Crickets against Rats: Regia Aeronautica in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1937: Volume 1 (Air Battles)

The books focuses on the Italian Regia Aeronautica activity during the Spanish Civil War. In 1936 Mutinous Spanish generals asked Benito Mussolini form help. Italian support was not granted immediately, but eventually 12 bombers SM.81 departured to the Moroccan Nador airport. They were the first of 764 Italian planes sent to help the nationalists. The book follows day to day air struggles and the rapid development of the Italian Air Force in Spain. The First volume describes fights since July 1937, including such actions as air raids on Madrid the Battle of the Jarama River, Malaga and Guadalajara. The Book also presents Regia Aeronautica involvement in operations carried out from this island

REVIEWS

excellent color profiles...details the events, the combats and the moves from place to place of the Italian units, and the book title is explained as the Fiat CR32 was named 'Chirris' (Italian for 'Cricket') while as time passed, the Republican side was supported by the Russian Polikarpov I-16, a low-wing monoplane known to the Nationalists as the 'Rata', or Rat, and hence the title of the book... gives a good indication of the international involvement int he Spanish Civil war, with pilots from Italy, Spain, Russia, Germany, as well as America and the UK all taking part.
Military Modeling


Perhaps more than any other Italian design, CR.32s symbolized Fascist military might in the 1930s. Follow FIAT's lithe little fighter through its Spanish baptism of fire in Marek Sobski's interesting little book. Recommended!
CyberModeler