Spain
Capitan General Ángel Salas Larrazábal
Spain
Capitan General Ángel Salas Larrazábal
10 October 1906 – 19 July 1994
Ángel Salas Larrazábal was born on 10 October 1906 in Orduna, Viscaya, Spain.
He joined the army in 1921 and in 1926, he was an artillery Lieutenant.
In 1927 he joined the military aviation, graduating as a aerial observer in 1928. In 1929 he undertook pilot training to receive his pilot wings in 1930. Because of ability displayed at the Fighter School he was sent to the Martinsyde squadron at Getafe.
At the end of 1930, as the result of an uprising in Cuatro Vientos, led by Ramón Franco and Hidalgo de Cisneros, the Air Force Arm was disbanded and its personnel were returned to their original Arm or Corps, temporarily detached from the Air Force. Shortly afterwards he went to Africa, where he remained until the Uprising, serving first in Tetuan, and later at Cabo Juby and Ifni.
He was promoted to Captain in February 1936, and in July he was with the Fokker VII Squadron at Cabo Juby.
He learned of the Uprising at Melilla, and decided, together with Escribano, to cross to Spain immediately, each traveling independently. Salas crossed from Getafe to Pamplona on 18 July, leading a patrol of three Breguet 19s, with Tasso and Pardo Pimente1.
Salas and his companions were imprisoned in Pamplona until released by Nationalist forces.
His first war mission was to liaise between General Mola and General Franco.
On his return he began flying a de Havilland Dragon Rapide transport aircraft, which Juan de la Cierva had acquired from the Airways Company in England.
General Mola was continually asking for fighters, but the Southern Zone was unable to supply him with them immediately. In view of this deficiency, Captain Salas decided to mount a machine-gun on the Dragon Rapide. Salas relied on the help of an old friend, Captain Del Monte of the artillery arsenal in Burgos, for installation of the gun. It was mounted within the fuselage, so that the pilot could have direct access to it, and an aperture cut in the fuselage covering the muzzle of the machine-gun. In this way a civil aircraft, which had first been turned into a bomber, became the first fighter-bomber to see service in the war.
During the first advance on Villareal on 22 July, a single Breguet flown by Salas succeeded in disrupting a counter-attack by Government troops.
The first aerial combat in the North involved Salas. Over Somosierra on 27 July, he had to fight off a Nieuport 52 attacking the Breguet 19s he was escorting. His Dragon Rapide received two direct hits, but Salas continued to fly this machine until the middle of August, when a mixed Dragon-Fokker group was formed.
On 31 July 1936, both the Nationalist and Republican sides operated over Somosierra and two Nieuport Ni.52s fought with each other inconclusively at 08:30. Andrés García La Calle reported:
"On a surveillance flight over the south side of Somosierra, i.e. quite inside our territory, I caught a Nieuport by surprise, flying much lower than me...he didn't even see me. I calmly aimed, pulled the trigger and...no result...I aimed again, made a "mortal" pass but the machineguns kept on jammed. The other Nieuport, unperturbed despite his critical situation, kept on turning and climbing, always a perfect target...my opponent did not realise he should be "dead" by now and kept on climbing towards me...it came to my mind that I was unarmed but he was not...so, before giving him a chance to shoot at me... I turned away in a violent dive."García La Calle's opponent must have been capitán Salas, who wrote in his logbook:
"I fought another Nieuport, which fled as I reached his height."
A small fighter squadron was formed in Burgos and for a brief period it was under the command of Captain Chamorro, although he soon went on to pilot Dragon Rapides and an Airspeed Envoy, in which he was killed whilst escorting General Mola. Pilots who flew with this squadron included Julio Salvador, Guerrero, Martín Campos and Senra, Lieutenants García Pardo and Ramiro Pasual, and occasionally Captain Salas.
In the middle of August, he collected the only Fokker XII to arrive in Vitoria, and ferried this to the Dragon-Fokker Group in Burgos.
He then flew to Saragossa with a Nieuport 52.
During the succeeding days Salas operated at Teruel and Senra at Huesca.
On 23 August over the Teruel front Salas attacked and destroyed a light aircraft.
This was his first victory during the war.
The following day he was admitted to hospital suffering from exhaustion, after completing 50 operational sorties totaling 116 flying hours (a figure which was bettered only by Ureña with 180 hours, 24 combat sorties and 10l transport missions), which had been amassed within four weeks.
On 27 August, Captain Salas took off from Aragon in a Nieuport aircraft, eventually arriving at Olmedo. He had written to Joaquín García-Morato, from Saragossa hospital, asking if he could occupy the vacant place in the He51 squadron. Morato had replied to the effect that the situation, so far as the He5ls were concerned, was not very hopeful, but that he had heard some Fiat fighters were due to arrive in Seville, and suggested that it might be better for him to try to get one of these machines allocated to him.
In fact, Salas went to Cáceres, where for some days he acted as a machine-gunner in Ricardo Guerrero's squadron of Ju52s, and from there he went to Seville in company with Julio Salvador.
In the beginning of September Salas and Julio Salvador arrived at Tablada, offering to serve with the Italians in the Dequal (‘Limonesi’) Squadron (Joaquín García-Morato was at this time already serving in this Fiat CR.32 squadron).
Initially they were unwilling to accept them in the squadron, but after Captain Salas had given them a demonstration of his flying ability, including some manoeuvres, which even the Italians, had not attempted in the Fiats, they were finally convinced.
Salas led his first war sortie in a Fiat on 15 September, his mission to strafe Andújar aerodrome, which had been the base for the first bombing attack on Santuario de la Cabeza. According to the Nationalist communiqué three aircraft were damaged by fire one was destroyed, and eight more holed by machine-gun fire. The Air Force bulletin announced only the destruction of two Breguet 19s by the Fiats.
