Spain.
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Standing under the command of the experienced Captain Carlos Ferrandiz Arjonilla, the 3´rd Squadron - fitted with Bf 109 G-2 and G-4 - entered service at November 30´th 1942 in the Orel-West-area. Since February 20´th 1943, it got some Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 fighterplanes, that got stronger armament and a broader and more robust landing gear, what made the maneuvering on the ground easier. With the Bf 109 it was very difficult to taxi, espacially on icy and snowy runways.
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| Captain Carlos Ferrandiz Arjonilla Commander of the 3´rd Blue Squadron |
On December 30´th 1943 this squadron was withdrawn after 779 missions, from them, 403
were fighter and scramble missions. The squadron got 16 confirmed victories, showing the intensity
of the fights in this area.
Mainly the Focke-Wulf was responsible for the success: It was very reliable and the powerful BMW 801
double-row radial-engine also provided more safety to the pilot.
It entered service on July 4´th 1943, being transferred to the airbase of Seschstsniskaya, in the south-east of Roslav. It was commanded by Captain Mariano Cuadra Medina and was fitted with Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 and G.
After the german counter-strike at Kharkov was defeated, this squadron covered the withdrawing german groundforces by flying a high number of ground attack missions. The wo Schwärme, lead by the Captains Galarza and Llaca, were stationed at the airbases of Northern-Smolensk, Orsha, Star-Bichov and Bobruisk, where it finally was relieved by the 5´th Blue Squadron, on February 23´rd 1944.
The 4´th Squadron reached a total number of 74 aerial victories, but also lost
(among others) First Lieutenants Fernándo Sánchez Arjona
(by accident) and Lucas.
During its time of duty, it got the Bf 109 G-6 insead of their Fw 190.
This squadron was ready to sart service, when the Blue Division was withdrawn from the Eastern Front to Spain, in 1944. General of the Luftwaffe Warlimont and Captain Murcia Rubio, leader of the 5´th squadron, met in Bobruisk, where Warlimont told Murcia, that Hitler had ordered Göring, to transfer the Blue Squadrons back to Spain.
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| Captain Murcia Rubio |
Although this squadron only saw six days of action, it launched a total number of 86 missions and reached 6 aerial victories. First Lieutenant Estanislao Segurola Guereca was killed in action.
The spanish pilots downed a confirmed number of 156 enemy planes. 10 of them were shot down by Captain Cuadra, another 7 by Captain Salas Larrazábal. They were the most outstanding pilots of this five squadrons, followed by the Captains Gavilán and Galarza and the First Lieutenants Ibarreche (a Basque) and Mendoza.
The members of the Blue Squadrons received eleven higher medals. Seven of them belonged to members of the 4´th squadron.
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Madrid, 28´th August 2000
