Legion Condor

Legion Condor Condor Legion
Standard of the Condor Legion
Active	July 1936 – March 1939
Country	Nazi Germany
Allegiance	Nationalist Spain
March	Parademarsch der Legion Condor
Engagements	Spanish Civil War
Decorations	Spanish Cross
Commanders
Notable commanders	Hugo Sperrle Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma
Insignia
Wing roundel
Fuselage roundel
Fin flash
Aircraft flown
Attack	Henschel Hs 123 Junkers Ju 87
Bomber	Junkers Ju 86 Heinkel He 111 Dornier Do 17
Fighter	Heinkel He 51 Heinkel He 112 Messerschmitt Bf 109
Reconnaissance	Heinkel He 70
Transport	Junkers Ju 52

The Condor Legion (German: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War shortly afterwards. The bombing of Guernica was the most infamous operation carried out by the Condor Legion. Hugo Sperrle commanded the unit's aircraft formations and Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma commanded the ground element.

Following the military coup in Spain at the start of the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Second Republic turned to the Soviet Union and France for support, and the nationalists requested the support of Hitler's Germany and fascist Italy. The first request for German aircraft was made on 22 July, with an order for 10 transport aircraft. Hitler decided to support the nationalists on 25 or 26 July, but was wary of provoking a Europe-wide war. The Reich Air Travel Ministry concluded that nationalist forces would need at least 20 Junkers Ju 52s, flown by Luft Hansa pilots, to carry the Army of Africa from Spanish Morocco to Spain. This mission became known as Operation Magic Fire (German: Feuerzauber). The joint Spanish-German "Spanish-Moroccan Transport Company" (Spanish: Companía Hispano-Marroquí de Transporte, HISMA) and an entirely German company, the Raw Materials and Good Purchasing Company (German: Rohstoffe-und-Waren-Einkaufsgesellschaft, ROWAK) were established. This involvement was kept covert, hidden from both foreign and economic ministries, and funded with three million Reichmarks.