Interned Aircrafts in Spain during the World War II

[gekho]

During World War II, Spain interned several aircrafts, both Allied and Axis, and in some rare cases, the spanish goverment negotiated the purchase of some of them. The aircraft landed and were incorporated into the Air Force were:

Junkers Ju 88 bombers 18 different variations of 21 who came to Spain (variants: A-4, A-4 Trop, A-14, C-6, D-1 and D-1 Trop).
5 naval reconnaissance seaplanes Romeo Ro-43.
3 maritime patrol aircraft Focke-Wulf Fw 200C Condor (one almost joined Iberia, only one came flying in the Air Force).
Junkers Ju 290 1 Transport A-5 of Lufthansa (joined the Air Force).
1 North American bomber B-25 Mitchell (incorporated into the Air Force).
1 patrol aircraft Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, bought by Spain.
Fairey Swordfish 1 seaplane (built to the Air Force).
3 transport aircraft Douglas C-47 (incorporated into Iberia).
1 Potez 63-11 (rated by the Air Force).

During the Second World War there were numerous incidents in which the Spanish airspace was violated. Some of the incidents consisted of accidents, such as V9115 Hudson 24 Squadron RAF crashed in front of La Coruna in December 1941. Other planes came as a result of fighting, as the Consolidated PB4Y-1 Liberator of VB-103 (serial number 32 022) attacked by six Ju-88 near Cape Finisterre, on September 4, 1943 and had to ditch in front of the coast. During World War II, were also detained two German submarines, the U-760 and U-573, 9 the latter was incorporated into the Spanish Navy initially with the numeral G7, the first of these was delivered to the UK a After the contest.

 

[gekho]

Crew 18 was one of the crews in the 752nd Squadron that seemed to be plagued with bad luck. The were also the only crew in the 458th that had the unfortunate distinction of being interned in two neutral countries - Spain and Switzerland. Nedrow's crew left the United States in January 1944 and proceeded to England via the Southern Ferry Route used by bomber crews in the winter months. Leaving Dakar on Africa's west coast on February 5, 1944, and flying north to Marrakech, the crew experienced fuel problems and were forced to land near Villa Cisneros in the Western (Spanish) Sahara. Here the crew was "rescued" by Spanish soldiers, their B-24H-10-CF, 41-29277 named DEAR MOM confiscated, and the crew was interned. Before abandoning their aircraft they destroyed the Norden bombsight, the IFF recognition unit and dumped sand into the gasoline tanks.

Information gleaned from Dispatch No. 184 from the American Consulate in Spain relates that the crew was kept at Villa Cisneros from February 5th to the 19th when they went by sea on the S.S. "Leon y Castillo" to Las Palmas where they remained until February 27th. They were then transported from Las Palmas aboard the Spanish S.S. "Ciudad de Alicante" in the care of Spanish Aviation Lieutenant Jesus Perez Herrero, whose orders were to deliver them to the Spanish Aviation Command at Cadiz. The consulate secretary wrote Washington that, "Lieutenant Perez thinks it quite likely the interned airmen will be taken to Gibraltar from Cadiz." It is not known exactly when the crew finally arrived at Horsham St. Faith, but Nedrow's first combat mission was flown to Siracourt on April 5, 1944, albeit with some crew changes.

It is not known for certain when the crew changes took place, but records indicate that radio operator S/Sgt Newell R. Gibson, was replaced by S/Sgt Calvin D. Criswell; ball turret gunner S/Sgt Cecil M. Johnson, was replaced by S/Sgt Donald J. Buck; and top turret gunner S/Sgt Robert H. Weisberg was replaced by S/Sgt James I. Rhew. Criswell had already had his share of bad luck when on the group's first combat mission on March 2, 1944, his crew (15, pilot 1Lt Kenneth Gorrell) crashed on takeoff. Seven men were killed, while the pilot, engineer, and Criswell survived. Buck and Rhew were originally assigned to Crew 12, pilot 2Lt B.G. Beckley. S/Sgt's Gibson, Johnson, and Weisberg sucessfully completed their combat tours in July and August 1944.