On 20 September, Salas and Julio Salvador Díaz-Benjumea joined the forces in Cáceres, where they continued to operate with the Fiat squadron.
On 25 September, the squadron moved from Cáceres to Talavera (Gamonal aerodrome) to be better located to participate in the advance on Toledo.
During the day GianLino Baschirotto claimed a shared Potez 540 together with Salas near Barciencie and Villamiel. The Potez crashed vertically into the ground near Rielves, killing the crew.
The Republican aircraft, a Potez 540 c/n 4219, which was named ’Aqui le espero’ (I will wait for you here), was flown by Captain Joaquìn Mellado and Lieutenant Moreno (who had been involved in the assassination of Calvo Sotelo). It had taken of from Getafe (Madrid) on an attack mission near Toledo.
This aircraft had gained some distinction three days before when it bombed the Canarias in Galician waters. It had also been involved in incidents across the whole of Spain from Asturias to Málaga. Mellado had, from the very beginning, been the most active pilot on his side, performing outstanding service at Seville, Madrid and in the Sierra.
At the end of September, nine Heinkel He51 fighters arrived, under the leadership of Hennig Strümpell. This was a second batch He51s and the Germans then handed over to the Nationalists the three He5ls from the first batch that were still operationally serviceable. These three aircraft were flown for some days by Joaquín García-Morato, Salas and Julio Salvador, being alternated with Fiats.
On 22 October 1936, fighter patrols ranged over the outskirts of Madrid. During the last patrol of the day Joaquín García-Morato, Salas and Tenente Giuseppe Cenni flew a protection cruise over Navalcarnero. Before returning to Talavera they headed towards Madrid and in the Casa de Campo area they spotted two barrage ballons. They attacked and Cenni destroyed one, which burst into flames. Salas destroyed the second.
On 29 October the Government forces made an counter-attack in the Madrid area and the Russian T-26 tanks and fast twin-engined Tupolev SB ’Katiuska’ bombers were used for the first time.
Four SBs led by Lieutenant Colonel Ernst Schacht carried out a surprise attack on Tablada airfield, Seville. Their speed enabled them to make good their escape despite the fact that a CR.32 patrol happened to be airborne at the time.
On of the SBs was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and during their return flight to base they were spotted by Salas, who was on patrol over Valdemoro, 26 km south of Madrid. He managed to climb above the four SBs and made three attacks before running out of ammunition. He was successful in damaging one machine which lost formation and which, from the ground, could be seen falling in flames. Bonomi, in his memoirs, recalls that a Katiuska fell over enemy lines.
On 5 November came the first big aerial battle of the war. Nine Fiats from Torrijones, led by Maccagno (their pilots included Joaquín García-Morato, Salas and Julio Salvador) met about 15 Chatos and some Potez aircraft between Leganés and Madrid. Without waiting for the support of five additional Fiats from Talavera, Maccagno led them in to attack, relying on superior performance to compensate for lack of numbers. Morato shot down a Chato, and then damaged the engine of a Potez, forcing it to land. Salas shot down a Chato, which crashed in flames, and 5 km south-east of Barajas he scored hits on two more Chatos. He, in turn, came under attack, but put his aircraft into a steep dive and made good his escape at treetop level. Salvador chased a Chato as far as Barajas and attacked two Potez machines without success.
The Nationalist bulletin claimed seven fighters and one Potez destroyed and admitted the loss of one Fiat, that of Captain Maccagno (’Pocori’), leader of the squadron. The Government bulletin claimed that one Fiat, number 384 (flown by Picoli), and four other aircraft had been destroyed. Maccagno was later exchanged for one of the Russian pilots.
Two air battles took place on 6 November, at 10:00 and 14:00. In the latter, five Fiats led by Salas attacked seven ”Chatos”. Salas was thought to have destroyed one machine from a patrol of three, this aircraft trailing smoke as it veered into a cloud and disappeared from sight.
Giuseppe Cenni claimed one I-15 destroyed over the Madrid area during the day (probably during the first combat).
The Nationalist bulletin claimed two aircraft destroyed, while the Government bulletin, which referred only to the earlier engagement, claimed the destruction of two Heinkels, these two most probably claimed by Leytenant Pavel Rychagov, who claimed two enemy aircraft during the day. Bonomi confirmed that the Fiats had shot down two fighters, and this was also confirmed by the Air Force communiqué, which admitted the loss of a Fiat and a Junkers. This latter machine was probably flown by Captain Larrauri, who managed to reach Talavera with one engine out of action, the other developing only restricted power, and his aircraft riddled with bullet holes. Von Morau, leader of the Pablos y Pedros squadron, also had to force-land near Madrid at this time.
On 13 November, fourteen Fiat CR.32s escorted five ”Junkers” and three ”Romeos”. Over the Pasco de Rosales (Madrid) they clashed with sixteen I-15s led by Pavel Rychagov.
The Soviet pilots claimed six victories (three of them fell in Republican territory) while two I-15s were lost when Ivan K. Kovtun and Petr A. Purov were shot down by Fiats and killed. Kovtun’s death was witnessed by Georgiy Zakharov, who also took part in this combat. The Nationalist pilots claimed six victories over “Curtisses”. Joaquín García-Morato claimed one, Ángel Salas damaged three and Julio Salvador claimed another. One Fiat was lost when Captain Mosca (’Massa’), who was badly injured, made a crash-landing at Talavera. Captain Mariotti force-landed outside the airfield at Getafe, but without damaging his aircraft.
