Chapter 7: The Spanish Civil War – Collateral Damage (2)
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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April 25, 1937
Vitoria, Basque Country, Northern Spain
The Nationalist offensive in the north was proceeding smoothly. Their first target was the Basque Country, located in the eastern part of north-central Spain.
The Basques were traditionally conservative, differing significantly from the left-leaning Republican government, especially the anarchists who made up a large portion of the Republican forces.
However, the Basques also had strong separatist tendencies and disliked the Nationalists, who advocated for a unified Spain. Consequently, they sided with the Republican government after being promised greater autonomy.
The Nationalist government, led by Franco, capitalized on this, promising peaceful treatment upon surrender, and their strategy worked.
The Basque forces, already demoralized and largely neglected by the Republican government, began to steadily lose ground as more and more soldiers accepted the Nationalist promises.
Meanwhile, the Condor Legion, while supporting the ground troops’ advance, was diligently carrying out “accidental” bombings as requested by Franco.
Given that Franco himself had made the request, he likely never intended to keep his promise of peaceful treatment.
Lieutenant Colonel Richthofen, leading the Luftwaffe in this offensive, rained incendiary bombs on the virtually undefended towns of Otxandio and Durango, inevitably causing heavy civilian casualties.
He loved incendiary bombs even more than he remembered from modern times. He used them in every operation, even personally piloting bombers and carrying out bombings himself, despite his position not requiring it.
He would probably get along famously with Arthur Harris, who bombed Dresden, and Curtis LeMay, who orchestrated the firebombing of Tokyo. None of them would ever have to face the people on the ground, screaming and clutching their burning families.
Regardless, he had learned a considerable amount about air operations while following Richthofen, and he had submitted several reports to higher command.
He had deliberately tried to suppress his modern sensibilities while writing them, so he hoped they would be well-received.
Despite the bombings, he and Richthofen surprisingly got along quite well, almost unsettlingly so, considering his knowledge of the future.
Because he already had a general understanding of World War II air doctrines, he always had something to discuss with Richthofen.
Richthofen’s ideas, particularly regarding dive-bombing and establishing ground-air radio communication for coordinated operations, were key doctrines of the German air force in World War II.
When he added his insights on the necessary aspects and potential problems of these yet-to-be-proven doctrines, Richthofen was very pleased. Having also taught him some Spanish, they had become quite friendly during the month they spent together.
“Lieutenant, have you really never considered transferring to the Luftwaffe?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not going, Colonel.”
“Don’t be so quick to dismiss it. We have quite a few army transfers in the Luftwaffe, so you wouldn’t have any trouble adjusting. You don’t necessarily have to be a pilot. We have airborne divisions, and if you have a deep understanding of air doctrines like you do, I’ll highly recommend you. Promotions are faster compared to the bloated army.”
How many times had he rejected the transfer offer, half-jokingly? Richthofen seemed to have taken a liking to him, but unfortunately, he had to get to Berlin no matter what, so he was doing his best to get into the War College.
Furthermore, the Luftwaffe, under Hermann Göring, was the closest to the Nazi party out of the three branches of the Wehrmacht. As someone planning to oust the Nazis, it was an unacceptable offer.
Göring, even after being stripped of all his power due to Bormann’s machinations in the later stages of the war, and even after Hitler’s death and having his drug addiction treated by the Allied forces during the war crimes trials, remained absolutely loyal to Hitler.
He was Hitler’s official successor and the second-in-command of the Nazi Party. In other words, he was not someone who could be persuaded.
While they were engaged in their banter, a messenger arrived and delivered a telegram. Anyone watching would think he was Lieutenant Colonel Richthofen’s adjutant.
Well, since he was the interpreter, he was being used as one anyway.
“Colonel, it’s a request from General Mola. The Republicans are planning to retreat through Guernica, but the influx of refugees is hindering their withdrawal. He asks that you destroy the bridge to cut off their escape route.”
“Oh, time to sortie.” Richthofen grinned. Guernica… Guernica… That sounded familiar.
After a moment’s thought, he remembered. Guernica, the city massacred by the Luftwaffe, famously depicted by Picasso.
“Are you going out yourself again, Colonel?”
“Of course! An air force that doesn’t fly is a dead air force. Haha!”
“…But you said I could join the air force without being a pilot.”
“Ahem. Figuratively speaking, Lieutenant.”
He was now comfortable enough to joke with Richthofen. Honestly, he was incredibly nervous.
