Interned Aircrafts in Spain during the World War II

Great pic's.... thanks for sharing...

Charles

The first DC-3S came to Spanish territory during the Allied invasion of North Africa. On November 8, 1942, a group of aircrafts transporting paratroopers of the USAAF were in flight from England to Oran to support the landings in North Africa. Three of the planes, without fuel and believing their pilots they were on French territory, landing at aerodromes Zeluán, Villa Sanjurjo (Al Hoceima) and Tetuan, in the northern limits of the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco. The three Douglas C-47-DL belonged to the 12th Air Force:

- The 41-7776 (c / n 4263) came to Iberia on November 24, 1944 with the number 32 and the civil registration EC-CAV, then EC-ABL. In 1965 it was sold to the Air Force, where the numerals were 744-59, 534-59, and 911-10.
- The Douglas 41-7801 (c / n 4293) came to Iberia on June 17, 1944 with number 33 and the civil registration EC-CAX, then EC-ABM. It was sold to the Air Force, where their numerals were 744-60, 604-60, and 911-11.
- Another Douglas C-47 more arrived in Spain. On August 11, 1943 also made an emergency landing in Spain a C-47, section 41-7769 (c / n 4256) of the USAAF. The plane came to Iberia on June 17, 1944 with number 31 and the civil registration EC-CAU. The plane crashed on December 23, 1948 on Gandesa, while flying between Madrid and Barcelona.

The three aircraft and its occupants were interned, being housed in the barracks of the Legion in Tahuima, although the occupants were repatriated in February 1943 through Gibraltar. Franco's government negotiated a purchase price of $ 100,000 each and the December 10, 1943 an agreement was reached, being transferred to Madrid for a crew led by Jose Maria Ansaldo pilots, Pombo and Ultan Kindelan Theodosius, who had already flown the DC-2. The three aircrafts, converted to DC-3 entered service in Iberia in July 1944, in the two guidelines that the company had then: Barcelona-Madrid-Lisbon and Seville-Tangier-Tetouan, Melilla. The entrance into serviceg of these DC-3 was an event in Iberia. The public, used to the DC-2 and Junkers Ju-52, was delighted with the new planes, which were more comfortable, faster and quieter than their predecessors, achieving full employment. The internal configuration of the DC-3 was 21 seats, although strong demand forced the installation of a folding seats, increasing to 25 seats, and sometimes reached 28, which was its maximum capacity. The planes began to fly with a black livery on the merits of the polished aluminum fuselage, clearly inspired by German, to be replaced later by the famous "red flash" that would be painted fuselages Iberia aircraft for several years.

In March 1947 the Air Force Iberia bought the first two C-47 (T.3), one of which went to the School of Flight and the other went to the "Estado Mayor". Most of the Spanish military DC-3 arrived from May 1956, after the signing of agreements on technical assistance and U.S. military In a first stage five aircraft were given on loan and between May and December 1957 came another 17,this is, 22 units were placed under the wing 35 of Getafe. Between October 1961 and March 1963 were purchased directly from U.S. another 30 planes. The last DC-3 military aircraft were eleven from Iberia, delivered between December 1965 and April 1967, which in total amounted to 67. Another 39 DC-3 were flown by other operators in Spain, among them we should mention Spantax (who came to operate 16 units), Tasso, AVIACO, Aeromarket, Aeroflete, Aero Transport of Spain, JG Ortiz, Undersecretary of Civil Aviation (operated by the Air Force) and Verification Service Aid.

In addition to these other C-47 crashed in Spain during the war:

- A C-47 USAAF 64th GCT crashed into the mountain Haus, near Tetuan, November 11, 1942.
- On December 24, 1943 crashed a C-47A-30-DL Dakota III of 512 Squadron RAF, numeral FD903.
- On February 22, 1944 a C-47A of the USAAF from England crashed near Tarifa on his way to Gibraltar (MACR 0513).

Good stuff!