On their return flight, the Nationalist pilots encountered five Katiuskas, bombing Getafe and Cuatro Vientos from a height of 5000m. Salas damaged one so severely that the crew had to take to their parachutes, and Morato damaged three others. On this day Morato recorded his fifteenth victory, both Salas and Salvador their fifth. Another pilot who claimed a Curtiss (I-15) over Madrid during the day was Corrado Ricci.
In the afternoon, nine (or twelve) He51s from the German Legion Condor took off from Avila to provide escort for five Ju52s and three He46s, which were to attack the Republican positions on the west bank of the Manzanares. It seems that at least six CR.32s also were present.
At 15:00, twelve I-16 type 5 “Moscas” and twelve I-15s intercepted them over Madrid. The I-16s were led by the Russian squadron leader Sergeiy Tarchov (’Antonio’) (he was the commander of the first and newly created escadrilla of I-16s) while the I-15s (Escadrilla Rychagova) were again led by Pavel Rychagov. All Republican pilots taking part in this combat were Russians.
The Republican fighters dove on the Henrici Kette. Unteroffizier Mratzek was able to claim an I-16 as it dove past. Oberleutnant Oskar Henrici claimed a Russian fighter in the same way as the He51s dove into the clouds. A bitter dogfight raged over Madrid at 1,500 meters. The Knüppe Kette dove into a cloud, reversed course in a steep turn and re-emerged below the Republican aircraft. Oberleutnant Herwig Knüppel and Unteroffizier Sawallisch claimed two I-15s; Sawallisch made his way home with some difficulty with shot-up tail surfaces. The Eberhardt Kette had remained above the bombers as top cover. Oberleutnant Kraft Eberhardt collided with an enemy fighter he had shot down and was killed; the Russian pilot was able to bail out. Oberleutnant Henrici took a bullet through the lung, but was able to land his aircraft in friendly territory. As he left his aircraft, however, he collapsed and died. The German Staffel became completely scattered, each pilot seeking cover in cloud and making his own way back to Avila. Leutnant Hennig “Piefke” Strümpell and Leutnant Dietrich von Bothmer reported the destruction of two further I-15s.
Henrici was probably shot down by Sergiey Chernych, (I-16). It seems that Eberhardt collided with Tarchov since it’s reported that he single-handed fought against a number of He51s before being forced to bail out after a collision. While hanging in his parachute, Republican soldiers mistook him for Nationalist pilot and opened fire, hitting him six times. Tarchov landed in Madrid but was attacked by the public because they thought he was a German. He died of his injuries at Gómes Ulla hospital on 23 November. This led General Miaja to the issue following order the next day:
“Any aviator who jumps from his aircraft using a parachute is out of the battle and, therefore, I order all forces defending Madrid not to shoot at parachutists under any circumstances. They may be our own men, but, if they prove to be enemies they can provide us with valuable information, which will be of great use for our operations.”A second Russian pilot was killed when Boncharov was wounded and made a forced-landing in enemy territory with his I-16 “Black 9”. He later died of wounds or was killed by Nationalists.
On 17 November, Salas led seven Fiats into an attack against a group of Ratas that had intercepted a flight of their Ju52s and both sides suffered losses.
On 19 November, six SM81s and eighteen Ju52/3ms dropped about 40 tons of bombs on Madrid. Escorting nine He5ls and sixteen Fiats fought against a large number of Ratas and Chatos (reportedly 33 Republican fighters were counted). Salas fired off practically all his ammunition against one Rata, which was last seen in a dive behind its own lines. During this combat Corrado Ricci claimed a Rata.
The Republicans claimed four aircraft destroyed (three fighters and one Ju52/3m) with two more damaged Ju52/3ms for the loss of two fighters. Fernando Roig Vaalta was shot down and killed in an I-15s as was Captain Dimitryi I. Zedanov, who crashed to his death in his heavily damaged I-16 two kilometres short of his airfield.
The Nationalist fighters and bombers claimed four enemy fighters.
This was the last large air battle during 1936.
During this period the Spanish Captains Joaquín García-Morato and Salas did not consider that the Italian commander was sufficiently aggressive, and as they sought continually to have their own way the situation daily became tenser. The Italian leader had ordered that on a particular occasion they were not to penetrate into enemy territory. Salas, who was leading the patrol, defied the order. Fagnani attempted to have him arrested when he returned to base, but Morato intervened violently and protested that in Spain nobody was arrested for displaying courage. The outcome of ensuing discussions between Morato and Salas was a decision to try to form their own independent squadrons.
On 22 December, Joaquín García-Morato flew to Seville. Salas and Garcia Pardo remained in the Italian squadrons for a while, but on 9 January, they also moved to the south.
In the middle of February, the Cóndor Legion realized they could no longer avoid the obvious fact that the He51 was completely outclassed by the Government fighters. It was essential that the Bf109 should replace them. This meant that the 4th Squadron was disbanded, and with the equipment from this squadron, the 2nd Squadron and the He51s, which had been rebuilt, the Spanish Squadrons were formed, each with seven aircraft. They were led by Manrique Montero, Salas and Martín Campos, and began to operate during late February in Aragón, Asturias and Pozoblanco. The squadron numbers 1-E-2, 2-E-2 and 3-E-2, were allocated to them, the terminal numeral 2 indicating the type of aircraft (He 51).
On 5 March, the day before the beginning of the Nationalist offensive on Pozoblanco, the 2nd squadron of He51s (2-E-2), led by Salas, was transferred to León since it was felt that they would be of more value there. In fact, when they reached León there was little need for them and at the end of the month they moved to Navia aerodrome, the home base of the He46s, and remained there until 10 April.
In April, all three He51 squadrons moved to Saragossa.
