While the possession of the Tablada Air Base comprised an important strategic advantage for Franco’s supporters, it was perhaps equally or even more important that it was also the site of the best aeronautical workshops in the southern zone of the peninsula, the Parque Regional del Sur. These workshops, which were already responsible for maintenance and repairs for the units in service in the zone - and even the construction of prototypes such as the four-seater Gil Pazó P-IV – were soon converted into the most important logistics centre for the Nationalist Aviation, being used as the base for the reception, assembly and flight preparation of the aircraft sent from countries aiding the insurgents and the maintenance, repair and even reconstruction of those damaged in combat or otherwise. Established in 1921 and initially known simply as the Talleres del Aeródromo de Tablada (Workshops of the Tablada Aerodrome), on the date of its inauguration the Parque Regional del Sur consisted of a complex of buildings which included the Base and the workshops, all of which was completely fenced off from the exterior. It included an underground bomb storage area; a special workshop with Berger tanks for petrol and oil with a capacity of one million litres for petrol and 200,000 litres for oil; and the aircraft hangar with a large workshop area which was used for assembly and storage of the various parts. The single entrance from the exterior via road and a rail branch line and the single exit facilitated controls and checks of the material and personnel coming to and from the facilities. The large hangar-workshop was an impressive work of engineering, with a height above ground level of 32.5 metres and a length of 50 metres. Still standing today, like the majority of the original buildings it consisted of arches of reinforced concrete with a keystone height of 17 metres which supported a roof consisting of a combination of cement and reinforced brick masonry. This enormous construction was built by mounting the complete formwork and elevating the concrete as it was mixed using jacks, with the latest technology available at the time. Aircraft could access this large hangar directly from the airfield through an opening with a height of eight metres and a series of sliding doors which opened out on each side, with each section of the door able to be moved by a single person using a railing system. In the interior, the parts of the aircraft were assembled using electric cranes and repairs were carried out in another two secondary hangars with a height of 12 metres, which were equipped with all the latest metalwork, woodwork and textile machinery.
A fundamental role
At the outset of the conflict after Seville fell into the hands of the insurgents, the Parque Regional del Sur had to markedly step up the pace of its activities, not only to incorporate any aircraft which might be useful for the war effort but also to keep the limited units available in perfect condition. This led to a rapid increase in the number of personnel, which nearly tripled in a matter of months, often requiring the staff to be trained on the spot. In many cases, although they were skilled carpenters, metalworkers or mechanics, they were dealing with aircraft structures and engines for the first time. Many were volunteers and at times they even came from the front, being called back because their services were more urgently needed in the workshop. In this way, although not achieving the desired efficiency they managed to make up the numbers with workers from military factories, mechanical and civil workshops and even students yet to complete their apprenticeship at Vocational Schools.
The arrival of the Italian three-engine Savoia SM 81s and the Fiat CR-32 biplane fighters was not too traumatic, mainly because the crews of the first SM-81s included both a mechanic and an assembler. In the case of the CR- 32s, the first aircraft unloaded at Melilla on the night of 13 August also arrived with twelve airplanes (the most commonly accepted figure, although in light of the photographs taken, there were probably somewhat more) and pilots, three mechanics, three assemblers and two armourers. These first Italian technicians were responsible for directing the assembly of the fighter planes and their number was to later increase. Right from the outset, the Tablada Base was the main logistics centre for the Aviazione Legionaria, the official name given to the Italian expeditionary air force for the purposes of international law. Its members received documentation which identified them as ‘Aviadores del Tercio’ (‘Aviators of the Regiment’). The Italian contribution later included Fiat G-50s, Fiat BR-20s, Romeo 37s and Ro 41s, Savoia SM-79s, the Caproni AP-1 “Apio” and the Ca-310, along with various other models.
This was also the case of the material obtained from the Germans, although on occasions, especially in the case of secret prototypes – for example Tablada was used for Ju-87 Stukas, Messerschmitt Bf-109s, Heinkel He-111s,He-112s and Henschel Hs-123s– solely German technicians and mechanics worked on the aircraft, many of whom were civilians employed by aircraft manufacturers. At first, the German aircraft were assembled and readied for flight at Tablada. However, after the formation of the Condor Legion and the distancing of the fronts this unit established its own logistics centre at León. At Tablada they continued to repair and service the Arado Ar-66, the Heinkel He- 45 “Pava” and He 46 “Pavo”, the He-70 “Rayo”, the Dornier Do-17 “Bacalao”, the Henschel Hs 123 “Angelito” and the Hs 126, the Junkers Ju-52/3m and the Ju-86 “Fumo” — this latter aircraft having the distinction of being powered by diesel engines—, the Bucker Bu-131 and 133, the Messerschmitt Bf-108 “Taifun” and many others, which were used by both the units of the Condor Legion and others with Spanish crews. Many of the Republican aircraft which were captured ended up at Tablada for their evaluation – as is the case of the Polikarpov I-15 and I-16 and the Tupolev SB “Katiuska” – or for repairs and preparation for use by the Nationalist Aviation. Aircraft such as the Aero 101 “Praga”, the Vultee V1, the Lockheed Electra, the Douglas DC-2, the Northrop Delta and the Fairchild also passed through the expert hands of the mechanics and specialists at Tablada.