Nedrow flew a total of 17 missions before the crew once again had a turn of bad luck. On May 27, 1944, the 458th Bomb Group set out for the heretofore unattacked marshalling yards of Neunkirchen, Germany. Taking off on their 21st mission, Nedrow's crew, flying B-24 42-94946 THE CAT'S (ASS) joined the formation assembling over the North Sea near Cromer. It was at this time that two 755th Squadron planes collided, the tail assembly breaking completely off of 2Lt Howard J. Lobo's aircraft and the second plane piloted by 2Lt Lester C. Martin (Crew 71R) losing about six feet of its right wing. This latter aircraft made it back to Horsham, minus two crewmen who bailed out upon the order to jump. Their bodies were never recovered from the North Sea. The pilot regained some measure of control, rescinded his bail out order, and made a safe landing. All ten men in the other B-24, the newly arrived Lobo crew, perished. Just prior to reaching the target, Nedrow's #4 engine was feathered and they left the formation.

Nedrow's abandoned B-24 DEAR MOM's story did not end with the departure of the crew. According to Richard Beardslee, brother of a radio operator in the 459th Bombardment Group, "In the summer of 1944, at the request of the American Air Attache in Madrid, B-24 41-29277 was flown from Western Sahara, non-stop, to Madrid, by an American crew consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and radio operator, whose B-24H-15-FO had made an emergency landing near Palma, Mojorca on June 25, 1944. These men were members of the 459th BG, based at Giulia Field, near Cerignola, Italy. The Western Sahara - Madrid flight took place in July, or August, 1944. In September, 1944 this flight crew, and the other members of their crew were released from internment in Spain, and returned to Italy.

At the time of this incident we seem to have had a close relationship with the Spanish. The pilot and co-pilot in my brother's crew had not seen the inside of a B-24 cockpit in at least a month and a half, and therefore were not current for flying one. A USAAF B-24 flight instructor was brought in for their retraining. In one of the photographs, showing the nose turret of the B-24, there is a C-46 in the background. My brother told me that the reason for this mission was because the Spanish Air Force colonel that had befriended his crew needed to get some points with Madrid. As I remember the story, the Spanish colonel knew of the B-24 in Western Sahara, and that Madrid wanted it brought into Spain. There were not any Spanish Air Force pilots qualified to fly a B-24. The colonel realized that he had, in my brother's crew, a relatively fresh B-24 flight crew who could fly it to Madrid. Strings were pulled, arrangements made with the American Air Attache, and the colonel got his points when the B-24 was delivered to Madrid."

Source: 458th Bombardment Group (H) - Honoring those who served with the 458th BG during World War II.

 

[gekho]

A Swordfish Mk.1 A seaplane, registration P4073, belonging to 700 Squadron and assigned to the battleship HMS Malaya, which patrolled the area between Gibraltar and Freetown protecting convoys, ran out of fuel and therefore landed at the sea not far from Canary Islands. The Spanish Merchant "Cape of Good Hope" got an SOS call to go to find the Swordfishh Fairey, picking up and raising his three crew members aboard the plane to take him to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The crew was interned until 1942 when he returned to Britain. The Swordfish was transferred to Las Palmas, the Naval Base in Puerto de La Luz.

British Embassy reclaimed the floatplane and in late 1943 Spanish Goverment agreed to buy it by 1,200,000 pesetas. The batch also included a Blenheim and possibly also a Beaufighter. The Swordfish was repaired in 1944 and the aircraft joined the squadron 54 hydro, with the numeral HR6-1, until in 1946 he was discharged and scrapped. It seems that flew very little for the lack of spare parts and repair faults improvised due to lack of spare parts. Besides this another Swordfish, the number W5843, belonging to 813 Squadron based in Gibraltar was also interned. The aircraft was on a submarine patrol on April 30, 1942 when it made an emergency landing between Ras FARE and Punta Pescadores, in Spanish Morocco. It´s fate is unknown. Another aircraft of the same unit, number V4384, made an emergency landing in the dawn of the April 19, 1942. The crew destroyed the plane, and was not hospitalized and who was rescued by the destroyer HMS Antelope.