One occasion during the operations at Carrascal and Santa Quiteria Salas after completing a reconnaissance sortie reported one of their own positions was surrounded by a large number of the enemy. He immediately took of again leading Squadron 2-E-2 and eight He46s to attack the enemy troops. They remained in the air above their hard-pressed infantry, providing machine-gun fire against enemy positions for 2 hrs 8 min, by which time their ammunition was exhausted. Salas then handed over to Squadrons 1-E-2 and 3-E-2 the task of maintaining the attack. By the time that another 1 hr 45 min had elapsed the enemy forces were in retreat.
In due course Government bulletins acknowledged four hundred casualties, and complained that their own aircraft did not take a part in driving of the Nationalist squadrons.
At Teruel on 16 April Salas and Montero's squadrons attempted to bring to combat a twin-engined low-wing monoplane, but were unable to get within range as it was flying at a much higher altitude.
Later, when Salas was returning to Saragossa aerodrome in company with two other He5ls, they spotted seven Chatos overhead and climbed to attack them. One went into a dive and was followed down by Salas until it was near the ground, where it crashed and burst into flames. The combat ended after ten minutes when more Government aircraft arrived and the Nationalist aircraft escaped by diving away.
The Government aircraft were from Kosákov’s Russian squadron, which lost one young Spanish pilot named Tuya while claiming one Heinkel.
He claimed an additional victory during April.
2-E-2 flew actively until 20 April and by this date they only had four aircraft left flying. On 21 April these where handed over to 1-E-2. The 2-E-2 pilots were flown to Seville on 22 April in Haya’s old DC-2, piloted by Navarro.
In Seville, on 26 April, aerobatic classes for fighter pilots began, Bücker Jungmeisters being used for training, and on the 30th more Fiat machines arrived, and were used to form the 2nd squadron of this type, which was given the designation 2-E-3.
The Fiat group, with the designation 2-G-3 (“Patrulla Azul”), was formed in Cordoba on 4 May from the squadrons led by Joaquín García-Morato and Salas (2-E-3). Morato assumed command of the group, and Julio Salvador took over leadership of his old squadron (1-E-3).
On 2 September, 2-G-3 surprised a formation of about 15 Chatos in the Belchite area, of which they destroyed seven. These victories were scored by Salas and Julio Salvador (two each) and by Joaquín García-Morato, Allende and Careaga.
When the battle of Belchite ended, Joaquín García-Morato was sent on a commission to Italy and Captain Salas took command of Group 2-G-3, Captain Garcia Pardo replacing him as leader of the 2nd squadron.
The Group moved to Leon aerodrome on 10 September to support the offensive, which General Aranda had begun on the 9th.
When Joaquín García-Morato returned from Italy he was nominated as operational commander of the 1st Air Brigade, and Salas replaced him officially as Commander of Group 2-G-3.
On 19 December, the Group moved to Alfamén.
In March 1938, the Group took part in Aragón offensive and on the 12th of the month, 2-G-3 encountered enemy aircraft attempting to stop the sweeping advance. During the afternoon eighteen Fiats, led by Salas, escorted Ju52s on a raid, and having completed this task made a sweep of the front as far as Híjar, where they encountered twenty Chatos. In the ensuing dogfights, Salas claimed one probable, while Garcia Pardo destroyed one Chato, which fell near Híjar. The wreckage of this machine was recovered subsequently, and a piece of it was retained, on which ensuing victories of 2-G-3 were recorded, as well as the names of all those in the group who were killed. Guerrero set fire to another Chato, whose pilot took to his parachute from a very low height. Julio Salvador attacked another machine, which began to trail smoke, but he was unable to continue his attack as his Fiat was almost out of fuel; unable to return to his base at Tauste, he had to land at Saragossa. Carlos Serra, Carlos Bayo Alessandri and de Hemricourt each were successful in shooting down an enemy machine.
After a short pause, the attack to the north of the River Ebro was resumed on the 22 March. Eighteen Fiats from 2-G-3 supported the Navarre Army Corps as they entered the Huesca sector.
The next day 2-G-3 carried out five sorties in this sector, two by the entire group, one with two squadrons and two with patrols. At 13:15, Salas and Vázquez took off to locate a battery, which was firing at the pontoon bridge in Quinto. During the course of this patrol, they spotted twelve Chatos flying above them and immediately climbed to attack. Salas and Vázquez both made a number of passes at the enemy without registering any vital hits, and just before the Chatos withdrew Vazquez's machine-guns jammed. Salas returned to base and Vázquez continued a reconnaissance on own. He spotted a battery of three guns, which were being dismantled and loaded on to lorries. When he returned to the airfield the group had already taken off, under Pardo's leadership, which meant that only Salas, Julio Salvador and Vázquez were available to mount an attack against the enemy battery. Only minutes elapsed before all three were in the air, and so fast had been their action that the battery was still in the same position. Low-level attacks soon had five lorries in flames, one of which carried the battery's ammunition, and which exploded spectacularly.
On 24 March, eighteen Fiats led by Salas provided escort for the He5ls and SM.79s attacking Quinto, over which town they encountered eleven Ratas and 30 Chatos. In the ensuing combats four Chatos were destroyed; Salas, Arístides, Senra and Rúiz Jiménez each claiming one. Lieutenant Jurado, flying Fiat No 3-104, was killed in action.
At the termination of this air battle, Salas almost succeeded in capturing a Chato. He had attacked one of enemy and, although unable to destroy the machine, he so clearly held the upper hand that the Chato pilot descended to a low altitude and was making for Nationalist lines, with Salas in close attendance. Just as the Chato was about to land it was attacked by a Bf109B (No 51) flown by Oberleutnant Schellmann of 1.J/88 and destroyed.