- On November 8, 1942 a Halifax of 78 Squadron RAF, W1063, landed in Valencia. The crew, commanded by F / Lt Arthur Patrick Dowse (88 035, RAFVR), was rescued and interned. The aircraft had participated in the bombardment of Genoa and was forced to head for Spain.
- On January 28, 1943 a Halifax bomber of the RAF, registration DT586, belonging to 26 OTU, crashed in Ceuta. The plane came from Gibraltar and killed all occupants (UWWallace Sgt RNZAF, Sgt R. Fax, Sgt JA Garland, REAllin Sgt RCAF, Sgt JWWarner RCAF, Sgt GABrind, Sgt RCRosam)
- Another Halifax B. II, JN896 registration, "R" 624 Sqn. based in Blida by that time, crashed on August 15, 1944 in the Costa Brava, Palamos and Sant Feliu de Guixols, he returned to launch supplies to the resistance in the south of France.
- On October 20, 1944 emergency landing in Spanish Morocco a 520 Squadron Halifax Mk.V the RAF, based in Gibraltar. The aircraft, registration DK256, doing his usual weather reconnaissance mission (it belonged to 1403 Meteorological Flight). The aircraft was intact with no known end.

A German seaplane BV 138C-1 was collected off the coast of Biscay, in late September 1943 and was interned. Found by fishermen, it was taken to the port, Lekeitio, where it was taken by the authorities to Barakaldo. The aircraft remained there until 1946, when he was sent to the scrap. The aircraft, number X4 + AH, belonged to 1./SAGr.129 (See Aufklärungsgruppe, Naval Reconnaissance), the reconnaissance unit based Luftwaffe Biscarosse. The plane ran out of gas near its base and splashed down, being the crew rescued and putting off the recovery of seaplane. The BV 138C-1 was a three-engined flying boat which had Junkers Jumo 205D diesel-1, which gave efficient fuel consumption at the price of diesel slow and a ceiling of 5000 meters (16400 ft). However it was well armed for self-defense, two 20mm cannon turrets and a 13mm machine gun in open position. The BV 138 was hard design could withstand battle damage serious enough, also to be equipped with diesel engines the risk of fire when attacked these was low. Interestingly this was the only German aircraft boarding and not purchased by the Air Force.

Cool shots!

Do look cool!

This is a extremly interesting thread: the pictures posted here show the accident that Leon Degrelle suffered when he was running away from the allies at the end of the WWII. Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle (Bouillon, 15 June 1906 – 31 March 1994) was a Walloon Belgian politician, who founded Rexism and later joined the Waffen SS (becoming a leader of its Walloon contingent) which were front-line troops in the fight against the Soviet Union. After World War II, he was a prominent figure in neo-nazi movements.

After Germany's defeat, Degrelle fled to Denmark and eventually Norway, where he commandeered a Heinkel He 111 aircraft, allegedly provided by Albert Speer. He was severely wounded in a crash-landing on the beach at San Sebastian in Northern Spain. The government of Franco in Spain initially refused to hand him over to the Allies (or extradite him to Belgium) by citing his health condition. After further international pressures, Francisco Franco permitted his escape from hospital, while handing over a look-alike; in the meanwhile, José Finat y Escrivá de Romaní helped Degrelle obtain false papers. In 1954, in order to ensure his stay, Spain granted him Spanish citizenship under the name José León Ramírez Reina, and the Falange assigned him the leadership of a construction firm that benefitted from state contracts. Belgium convicted him of treason in absentia and condemned him to death by firing squad. While in Spain, during the time of Franco, Degrelle maintained a high standard of living and would frequently appear in public and in private meetings in a white uniform featuring his German decorations, while expressing his pride over his close contacts and "thinking bond" with Adolf Hitler. He continued to live undisturbed when Spain became democratic after the death of Franco.

