Editing Condor Legion (section)

==<span class="anchor" id="Military advantages gained"></span>Military gains==
===Training===
[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-E20569-21, Spanien, Ausbildung durch "Legion Condor".jpg|thumb|alt=An officer inspecting troops|A Condor Legion infantry-training school in [[Ávila]], Spain]]
Many army leaders were hesitant to become involved in the conflict, and resisted a call from the Italian government for a transfer of ground troops to Spain. Luftwaffe involvement was not restricted, and it is commonly thought that its involvement in the Spanish Civil War was a proving ground for troops in World War II. That view is supported by the testimony of Hermann Göring when he was [[Nuremberg trials|on trial in Nuremberg]]. Asked about the decision to use the Luftwaffe, Göring said:
<blockquote>When the Civil War broke out in Spain, Franco sent a call for help to Germany and asked for support, particularly in the air. One should not forget that Franco with his troops was stationed in Africa and that he could not get the troops across, as the fleet was in the hands of the Communists, or, as they called themselves at the time, the competent Revolutionary Government in Spain. The decisive factor was, first of all, to get his troops over to Spain. The Führer thought the matter over. I urged him to give support [to Franco] under all circumstances, firstly, in order to prevent the further spread of communism in that theater and, secondly, to test my young Luftwaffe at this opportunity in this or that technical respect.<ref>Testimony of Göring, Trial of the Major War Criminals, International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, 14 November – 1 October 1946, Volume IX. [http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/proc/03-14-46.htm#Goering2 Available via Avalon Project] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231200445/http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/proc/03-14-46.htm#Goering2 |date=December 31, 2006}}.</ref><ref group="nb">This is frequently misquoted along these lines: "The Spanish Civil War gave me an opportunity to put my young air force to the test, and a means for my men to gain experience".</ref></blockquote> It was cited in Western media after German forces left Spain.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090506084258/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761350,00.html?iid=chix-sphere "Farewell"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. May 22, 1939.</ref>

Dozens of [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]] fighters, [[Heinkel He 111]] medium bombers and, after December 1937, at least three [[Junkers Ju 87]] ''Stuka'' [[dive bomber]]s first saw active service in the Condor Legion against Soviet aircraft. The Stuka's first mission in Spain was in February 1938, and each aircraft played a major role early in World War II. The Germans realised that [[biplane]] fighters were quickly becoming less effective than newer [[monoplane]] designs. The [[Heinkel He 51]] fighter, after many losses during the first twelve months of the war, was switched to a ground-attack role and later saw service as a trainer.

===Other units===
The Condor Legion included ground-combat units. Panzer crews operating Panzer I light tanks were commanded by Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma. The Germans also tested small numbers of [[8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41|88 mm Flak 18]] [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft artillery]] guns to destroy Republican tanks, fortifications and aircraft with [[direct fire]]. German involvement in Spain spurred development of the first [[air ambulance]] service for evacuation of wounded combatants.<ref group="nb">Details on the 1936-1939 operation can be found in ''The History of Anesthesia'' Contributions of the Legion Condor to the Wehrmacht's surgical care during World War II. (R.J. Defalque, A.J. Wright).</ref>

===Technical advances===
[[Image:Bf109C LegionCondor2.jpg|thumb|alt=Drawing of a plane|A Condor Legion Bf 109 C-1, Jagdgruppe 88]]
One military innovation thought to have resulted from the conflict is the technical development of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The V3 to V6 types entered service in Spain from operational trials around January 1937. They were joined by type C aircraft in spring 1938, with type Es first deployed in December of that year.

===Tactics===
In addition to combat experience, it is thought that strategic initiatives were first tested during Luftwaffe involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Legion commander in Spain Wolfram von Richthofen became a Field Marshal during World War II and served in high Luftwaffe positions, specialising in ground attacks. His units spearheaded offensives in [[Invasion of Poland|Poland]], [[Manstein Plan|France and the Low Countries]] and the [[Balkans campaign (World War II)|Balkans]], and in [[Operation Barbarossa]].

[[combined arms|Joint operations]] were emphasised. Close air support for Nationalist troops, attack bombing of Republican troop concentrations, and strafing were features of the war. The legion worked to maximise the fighting ability of the Nationalist air force and troops, the Italian [[Corpo Truppe Volontarie|CTV]], and pilots from the [[Aviazione Legionaria]] (Legionary Air Force). German air ace [[Adolf Galland]] said that in focusing after World War II on lessons learned by the Germans from the conflict in Spain, the value of the lessons was exaggerated. Galland believed that the wrong conclusions were drawn by the German High Command, particularly regarding the Luftwaffe:
<blockquote>Whatever may have been the importance of the tests of German arms in the Spanish Civil War from tactical, technical and operational points of view, they did not provide the experience that was needed nor lead to the formulation of sound strategic concepts.{{Full citation needed|date=May 2024}}</blockquote>