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An invaluable effort
It could be said, without any exaggeration, that the Tablada Air Base and its workshops made a vital contribution to the Nationalist war effort. Under their commanding officer, Modesto Aguilera, there was not a moment’s rest in the workshops and veritable miracles were achieved. The aircraft returned from the front in a ravaged state and in a very short time, always hampered by the scarcity of spare parts and components which often had to be remade, they managed to get these aircraft back in the air. At times they even left better than they were when they arrived: the Fiat CR-32 left Tablada with a special “spaced” protective shield designed by workshop specialists which was not to reappear again for many years, along with various other improvements. One very complex job was the repair of the front radiator of this apparently simple fighter, which was very vulnerable to enemy fire because of its position. On more than one occasion their efforts earned express congratulations from on high, including an emotive letter sent by Major García Morato from the front in Aragón in March 1938 and various telegrams from General Franco himself issued from his General Headquarters. Those distinguished for their work included the Captains Micheo, Urioste, Gil Delgado, Pazó, Becerril and Díaz Rodríguez; the Lieutenants Pons, Haya and Miraver; the Second Lieutenant del Valle; the Sergeants Blanco, Galeano, Rodríguez Jara, Sisquella and Vimet and the specialists and armourers Burgos, Coco, Cueto, Gener, Gordillo, Jorquera, López Martín, López Quiroga, Magaña, Marín Villaverde, Mora López, Paz and Platero.
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As mentioned earlier on, right from the start of the Italian intervention in the Spanish Civil War, the workshops known as Parque Regional Sur at Tablada were provisionally responsible for the repair, servicing and rebuilding of certain types of aircraft of the Italian Expeditionary Air Force and the National Aviation Service. These mainly consisted of FIAT CR-32 biplane fighters, known as ‘Chirris’ in reference to the Italian pronunciation of their initials. However, in November of 1936 the managers of the firm La Hispano Suiza, Messrs. Mateu and Gallart, initiated talks with FIAT at the Paris Air Show for the supply of lorries. A month later during a visit to the headquarters of the Italian firm, they secured the signing of a cooperation agreement for the Spanish company to service the fighter aircraft manufactured by FIAT – and this despite the fact the company had all its engine factories in Barcelona and aircraft and lorry factories in Guadalajara in the Republican zone.
La Hispano de Sevilla
Until that time, La Hispano Suiza had based its activities in the Nationalist zone in Zaragoza. However, it was obviously more suitable from a military standpoint for the new services to be located in a safer, more strategic zone, and the decision was made to relocate to Seville. As well as exploiting the experience – and staff - of the Parque Regional Sur with the Italian aircraft, La Hispano Suiza had a branch established in Seville since 1932 to provide sales and servicing of FIAT automobiles. The new factory was installed on one of the large premises of the metal and timber yard owner Miguel Palacios in Triana. These premises, which were relatively close to the Tablada Air Base although still within the city centre, offered a large space “with various enclosed storerooms which could be used as aircraft manufacture and assembly sites,” in the words of Enric Surroca, the last manager of the La Hispano Suiza workshops in Barcelona, as quoted by Manuel Lage in his book Hispano Suiza 1904-1972, Hombres, Empresas, Motores y Aviones. Above all, it was equipped with a large central metallic framework which provided a large enclosed space ideal for aircraft assembly and repairs. Known as the ‘umbrella’, this famous structure has been incorrectly attributed by some to the famous French engineer Eiffel. The new factory quickly received machinery from Société Francaise Hispano Suiza in Paris, despite the misgivings of the Swiss partners and the obstacles posed by the Populaire Front in power in France at the time. In addition, the French partners had their own concerns regarding Spain’s Italian allies, and above all, the Germans supporting Franco.
Despite all these obstacles, in March of 1938 it was agreed that the facilities of La Hispano Suiza in calle San Jacinto were to carry out overhauls of the of the FIAT CR-32 and G-50 fighters and their engines (the linear A30RA and the radial A74 respectively), the manufacture of spare parts and the eventual manufacture of the CR-32. Subject to its adoption by the Spanish Air Force, there were also plans to manufacture the G-50 monoplane, a very advanced aircraft at the time as it had only just been accepted by the Regia Aeronautica. The intention had been to install Hispano Suiza HS 12-Xbrs engines in all except the first 15 of the 100 units contemplated in the contract signed with the Nationalist Aviation in Burgos in August 1938. However, this plan never came to fruition.
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The end of the civil war and the beginning of World War II complicated the manufacture of the 100 CR-32s in Triana, the first 14 of which were delivered in 1940. These were followed by another 71 in 1941 and 15 more in 1942.