 

[gekho]

On October 22, 1944, the aircraft Douglas A-26B-15-DT Invader (43-22342), piloted by Eugene L. Casale and John Jr. as the only crew member Hurek, returned to their base in England after a trip to Morocco, when the aircraft began to have problems; around half past eleven (am) the Invader flew and rolled over several times to try to land at Laxe beach but seeing that it was impossible to change course and headed to the Traba´s beach where they landed on it´s belly. Quickly began to reach people and two crew members refused to descend until the authorities had arrived; then they burned all documentation (it is clear that the Americans did not trust the Spanish authorities knew that these documents come to the Germans). Later the aircraft was dismantled, leaving only the structure was then scrapped and taken to Santiago.

 

[Wayne Little]

 

[gekho]

This B-17, previously captured by the Luftwaffe was also interned; on June 21, the B-17G-10-VE, 42-39969 USAAF numeral (401st BG, 614th BS), took off from France piloted by Lt. Wolfgang Pohl. Carrying three German agents, a former member of the French Foreign Legion and an Arab in order to transport them to North Africa. For this, the plane carried extra fuel tanks to extend its range. After leaving Marseilles on June 26 began the problems with fuel tanks. On June 27, 1944 this B-17 KG200 with German badges, registration A3 + FB, landed at the airport of Manises, where the pilot destroyed the flight plans and Abwehr agents were "volatilized." The plane was interned, being parked in an inconspicuous location of the airfield, with the German brands covered, until the end of the war. It seems that in 1948 was still in Manises and was finally scrapped a little bit later.

 

[gekho]

The Air Force initially bought 10 Ju 88A-4 (B.6-1 to B.6-10) were collected IV/KG76 in Toulouse on November 30, 1943 and in February 1944 joined the Group 13 in Los Llanos Air Base. It seems that those Junkers Ju 88 would be for the Blue Division and thus was formed the Spanish crews, but eventually the project was discarded and the equipment was sold to Spain. These Ju 88 also joined about 18 of the 21 Ju 88 that during the World War landed on Spanish territory and were interned. Boarding planes were purchased from Germany in February 1944 and all are framed in 13 Bomber Regiment (Albacete). Of these planes, 13 aircraft went into active duty (4 Ju 88A Ju 88D 5, 2 Ju 88C-6 and 2 Ju 88T) and the other 5 were for training and spare parts.

 

[gekho]

The cases of B-26 interned are:

- On May 19, 1943 a Martin B-26C-15-MO Marauder of the USAAF serial number 41-34917, made an emergency landing in Spanish Morocco, suffering damage. The plane was flying from the U.S. the UK, ran out of fuel and made a forced landing between Barga and Auamara. His crew was interned (Lt. Clay J. Douglas O-499 408, Lieutenant Ernest budesonide O-666 137, Lt. Paul Hydes O-194 819, 14025654 Sergeant Malcolm E. McLean, Karl E. Thomas Sergeant 1308329).

- On May 23, 1943 another one lancec at Xebico Uad, a B-26B-10-MA, serial number 41-18251 of the USAAF. The crew was surprised when they were being rescued by another aircraft of the USAAF, after leaving the plane left alone to destroy the documentation. As the plane was not damaged was towed to Larache. From there, the plane flew to finish at Barajas Tablada, along with other aircraft boarding. At the end of the war was scrapped.

- On June 12, 1943 a B-26C-10 Marauder, 41-34852, crashed in the Spanish Sahara. The plane, piloted by E.L. Merrigan had suffered damage to the engines.

- Also a Martin B-26B-2 Marauder, 41-17856, 452 bomber squadron crashed into the sea near Galicia, April 5, 1943. The plane was flying from the U.S. to Britain to join his unit.

- Other plane, a Douglas A-26B-15-DT Invader (43-22342 of the USAAF numeral) and piloted by Eugene Casale, crashed on a beach between camels and Laxe in 1944 when he went to England. Later the aircraft was robbed, leaving only the structure was then scrapped and taken to Santiago.