In this battle Government aircraft Nos. CA-006, CA-032, CA-037 and CA-052, piloted respectively by Antonio Sánchez, Benigno Hueso, Jesús Pérez and Villins, were destroyed; Viñals and Elías Hernández flying machines Nos. CC-030 and CC-027 collided; and Alfredo Dealbert, aircraft No. CA-038 force-landed outside the airfield. The Government Air Force had not previously lost so many aircraft in a single battle.
On 25 March, the Group destroyed five lorries in the morning and a similar number in the afternoon. As this second sortie was ending, Captain Salas saw three Government light aircraft landing on the aerodrome at Mas de las Matas, which was about to be occupied by the land forces. Salas landed alongside these light aircraft, while his group maintained air cover. The enemy aircraft were soon captured, but the land forces tried to include Salas among the prisoners. These aircraft, which belonged to the School at Reus, were en route from Celrá to Valencia, under the leadership of Lieutenant Momblona; the pilot of a fourth machine, who was still airborne, realized what had happened and made good his escape.
On 8 April, after escorting Ju52s and He45s to the Morella front, Captain Salas’ Fiat was hit while he was strafing enemy troops. The bullet had severed an oil pipe, and with oil pressure falling rapidly he had only seconds to choose a suitable area for the in evitable forced-landing.
The terrain to the North of Morella was all hill country, an extremely difficult area for a landing. Salas was preparing to bale out when he caught sight of a clear patch of ground that seemed to offer a fair chance of getting his aircraft down safely, and immediately he circled to make an approach, putting the Fiat down with such skill that only the landing gear and the under surface of the port wing was damaged. The site of this maneuver was within half a 1 km of General Aranda’s Command Post. Aranda watched the landing with great interest, and lost no time in recovering both pilot and aircraft.
This aircraft was No. 3-61 (Factory No. 111), which was flown by Salas throughout the war. He had first flown this Fiat in 1937, in the Dequal Squadron; he retained it when Squadron 2-E-3 was formed and flew it until his forced-landing at Morella on 8 April 1938. He regained possession of 3-61 on 3 July 1938, following repairs, and continued with it until 12 November, when he suffered a serious accident. After being repaired again the Fiat came back into the possession of Salas in January 1939, remaining with him until the end of the war. He continued to fly this machine from Getafe for a considerable time after the war’s end, until it was completely destroyed in an accident. This aircraft retained the two Breda-Safat 7.7mm machine-guns throughout its service life. Later machines of this type had two 12.7mm machine-guns of the same make, but the Spanish pilots normally preferred a combination of one 7.7mm and one 12.7mm machine-gun.
On 11 April Salas, in company with the entire Group, was able to celebrate a double event; his escape unharmed from the difficult forced-landing near Morella, and his promotion to Commander, which had been authorized on 4 April. The news of this did not reach him until 11 April, hence the date of the Group’s celebration in Saragossa.
From December 1937 to Apri11938 Group 2-G-3 destroyed 40 Government aircraft, which together with those shot down previously, made a total of 82 victories.
On 4 May Commander Salas had his fuel and water tanks holed by machine-gun fire from the ground, forcing him to make an emergency landing at Aguilar aerodrome, which had been occupied only days before. During the same sortie the Fiats flown by Carlos Bayo, Muntadas and de Hemricourt all received damage from ground fire.
On 31 May, 2-G-3 took off with a total of eight machines, in company with Captain Murcia’s squadron (3-G-3). Their task was to escort a number of Ju52s and Ro.37s over the Puebla de Valverde sector.
On arrival, they encountered 25 Chatos and ten Ratas. Combat began immediately but the Nationalist crews were successful in protecting the bombers, which, their task completed, made good their escape.
Eight I-15s and two I-16s were shot down without losses. The successful pilots were de Hemricourt (I-15), Julio Salvador (3 I-15s and 1 I-16), Simon (I-15), Vázques (I-15), Murcia (2 I-15s) and Meurza (I-16).
During this combat Salas was attacking a Chato when three enemy fighters in turn attacked him. His Fiat was hit several times before he managed to break away from the attack, but his machine was vibrating so badly that he had to return to base.
During a second sortie on 19 June, ten Fiats of 2-G-3 took off at 18:00 led by Commander Salas, to escort Ju52s bombing Puebla de Valverde. They encountered a formation of 18 Chatos, which they chased as far as Alcublas, where nine Ratas joined the fray. Salas dived over the Chatos to attack, but was unable to fire his guns because a leak had emptied his compressed air bottle. Despite this, he continued to make dummy attack during a battle, which ranged as far as Alcublas, being hit five times by the Ratas, one bullet puncturing the coolant radiator. Julio Salvador enjoyed better luck, destroying two Chatos, one of which exploded in the air, the other following in flames. He then had to retire with an overheating engine. García Pardo effectively removed a Rata from the tail of Aristides’ Fiat by shooting it down. De Hemricourt downed a Chato near Alcublas, then a Rata to the north of Villar del Arzobispo, and saw a Chato turn somersault as it attempted to land at its aerodrome. Esteban Ibarreche fired at a Chato close to the ground, and this separated from the rest of the formation and fell near to Higueruela. Ansaldo had to return to base when an engine cowling parted company from his Fiat.
During the period 10 to 18 July the two Spanish Fiat groups operated jointly under Joaquín García-Morato’s command, as Salas took advantage of the arrival of his old friend and leader to make a short break from operations.
On 18 July the fighter Groups 2-G-3 (Salas) and 3-G-3 (Joaquín García-Morato) moved to Mérida and remained there, in oppressive heat, until the 28 July when they returned to Escatrón. On 25 August, to contain the Government counter-offensive in the bend of the Zújar, fighter Groups 2-G-3 and 3-G-3 returned to Mérida, where they remained until 18 September.
