HISPANO BUCHON

摘要

The Buchon largely owes its existence to Germany's involvement in the Spanish Civil War, supporting Franco's Nationalist forces from July 1936. The Legion Condor comprised Wehrmacht troops, armoured vehicles and a fleet of Luftwaffe aircraft including early variants of the Junkers Jumo-powered Messerschmitt Bf 109. The German machine was quickly found far superior to the Soviet Polikarpov 1-15 and 1-16 fighters operated by the Republicans. The Luftwaffe saw the civil war as a way to test the Bf 109. Three pre-production Bf 109s were despatched to Spain for trials in combat conditions. Their stay was relatively short and they were quickly replaced by production Bf 109Bs and Cs, these Jumo-engined examples later being joined by the first Daimler-Benz-powered Bf 109D and E variants. With the close of hostilities on 29 March 1939, a number of 109s were transferred to the new Spanish Air Force, the Ejercito del Aire (EdA). These airframes were, by now, very tired and many needed extensive work in order to return to operational status. Parts supply became fragmented as German industry was directed to keep pace with the Blitzkrieg that was soon sweeping through Europe.