- In March 1944 a B-26C-30-MO of the RAF chrased of at Mataro. It was a B-26 Marauder squad Mk.II 14, based on Corsica, flying reconnaissance for ships transporting tungsten from Spain to the German-occupied Europe. The RAF's 14 Squadron conducted reconnaissance for the RAF Beaufighters (Sqn.272 and 39) and B-25 USAAF G (310th BG), as well as allied submarines. The entire crew died: First Officer and Pilot WC McDonald, Officer and 2. J.W. pilot Lewis, Sergeant and C.M. browser Peedom, Sergeant and handle M.T. Woods, R. Sargent and shooter Lanham and Sergeant and handle F.R. Lamond.

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[Wayne Little]

Nice additional shots!

 

[gekho]

A Potez 63-11, No. 501, belonging to the Groupe de Reconnaissance GRI/36, landed at the airport of Son Sant Joan (Mallorca) on June 21, 1940 due to engine failure while en route to its new base in North Africa. The aircraft was interned and was carried in flight to Cuatro Vientos airfield, where it was to join the flight test squadron. Remained in service until 1945, being erased french logos and painted St. Andrew's cross on the tail.

 

[gekho]

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor" was a civilian source aircraft adapted for maritime patrol missions and attacks on Allied convoys through free-fall bombs and, later, anti-ship missiles (radio-guided bomb Rheinstahl PC 1400 X "Fritz X" and rocket Henschel 293). Almost all of the Fw 200 were assigned to Kampfgeschwade 40, KG40, based in Bordeaux-Merignac, to carry out missions over the Gulf of Biscay and the Atlantic. Spain and Portugal offered a good alternative in the event of a problem was only a matter of time before they made emergency landings.
Fw 200 Condor in flight. In total there were four Fw 200 Condor reached Spanish territory and were interned during the war, 3 of the Model C-4 and one C-7. Only one of these aircraft finally came to fly the Air Force.

- The first landing in Spain occurred on June 15, 1941. Three Condor of the I/KG-40 were attacking a convoy near of Cape St. Vincent when they were hit by the AAA. One of them crashed in Portugal. Another Condor, F8 + FH, landed in Navia (Asturias), despite being a track only 500 meters. The plane, piloted by Lt.. Otto Gose, had suffered severe damage and breakdowns, one of which had led to the loss of fuel and the flight engineer's death. From his base in France came a Junkers Ju-52 aircraft spares, fuel and technicians who repaired the plane and took the body of the crewman. The plane took off on June 18 back to its base. Navia Mayor received an award by the German official and popular behavior towards the crew.

- On July 5, 1941 another 3/KG Condor 40, also damaged by hitting another convoy, landed at Tablada (Sevilla). The plane had problems with the flaps that had led to increased fuel consumption. The Condor was refueled, the crew fixed the fault, and in a few hours off to Bordeaux.

- On January 2, 1942 another Condor was damaged by the AAA of HMS Scottish and splash down in the estuary of Camariñas, where it sank. The crew survived and was repatriated. On July 12 a Condor crashed in the estuary of the Muro. On November 18 another Condor crashed 40 miles from Barcelona.

In November 1942, the Allies landed in North Africa. The policy changed to avoid disturbing the allies and the crews were repatriated but the aircrafts were interned. This aircraft penetrated the following:

- On 30 December 11 Focke Wulf Fw 200 of KG40, took off from Bordeaux to Casablanca bombing. Two of the aircraft, hit by antiaircraft artillery, tried to reach Spain. Another is believed that tried to reach Gando and was shot down by the RAF near the Canaries. One was the 8/KG40 C-4/U3 Fw 200, numeral WNr.175 F8 + AS and landed in Seville on January 1, 1943. The crew was repatriated, but this time the plane remained in Spain, and would be the Condor which entered service in the Air Force. This plane was accompanied in Seillla by a second Fw 200 C-4, and numeral WNr.118 F8 + HS.

- On August 13, 1943 Condor 9/KG a 40 F8 + IT (WNr.221), made a forced landing, also in Camariñas, after he was damaged in a fight with a B-24D Liberator maritime patrol of the 480th Anti-Submarine Group. The plane was badly damaged, so it was dismantled and the pieces transferred to Leon.