On the 25 August, 2-G-3 shot down two Chatos (Salas and Julio Salvador) and lost Etayo, who died of injuries after trying to land his burning Fiat.
On 2 September in a single attack, Salas destroyed three Katiuskas, and then capped this by damaging the aircraft flown by the leader of the 1st Escuadrilla de Moscas squadron that was escorting them. This pilot, Jose Martin Redondo (the son of the mayor of Madrid), took to his parachute and was guarded by Salas until he had almost reached the ground. Salas, before flying away, raised an arm in salute, and Redondo responded in a similar manner.
This event must have been well known in the Government zone, as it was reported from several sources.
In this combat 2-G-3 rounded also claimed four more Ratas (Vázquez, Alcocer, Carlos Bayo and Esteban Ibarreche) and one more Katiuska (Salvador Serra).
The Katiuskas flown by Blas, Monzónis and Pavía were shot down. These were all from the 4th Squadron of Grupo 24 led by Ricote.
When Salas landed at Mérida he received news that his brother, Ignacio, had just been killed in the Ebro sector, during an attack on Bot by another Katiuska squadron.
The Colonel in Charge of the 1st Air Brigade sent the following congratulations to Salas:
“The part played by the group under your command in today's operation has filled me with pride and it gives me great satisfaction to have people under my command who know how to make the best use of prevailing circumstances. It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you personally, and the whole of your unit, to whom I hope you will convey this message.”
García Pardo was in temporary command of the group until Salas arrived back on 7 September.
Between the middle of July and the middle of September, Group 2-G-3 had destroyed 34 aircraft and 3-G-3 ten more. Salas topped individual scores with five victories and he now had 15 victories.
Groups 2-G-3 and 3-G-3 returned to Escatrón on 18 September, taking over the equipment which had belonged to the Italian group Gamba di Ferro, which had then been disbanded.
On 20 September a series of daily battles began, culminating in fierce combats on 2 and 3 October. Groups 2-G-3 and 3-G-3 fought jointly in all these battles, achieving a total of twenty-five victories (17 by 2-G-3). Salas claimed one of these victories.
On 15 October four squadrons of Fiats made a combined sortie, three from 2-G-3, and one from 3-G-3. They succeeded in destroying two Ratas (Carlos Bayo and González Guzmán), one for each group. Salas, Vázquez and Bayo each damaged another.
During the battles over the Ebro he claimed one shared destroyed on an unknown date.
On 12 November, eighteen Fiats of 2-G-3 and six from 3-G-3 took of under the leadership of Salas, to escort Ju52s and He70s in the Segre sector. Six Katiuskas were encountered, escorted by two formations of Ratas. de Hemricourt succeeded in destroying one Rata, and one Katiuska was shot down by the combined attack of about five machines.
As the Fiats landed back at base from this sortie - one, which had been damaged in combat, collided with machine No 3-61, Salas’ aircraft, damaging the lower wings. This latter machine, one of the first to serve with the group, was repaired by the middle of January and Salas finished the war in it.
This combat marked the end of air operations in support of the battle of the Ebro, which ended on 16 November with the retreat of the XV Army Corps.
While making a routine patrol on 27 November, Salas suffered a sudden hernia and was taken immediately to hospital for an operation. He was discharged from hospital in the middle of January 1939.
Guerrero led group 2-G-3 temporarily until 13 January, when Salas returned from hospital.
Salas, in his new rank of Commander, reassumed leadership of Group 2-G-3, which was still based at Escatrón. The unit remained here until 17 January when they moved, together with 3-G-3, to Balaguer aerodrome (Lérida).
On 15 February, the nine Fiats from 2-G-3 flew from Escatrón to Posadas, led by Commander Salas. The independent Squadron 8-E-3 remained at the same aerodrome, but on 13 March they became part of Group 2-G-3, forming its fourth squadron.
The advance on Pozoblanco by the Moroccan and Andalusian Armv Corps began on 26 March. On that day 2-G-3, made three sorties; the first led by Salas and the other two by Guerrero. There was practically no resistance and Salas moved to Grinon, so that he could be one of the first to enter Madrid, where his father was in hiding in an embassy.
On 27 March a reconnaissance sortie was carried out, and this was 2-G-3’s last operational sortie of the war.
On 19 May, a final victory parade was held in Madrid. Salas, who had taken command of both Fiat groups following Joaquín García-Morato’s death, led the formation that triumphantly spelled out the word FRANCO, high above the enthusiastic and cheering crowds that celebrated the return of peace.
On 25 July, he was married in Oviedo.
After the end of the war, he was decorated with the Military Medal and promoted for his services during the war. The medal was however not presented to him until 1941, by which time he was involved in a new war!
Salas had flown for 1625 hours when the Uprising began. During the war he made 618 sorties, accumulating a total of 1215 flying hours, and during which he was involved in 49 aerial combats, figures which were not achieved by any other pilot. He flew an average of 20 sorties and 40 hours per month, discounting the two months spent in hospital at the end of 1938. He was shot down four times and his aircraft was damaged 117 times in combats fought during the war. He destroyed 48 land vehicles and 16 enemy aircraft, plus one other claimed jointly with another pilot.
At the end of the war he assumed command of the 2lst Fighter Regiment and, simultaneously, of the 4th Staff Section. He went to the Advanced Flying School.
He volunteered for combat in Russia and was designated as the commander of the 1o.Escuadrilla Azul, (Escuadrilla Expedicionaria) which was formed with 17 pilots. Some of them were veterans of the Spanish Civil War and had a combined score of 79 aerial victories.
