10. The Birth of the Condor Legion
The first German arrivals formed the nucleus of what became the Condor Legion. A month later, they were reinforced with 40 tanks, plus bombs for the steadily growing German air force in Spain: by October, Germany had dispatched about 120 airplanes to the conflict. The German expeditionary force was initially intended as a training and supply mission. However, its role soon evolved from training and supply to overt combat. After the Third Reich officially recognized Franco’s rebels, German efforts in Spain were expanded and reorganized, and their forces were formed into a new unit that was briefly called the Iron Rations, then the Iron Legion, before Hermann Goering renamed it the Condor Legion. The Condor Legion, particularly its air arm, played an oversized role in helping Spain’s fascists secure victory.