- On October 15, 1943 a Fw 200 C-4 7/KG 40, numeral F8 + JR, was damaged by HMS Stork, which protected the convoy OS53, made an emergency landing at the aerodrome of Santiago de Compostela. The Focke Wulf was interned. The Germans tried to recover the aircraft, but as the pressures were too strong allies decided to sell to Spain in 1944. In December 1944 some menbers of Focke Wulf´s company came to Spain with the aim of putting in the air the Fw 200 interned. One of the Condor, Santiago, was delivered to Iberia. Since it was not viable for civilian employment transformation due to high cost, the aircraft went to the Air Force.

In 1945 the Air Ministry ordered to mahe airworthy the Fw 200 Condors in Seville. The two aircrafts were taken to the Maestranza de Tablada for repair cannibalizing aircraft parts led to Leon WNr.221 (ex F8 + IT), but only the first was actually put in order of flight, in 1947. Of the remaining two aircrafts, only one, the Fw 200 C-4 (F8 + AS Sevilla), was placed in flight January 27, 1947, for the Flight School Matacán, taking off on 27 August of that year from Seville to its destination, but returning with one engine at 25 minutes and was slightly damaged on landing. When it arrived to Matacán, the plane was without forward dorsal turret, lost in flight and not replaced, painted blue and enrolled as T.4-2 and Flight School enrollment in the tail. The plane was taken to Barajas to be repaired with the aid of mechanical Iberia, having constant brake problems. There in October 1948 on takeoff runway left, collides with a bulldozer and broke a leg of the landing gear, being retired due to lack of spare parts. As the Air Force decided to repair the Focke Wulf were not profitable, besides being politically uncomfortable due to its origin, gave the order to stop the repair of the other Condor de Sevilla, F8 + HS, and scrapped. However it seems that the systems of the Fw 200 were similar to those of He 111 and there were parts in Spain, only needed to rectify the valve seats of the bowlers of the brakes. Without the rush to put them in flight and with a few more hours of fine tuning would have had two Condor in perfect condition.

 

[Wayne Little]

Cool!

 

[gekho]

In January 1943, a B-25D-10 Mitchell made an emergency landing at the aerodrome of Tauima (Nador-Melilla). The aircraft, serial number 41-30338 of the USAAF, suffered a malfunction in the flight controls, consisting of the breaking of two of the three hinges of a rudder. By mistake the pilot, who had flown from Gibraltar en route to Tunis, thought he was on French Morocco. The aircraft was interned in Nador to the end of the war. After this comes a staff Nador Allied Control Commission that orders to destroy a Lockheed P-38 also interned, and negotiate the sale to the Spanish Government of the B-25. In 1948 he was put into flight with the help of Iberia mechanics and was used as training aircraft in the Air Force from 1950 to 1953. In June 1950 he was transferred to Matacán and assigned to Flight School, being used as training aircraft, but in fact it became the personal aircraft of the Air Minister, Gonzalez Gallarza. The Spanish registration of the aircraft was 74-17. In 1953, due to the lack of spare parts, it was retired and scrapped in 1956. The example of the Air Museum is another B-25 of the bomber version, but it was painted in 1988 as the unit that served for three years in the Air Force. This B-25 was damaged when the museum in Malaga was involved in the filming of "Cuba". It was abandoned at the airport of Malaga and recovered after many years for the museum. The aircraft air museum is a converted version B-25J-20/22-NC TB-25N. Its point was in the USAAF 44-29121 and when he sold the civil registration was N86427. The aircraft was also involved in other films (Hanover Street, Yankee).

A second B-25 Mitchell was interned in Spain. It was a North American B-25D-35 Mitchell (serial number 43-3650) belonging to the 340th Bomb Group, USAAF 488 BS. The B-25 landed at Palma de Mallorca on September 14, 1944. The plane was flying from his base in Corsica and Sicily, after hours lost on the sea and low on fuel met an airfield where he had parked a B-24, so the pilots landed and was to be found was the airport of Palma de Mallorca. It is unknown what happened to this plane, but since most boarding American planes eventually scrapped this should be an end.