The unit crossed into France on 24 July 1941, later arriving in Germany in late part of the month.
They were assigned to training at the Jagdfliegerrschule 1 at Werneuchen near Berlin.
After completing their training on Bf109E’s, the 1o.Escuadrilla left for Russia on 26 September.
At first the Spanish pilots were worried that they would arrive late to see any action, since they were kept informed of the progress of the German advance towards Moscow.
The 1o.Escuadrilla received a total of 12 Bf109E-4s and –7s and they were assigned to JG27, VIII FliegerKorps of LuftFlotte 2. They were known as the “15 Spanische Staffel”, and they started to fly their first combat operations on 2 October and suffered its first pilot causality in that same day. Escorting German bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, they operated from 12 different airfields.
On 4 October, the Escuadrilla Azul score its first aerial victories, when Commendante Salas destroyed one I-16 fighter and a Pe-2. He described this in his after combat report:
“I saw 6 Pe-2 coming and I went after them, cutting the distance between us I found myself below. I opened fire from 150 meters with my small machinegun and much closer with my canons. I saw pieces jump from the aircraft after the second burst, it occupant taking to his parachute. Later I continue towards Cholm to join up with the group and saw a “Rata”. I attacked him in a turn while he’s trying to flee in a fast dive that rips his left wing and he crashes near the confluence between Dnieper and Wjasna. Later I attack twice another “Rata” with no effects.”
On 7 October, the Escuadrilla undertook 42 sorties and in the course of the day, Commendante Salas shot down an “I-18” for his third personal and unit victory while Captain Carlos Bayo Alessandri claimed a damaged MiG-3.
On 14 October, Salas in the company with three other pilots in a “free hunt” near Kalinin surprised three DB-3 bombers. In the resulting combat Salas claimed two, while Captain Carlos Bayo destroyed the third DB-3, but during the heat of the combat Salas and Bayo collided resulting in Salas Bf109’s rudder being partially destroyed but he made it back to base.
These victories meant that Salas became the first Spanish pilot to become an “Ace” in the skies of Russia.
On 25 October, Salas together with two other pilots destroyed three “I-18” Soviet fighters on the ground at the airfield of Klin.
During a combat between five Spanish pilot and reportedly ten “I-18” fighters on 27 October, Salas shot down another DB-3 bomber for his sixth personal and the 10th victory for the Spanish squadron.
Salas claimed an I-16 on 3 November.
On 4 November, Salas was force to make an emergency landing between German and Russian lines after an aerial combat.
He was rescued the next day by German troops and returned to the squadron.
In the later part of November Salas reportedly claimed a Russian biplane on the ground.
This was the last claim for the 1o.Escuadrilla Azul. For the remainder of their stay in Russia, they continued fighting, flying escort mission, ground attacks etc. but didn’t claim anything only sustaining losses to it pilots.
The 1o.Escuadrilla Azul received the orders to return to Spain on 6 January 1942.
During their time in Russia the unit flew a total of 460 missions, were engaged in 94 aerial combats and destroyed 10 enemy aircraft plus four on the ground, for the loss of 5 pilots (one KIFA, three MIA and one KIA) plus one wounded in action. Of the three missing in action, one is reported to have been taken POW by the Russians, but stayed in Russia and married a Russian woman and reportedly was living south of Moscow.
For his service in Russia Salas was decorated with the German Iron Cross.
In Russia Salas made 70 operational sorties, during which he destroyed 7 enemy aircraft. These, together with the 16 in Spain, brought his total to 23.
Salas ended the war with 16 biplane victories and a total of 23.
He was later sent as the Air Attaché to Rome, Berlin, Lisboa and Paris. In 1956 he converted to turbine powered aircraft and was named Commander of the Fuerjas Aereas de la Defensa with the rank of Colonel.
When he was promoted to Divisional General he became Commander of the Canaries Air Zone and later Director of studies at the Centro Superior de Estudios de la Defensa. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1966 and was named as Commander of the Aviación Táctica and the Straits Air Region (later named the 2nd Air Region).
Salas retired from the Air Force in 1972 with the rank of Capitan General.
He passed away on 19 July 1994.
