Aviazione Legionaria

Legionary Air Force Aviazione Legionaria
A Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 during a bombing raid. The black crosses distinguishable in the tail are Saint Andrew's Cross, the insignia of the Spanish Nationalist Air Force (Franco's side). The small planes are FIAT CR.32s of the Italian XVI Gruppo Autonomo Cucaracha. Photo: G. Apostolo.
Active	1936–1939
Country	Kingdom of Italy
Allegiance	King of Italy
Branch	Air force
Garrison/HQ	Son Bonet Aerodrome
Engagements	Spanish Civil War
Disbanded	1939
Flying hours	135,265
Commanders
Notable commanders	Ruggero Bonomi Vincenzo Velardi Mario Bernasconi Adriano Monti.
Insignia
Wing roundel
Fuselage roundel
Fin flash
Aircraft flown
Attack	Breda Ba.65
Bomber	Fiat BR.20, Savoia-Marchetti SM.81
Fighter	Fiat CR.32, Fiat G.50
Reconnaissance	IMAM Ro.37, Caproni Ca.310s, Caproni A.P.1s, Breda Ba.28, Fiat C.R.20B
Trainer	IMAM Ro.41
Transport	Savoia-Marchetti SM.81

The Legionary Air Force (Italian: Aviazione Legionaria, Spanish: Aviación Legionaria) was an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force. It was set up in 1936 and sent to provide logistical and tactical support to the rebel faction after the pro-Fascist military coup which marked the onset of the Spanish Civil War. This air force would fight the conflict against the Spanish Republic alongside its Nazi German equivalent, the Condor Legion, and the Italian ground troops of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie. They served from August 1936 to the end of the conflict in March 1939. Their main base of operations was Majorca in the Balearic Islands.

At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, the rebel armies in Spanish North Africa led by Francisco Franco had about 30,000 troops and Moroccan nationals under his command, along with some artillery units. In order to transfer his troops and material to mainland Spain, on 24 July 1936, Franco turned to the Italian consul in Tangiers and then directly to major Luccardi, the military attache in the Italian consulate. Through them Franco tried to convince Benito Mussolini to send twelve transport aircraft, twelve reconnaissance planes, ten fighter aircraft, 3000 aerial bombs, antiaircraft machine guns and at least forty five transport ships. At first Mussolini was reluctant to send them, despite his sympathy for Franco, but his son-in-law Galeazzo Ciano put pressure on him and he changed his mind on July 25. Ciano had in the meantime spoken with two representatives of the Spanish monarchy about thirty fighter planes and other equipment sent by the French government that would arrive on August 2.