 

[gekho]

The 274 Squadriglia Autonoma BRG (Raggio Bombardamento Grande) was created for maritime reconnaissance and attack distant. From its base in Sardinia were aimed at Gibraltar and later in North Africa. Durante its first mission, a night attack on Gibraltar, June 28 1942 the excessive fuel consumption caused some of the P.108B landed in Spain. One MM-22 001, crashed while attempting a forced landing on a beach in Valencia when he saw he could not reach Manises, and was unusable. Another, MM-22007, landed at the airport of Palma de Mallorca, where he refueled and returned to his base in Sardinia. A third, MM-22 005, landed at the airfield at Los Alcazares (Murcia) and was interned. The aircraft was taken to the base of San Javier, where it was repaired and being scrapped at the end of the war because of its poor conditions.

 

[Wayne Little]

Thanks again!

 

[gekho]

The Junkers Ju 290 "Seeadler" (sea eagle) was conceived as an aircraft for maritime patrol missions (attack mission support ships and German submarines), long-range bombardment and heavy transport, replacing the Focke- Wulf Fw 200 "Condor". The Luftwaffe reconnaissance group formed a distant reconnaissance squadron (Fernaufklarungsgruppe 5) in the last quarter of 1943. The 1./FAGr began operations in May from Mont-de-Marsan on October 15, 1943, followed a month later by the 2./FAGr 5. This unit lost three aircraft in Spain:

- A Ju 290 A-3 numeral 9V + DK crashed in Spain in December 1943 near Lesaca (Navarra) due to bad weather.
- On February 19, 1944 a Junkers Ju 290 WNr. 0179, registration 9V + FK, belonging to 2./FAGr 5 (11) and piloted by Karl-Heinz Schmidt Oblt was attacked near La Coruña by four 157 Squadron Mosquito and down. There were no survivors.
- Still another Ju 290 A7 of the Luftwaffe, numeral KR+RL, and subsequently LK+9V, crashed in May 1944 into a mountain in Posada de Llanes, Asturias. It seems that the plane was damaged and attempted to reach an airfield to land, maybe Leon. Local reports say a plane crashed in Brañueta, specifically a four-engine German bomber. All crew members were killed and were buried in Posada.

In addition, a Ju 290 A5, Werk Nr 110 178, belonging to Lufthansa arrived to Spain intact. The Junkers Ju 290 crashed at Barcelona airport in the early morning of April 6, shortly before Germany surrendered. The unit conducted the Berlin-Barcelona and Munich arrived from among a thick fog. The Ju 290 tried to land unsuccessfully twice in El Prat from the sea and eventually did it in a shorter secondary runway. The plane landed too fast and overshot the runway, suffering slight damage (broken compass of the left leg, three propeller blades inside left engine and two outside of the folded side, small tears in the trailing edge and port wing spoiler). This Ju-290 was part of the Luftwaffe, where was coded KR + LI. After the civil conversion, performed in 1944, the unit had the D-AITR civil numbering and was named "Bayer". This aircraft was one of the three Ju-290 converted and transferred to Lufthansa (according to some theory and cover-up covert operations). The three Ju 290 A-5 transport Lufthansa were assigned to regular service between Germany and Portugal, via Spain, with the mission of carrying strategic materials and other covert operations. One of the Ju 290 civilians, according to some sources, moved to high Nazi officials from Prague to Barcelona in late April 1945. Among the passengers stated that he could be the SS General Hans Kammler, head of the proposed V-2 rockets. There is talk of another flight ghost of a Ju 290 in Barcelona in late April with secrets and ranking Nazis, but there is no documentation of these flights.

For its conservation was decided to empty the tanks to prevent deterioration and oil engines, protecting them with canvas, leaving the aircraft parked in an inconspicuous location of the airport. The commander was accompanied Flugkapitan Sluzalek and the mechanic and radiophonic Rebentrost Schmitske. Passengers and crew were unharmed. The crew were interned and nothing is known of the passengers. The Junkers was interned in Barcelona until the Allied Control Commission auctioned it as "junk batch of aircraft, including a 4-engine plane." It was bought for 1,600,000 Ptas by a bussiness man called Elorrieta, who thought to sell it to Iberia or the Air Force. As there was no way to purchase spare parts, Iberia did not want and was sold to the Air Force by a low price, 2750 pesetas. On April 29th 1950 it was coded 74-23 and assigned to the Flight School, being removed due to the lack of spare parts in 1954 and scrapped later. According to the pictures was the metallic paint scheme, with the insignia rojigualda and the cross of St. Andrew. Little is known of the Ju-290 service in the Air Force, which in theory made mainly of "air school". In October 1950, he participated in naval and air maneuvers in Madeira, together with the Ju-88 of the 13 Regiment. In July 1951, moved to Las Palmas III component of the Promotion of AGA, which repeated the following years with the IV V Promotions on flights to Italy and Portugal.