Claims:
| Kill no. | Date | Time | Number | Type | Result | Plane type | Serial no. | Locality | Unit |
| 1936 | |||||||||
| 1 | 23/08/36 | 1 | Light aircraft | Destroyed | NiD.52 | Teruel front | |||
| 2 | 25/09/36 | 1 | Potez 540 (a) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Barciencie-Villamiel | Dequal Squadron | |
| 22/10/36 | 1 | Barrage balloon | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Casa de Campo area | Dequal Squadron | ||
| 29/10/36 | 1 | SB (b) | Damaged | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Valdemoro area | Dequal Squadron | ||
| 3 | 05/11/36 | 1 | I-15 | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Leganés-Madrid | Dequal Squadron | |
| 05/11/36 | 1 | I-15 | Damaged | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | 5 km SE Barajas | Dequal Squadron | ||
| 05/11/36 | 1 | I-15 | Damaged | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | 5 km SE Barajas | Dequal Squadron | ||
| 4 | 06/11/36 | 14:00 | 1 | I-15 (c) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Dequal Squadron | |
| 13/11/36 | 1 | I-15 (d) | Damaged | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Pasco de Rosales | Dequal Squadron | ||
| 13/11/36 | 1 | I-15 (d) | Damaged | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Pasco de Rosales | Dequal Squadron | ||
| 13/11/36 | 1 | I-15 (d) | Damaged | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Pasco de Rosales | Dequal Squadron | ||
| 5 | 13/11/36 | 1 | SB (e) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Getafe-Cuatro Vientos | Dequal Squadron | |
| 19/11/36 | 1 | I-16 (f) | Damaged | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Madrid area | Dequal Squadron | ||
| 1937 | |||||||||
| 6 | 16/04/37 | 1 | I-15 (g) | Destroyed | He51 | Saragossa area | 2-E-2 | ||
| 7 | ??/04/37 | 1 | Enemy aircraft | Destroyed | He51 | 2-E-2 | |||
| 8 | 02/09/37 | 1 | I-15 (h) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Belchite area | 2-E-3 | |
| 9 | 02/09/37 | 1 | I-15 (h) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Belchite area | 2-E-3 | |
| 1938 | |||||||||
| 12/03/38 | 1 | I-15 | Probable | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Híjar area | 2-G-3 | ||
| 10 | 24/03/38 | 1 | I-15 (i) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Quinto area | 2-G-3 | |
| 11 | 25/08/38 | 1 | I-15 | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Zújar area | 2-G-3 | |
| 12 | 02/09/38 | 1 | SB (j) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Zújar area | 2-G-3 | |
| 13 | 02/09/38 | 1 | SB (j) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Zújar area | 2-G-3 | |
| 14 | 02/09/38 | 1 | SB (j) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Zújar area | 2-G-3 | |
| 15 | 02/09/38 | 1 | I-16 (k) | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | Zújar area | 2-G-3 | |
| 16 | ??/09-10/38 | 1 | Enemy aircraft | Destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | 2-G-3 | ||
| 15/10/38 | 1 | I-16 | Damaged | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | 2-G-3 | |||
| ??/??/38 | 1 | Enemy aircraft | Shared destroyed | Fiat CR.32 | 3-61 | 2-G-3 | |||
| 1941 | |||||||||
| 17 | 04/10/41 | 1 | Pe-2 | Destroyed | Bf109E | Russia | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul | ||
| 18 | 04/10/41 | 1 | I-16 | Destroyed | Bf109E | Dnieper - Wjasna | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul | ||
| 19 | 07/10/41 | 1 | I-18 (l) | Destroyed | Bf109E | Russia | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul | ||
| 20 | 14/10/41 | 1 | DB-3 (m) | Destroyed | Bf109E | Kalinin area | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul | ||
| 21 | 14/10/41 | 1 | DB-3 | Destroyed | Bf109E | Kalinin area | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul | ||
| 25/10/41 | 1 | I-18 | Destroyed on the ground | Bf109E | Klin airfield | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul | |||
| 22 | 27/10/41 | 1 | DB-3 | Destroyed | Bf109E | Russia | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul | ||
| 23 | 03/11/41 | 1 | I-16 | Destroyed | Bf109E | Russia | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul | ||
| ??/11/41 | 1 | Biplane | Destroyed on the ground | Bf109E | Russia | 1o.Escuadrilla Azul |
Biplane victories: 16 and 1 shared destroyed, 1 probable, 8 damaged, 1 barrage balloon.
TOTAL: 23 and 1 shared destroyed, 1 probable, 8 damaged, 2 destroyed on the ground, 1 barrage balloon.
(a) Actually a shared together with GianLino Baschirotto. Potez 540 c/n 4219 shot down killing the crew including Captain Joaquìn Mellado and Lieutenant Moreno. Some sources claim that the date was on 24 September.
(b) Last seen from the ground falling in flames.
(c) Claim confirmed by the Air Force communiqué.
(d) The Republican pilots claimed six victories for the loss of two I-15s (Ivan K. Kovtun and Petr A. Purov killed). The Nationalist pilots claimed six victories and three damaged for the loss of one CR.32 and a second force-landed.
(e) Not confirmed with Government records.
(f) The Nationalist fighters and bombers claimed four enemy fighters. The Republicans claimed four aircraft destroyed with two more damaged Ju52s for the loss of two fighters (Fernando Roig Vaalta and Dimitryi I. Zedanov killed).
(g) Claimed in combat with Kosákov’s Russian squadron, which lost one pilot named Tuya while claiming one Heinkel.
(h) Not confirmed with Government records.
(i) The Nationalist side claimed seven victories (four by 2-G-3 and three by 1.J/88) and the Government admitted the loss of six and one force-landed.
(j) Three SBs from the 4th Squadron of Grupo 24 flown by Blas, Monzónis and Pavía shot down. 2-G-3 claimed four SBs in this combat.
(k) Squadron Leader Jose Martin Redondo shot down. The pilot parachuted safely.
(l) According to German sources claimed on 6 October 1941.
(m) According to German sources this was claimed as an SB-3.
Sources:
AEROPORTO di GORIZIA "il QUARTO STORMO ed i PILOTI"
Air War over Spain - Jesus Salas Larrazabal, 1974 Ian Allan Ltd, Shepperton, Surrey, ISBN 0-7110-0521-4
Angel Salas Larrazabal - A Fighter Ace in Two Wars (WWII Ace Stories) - Santiago A. Flores, 2001
Fighter Pilots Of The Spanish Republic (Vol. 1) - Rafael A. Permuy López, Historica 36/39 no. 1, ISBN 84-87314-89-9
Några leva än - F. G. Tinker, 1939 T. V. Scheutz Bokförlag AB, Stockholm
The Facile Fiat...Rosatelli's "Italian Fighter" - Air Enthusiast/Twenty-Two
The Legion Condor - Karl Ries and Hans Ring, 1992 Schiffer Publishing, ISBN 0-88740-339-5
Wings Over Spain - Emiliani Ghergo, 1997 Giorgio Apostolo Editore, Milano
Additional information kindly provided by Christer Bergström, Ondrej Repka, Tom Semenza and Mirek Wawrzynski.