Degrelle continued publishing and polemicizing, voicing his support for far right solutions. He became active in the Neo-Nazi Círculo Español de Amigos de Europa (CEDADE), and led its printing press in Barcelona - where he published a large portion of his own writings, including an Open Letter to Pope John Paul II[4] on the topic of the Auschwitz concentration camp, the extermination purpose of which Degrelle called "one big fraud, Holy Father." His repeated negationist statements on the topic of Nazi genocide brought Degrelle to trial with Violeta Friedmann, a Romanian-born Venezuelan survivor of the camps; although the lower courts were initially favourable to Degrelle, the Supreme Court of Spain decided that he had brought offence to the memory of the victims, both Jews and non-Jews, and it sentenced him to pay a substantial fine. It was also decided that he should pay a fine for his Open Letter to Pope John Paul II as well. Asked if he had any regrets about the war, his reply was: "Only that we lost!" Degrelle died from cardiac arrest in a hospital in Málaga in 1994.

Good stuff!

On June 20, 1941, a Blenheim made ​​an emergency landing on a beach near Finisterre. The aircraft, number Z6543, went to Gibraltar and belonged to OTU 15 (105 Sqn). The crew were unharmed and were interned (Sgt. Bryant, Sgt Thompson Sgt Phillips) until March 1942. Another Blenheim of the 110 Squadron, crashed near the Ebro Delta July 30, 1941. The plane was headed to Gibraltar to later fly to Malta, and got lost, running out of fuel. Another aircraft was interned when it had to land in Mazarrón, when flying from the base of Portreath to Gibraltar. This happened on November 17, 1942 and the aircraft was a Blenheim Mk.V of the RCAF, number BA807, belonging to Squadron 13. This squad was heading to North Africa to support the invasion. The crew was interned and sent to Gibraltar in January 1943. The aircraft was subsequently acquired by the Spanish government, according to some sources, some say the crew destroyed the plane. Employment is unknown. Another RAF Blenheim, belonging to 114 Sqdn. and numeral BA750, is admitted in November 1942 in the area of Morocco to be forced to land near Tanger. The three crew members (P / O WE Walker, P / O RK Young, Sgt NNWelch) were interned.

this sure is great information, thanks!

At least five P-38 are known to have been interned in SpaIn during the WWII:

1.- Lt. Robert Newton Chenoweth died 15 de November,1942 when his P-38F, belonging to the 1st Fighter Group/ 27th FS USAAF, crashed against a hill while arriving at Ortigueira, La Coruña. The plane was on a ferry flight from Great Britain to Gibraltar to arrive at North Africa.

2.- The 23 December,1942 51 P-38 Lightnings of the 82nd FG flew from Great Britain to Gibraltar to later proceed to North Africa. During this operation Lt.Theodore S. Miller (0-659161), 97th FS, ran out of gas and made a forced landing in Spain, near Gibraltar.

3.- The 19th, April 1943 one P-38 landed on Hípica Beach, Melilla.The plane probably belonged to 55th FG/ 37th Fighter Squadron, transferring in March to the 14th Fighter Group. In 1943 P-38 fighter units located in North Africa urgently needed airplanes y pilots and airplanes/ pilots of the 55th FG, based en England, were sent to North Africa.

4.- The 28 of June, 1943 a P-38 Lightning landed at the Sania Ramel airport. This was the airplane that was salvaged at the end of the war at airodrome of Melilla.

5.- The 15th August, 1943, a Lockheed P-38G-15-LO Lightning, S/N 43-2440 arrived at San Luis airport,Menorca The airplane belonged to the 1st FG/71 FS was piloted by Lt Charles Simpson, MACR 424.

Source: P-38's that arrived in Spain , interned .

More information:

Anexo:Aeronaves internadas en España durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre
Asociacion Ilicitana de Modelismo Estatico - Aviones internados en España durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. - La Cantina

Great stuff! Thanks gekho!

gekho said:

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.

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Gekho, I made contact with an American guy who's Grandfather, a radio operator, came down in a Catalina in WW2 and wound up in a Spanish hospital. I guess it must have been the one in your post. Can you suggest where I might get more details of that event.

Rick