 

[gekho]

Five seaplanes Romeo Ro.44 and Ro.43 arrived in Spain in September 1943 during the Italian surrender. These were assigned to the Italian cruises in the group led by the battleship Roma. The fleet had left La Spezia on September 9, 1943, hours after knowing of the news about the armistice between Italy and the Allied powers. The seaplanes abandoned the cruises and went to Mallorca, landing four of them in the Bay of Palma, one in Pollensa and another one in Alcudia. The Ro-43 were interned in Pollensa until August 1944, and after a favorable report, were purchased to Italy for 355.317 pesetas, but until 1946 did not enter in service, being coded HR.7-1 to HR.7- 6. The seaplanes served at the base of Pollensa with 51 Regiment of Hydro until their retirement in 1951. The Ro.44 was used as a source of spare parts for the Ro-43 aircrafts in use.

 

[TheMustangRider]

The 274 Squadriglia Autonoma BRG (Raggio Bombardamento Grande) was created for maritime reconnaissance and attack distant. From its base in Sardinia were aimed at Gibraltar and later in North Africa. Durante its first mission, a night attack on Gibraltar, June 28 1942 the excessive fuel consumption caused some of the P.108B landed in Spain.

It seems a Spanish word found its way into the paragraphs, happens sometimes to me as well

Thanks for posting this pictures and the excellent information you have gather, keep up the good work mate.

 

[gekho]

One Catalina of the USAAF was interned on July 7, 1943, when it landed by mistake in Sidi Ifni, confused by the pilot to the airport of Agadir. Later, after an agreement with the American Embassy, ​​was repaired and transferred on 8 October by the crew under the supervision of Spanish military, to Barajas where he joined other American aircraft. The serial number of the Catalina was the USAAF 42-109020. This was the only Catalina which flew in the Spanish Air Force. The plane was purchased at the end of the war and in 1946 the Catalina was sent to the Arsenal, where it remained several years. The minister ordered to make it airworthy in 1949, being repaired by the engineer Fermin Tordesillas. In 1951 it was coded DR.1-1 and joined the Air Force. This model served until i1954, first flying in the Flight School Matacán and later is subject to revision in the arsenal of Leon and assigned to the Air Zone in the Balearic Islands in the 51 Regiment of Pollensa Hydro but due to its poor condition the plane was based in San Juan and not in Pollensa to minimize problems of corrosion. In December 1954 it went off the track and it is finally retired and scrapped. The Catalina Air Museum is a copy PBY-6 which served in firefighting.

Another five of the RAF Catalina crashed in Spain, one in the Gulf of Cadiz during the war. Almost all belonged to the RAF 202 Squadron, based in Gibraltar;

- Catalina Mk1, coded AJ157: crashed into a hill in Tarifa (near Punta Carnero) on 21/01/42.
- Catalina MK1b, coded FP119, part of the 119 Sqdn.: Crashed into the Gulf of Cadiz on 25/09/42, killing all seven crew and a passenger. The aircraft encountered a severe thunderstorm about 100 km from its destination in Gibraltar. This accident was the one who inspired the British intelligence operation to make mincemeat.
- Catalina MK1b, coded FP271, part of the 210 Sqdn.: Forced landing at Cape Toriñana, Galicia, in April 1943. Tripulación was rescued by the Spanish fishing and hospitalized.
- Catalina MK1b, coded FP214: crashed near Puerto El Cabrito, between Tarifa and Algeciras, on the night of 09/06/43. Eight of the ten crewmen die in the accident.
- Catalina MKIV, coded JX258: crashed near Cape Three Forcas, Melilla, 15/06/44. The plane hit a hill, killing all its crew.
- Catalina MKIV, coded JX201: crashed in Tarifa (Punta Acebuche) on 18/08/44.