Military aviation in Spain in 1936 consisted of a small number of outdated and obsolete aircraft. With the outbreak of war countries such as Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union saw an opportunity to test and develop different types of aircraft that were supplied to the two sides. The aid provided to the warring sides was not limited to aircraft however and included pilots such as the Germans who fought with the Condor Legion for the Nationalists.Experience of the air war in Spain would also be carried forward and used to develop the tactics and doctrines that would be successfully employed in the early years of the Second World War, including the use of air bridges, close air support coordinated with ground troops and large-scale aerial bombing of industrial and civilian targets.This volume describes the main actions of the early phases of the war and the personalities and aces involved in those actions. The Spanish Civil War in the Air: Volume 1, 19361937 is extensively illustrated throughout with original photographs, illustrations of the badges and insignia of the participants, and includes the @War series signature colour artworks.