Adolf Galland, one of the most resolute figures in the Luftwaffe during the latter stages of World War II, famously defied the army’s “severity order” (an order to participate in genocide), arguing that as an air force officer, he wasn’t bound by army orders.
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And that same Adolf Galland, who refused to confirm the kills of downed enemy pilots and abhorred war crimes, missed Richthofen, who retired due to health issues, in the latter half of the war, as Göring’s drug addiction worsened beyond repair.
So, although this man was a problematic individual who enjoyed burning civilians, it was highly likely that he wouldn’t interfere with his subordinates’ beliefs or report them to higher-ups.
“Since the objective is to destroy the bridge, we won’t need incendiary or anti-personnel bombs this time, Colonel.”
Richthofen paused for a moment, then replied with a grin, “Oh? What’s this, Lieutenant? Should I take this as you seriously considering transferring?”
“That’s not it…”
“We plan to use a variety of bombs in this sortie as usual, Lieutenant. Our mission isn’t simply to fight, but to assess the effectiveness of our weaponry on the battlefield and report back to command.”
He wondered if Richthofen considered the effectiveness of their weapons to include how efficiently they killed civilians, or if Luftwaffe command had actually requested such data.
“But Colonel, as we were informed, the area is crowded with refugees hindering the enemy’s retreat. Using anti-personnel bombs in such an environment could cause serious… ”
“…damage, not only to the retreating enemy forces, but also to civilians. But is that a problem, Lieutenant? The moment enemy troops entered the city, Guernica became a combat zone. You haven’t experienced bombing yet, so you wouldn’t know, but due to technical limitations, precision bombing isn’t easy.”
Before the development of heavy bombers capable of carpet bombing during World War II, the issue of bombing accuracy was notorious. This was one of the reasons dive-bombing, despite being difficult and dangerous, became prevalent, as it offered a degree of precision.
“There’s no guarantee we can destroy the bridge precisely, so it’s important to drop as many bombs as possible over a wide area. Even if we fail to destroy the bridge, the enemy will still suffer losses, which is good. And refugees, you say? They must be Reds fleeing from the Nationalists. Señor Franco will be pleased.”
“…”
His words were as ruthless as ever, but if he countered with technical reasons, there was nothing more he could say.
“I understand your point. The Prussian chivalry is admirable. However, if you are truly loyal to your country, you should also consider the best path to victory.”
Fortunately, Richthofen seemed to interpret it as classic military conduct, patting him on the shoulder without any sign of displeasure and ordering the sortie.
He knew a massacre was about to happen, but he couldn’t stop it. Even with his knowledge of the future, he could do nothing in his current position.
He had to climb higher. As quickly as possible.
—
The devastation of Guernica made headlines.
[Peaceful City in the Pyrenees Reduced to Ruins of Death!]
[German Fascists Burn Freedom and Justice!]
In the end, Richthofen and the Luftwaffe had utterly destroyed Guernica.
The previous “collateral damage,” such as the bombing of a religious service that resulted in 250 civilian casualties due to being “mistaken for Republican troops,” could be dismissed as an operational error.
But Guernica was different. It was a formal request from General Emilio Mola, the commander-in-chief of the northern offensive, officially targeting a city full of refugees and residents for a bombing campaign that lasted four hours.
The most advanced air doctrine of the interwar period—building airfields near the front lines and rotating squadrons for bombing—demonstrated its power by completely leveling a small city and causing at least a thousand deaths.
And because it was demonstrated so effectively, the Condor Legion’s participation in the Spanish Civil War, which had been kept quiet, could no longer be hidden. Everyone knew it was the German air force that burned Guernica.
French public opinion, already sympathetic to the Republicans, was in an uproar. However, they wouldn’t be able to do anything for now because of Britain, whose feet were tied by Spanish capitalists fearful of the “Reds.”
France would repeatedly try to go to war with Germany during the interwar period, but they would be dragged along by Britain until the Munich Agreement and the invasion of Poland.
Franco’s Nationalist government and the Nazi high command, in true fascist fashion, interpreted the news of the Guernica bombing, publicized as an atrocity committed by the German army, as a propaganda victory.
While Italy suffered a humiliating defeat at Guadalajara despite committing a large force, Germany demonstrated the Luftwaffe’s superiority with just a small contingent of volunteers.
Lieutenant Colonel Richthofen was summoned to Burgos, the provisional capital of the Nationalists, to receive a medal from Franco, which gave him, the interpreter and army advisor (read: adjutant fill-in), some time off.
“What a mess…”
He was reading a newspaper while having a meal at a local restaurant during his time off, when someone responded to his muttered German.
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