Tank Combat in Spain: Armored Warfare During the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939

by Anthony J. Candil

Although Spain had been for many years on the periphery of the great affairs of Europe, within a few months of the Civil War breaking out in 1936, three out of the four major European powers--Italy, Germany, and the Soviet Union--decided to intervene. Spain turned out to be the perfect proving ground to carry out controlled, realistic experiments with live weapons and troops. This book covers the theories of the three main contributors that provided armor to the warring parties in the civil war, how those contributions shaped combat, and how the lessons learned were then applied to tank combat in World War II.

The use of tanks in the Spanish Civil War wedded traditional war to modern technology. The fighting in Spain did not offer any easy answers, however, to the question of infantry-armor cooperation, primarily because the tanks supplied were not very worthy and had been supplied in small numbers, even though the Republicans organized an 'armored division.' The situation for the tanks on the Nationalist side was so bad in practical terms that they reused captured Russian armor in their units. Tank employment in Spain did offer many lessons, but the lessons did not always lie in what was done or accomplished but precisely on what was not done and was not accomplished.

Genres: Spanish Civil War, Military History

264 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2021

Reviews

[Robert Neil Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Candil was a career tanker in the Spanish army and brings his expertise to this slightly neglected subject. It is taken as gospel that the Spanish Civil War was a testing ground for the major powers, but Candil challenges this and other assumptions about the war. He sets out his case that the war had more effect on tank design than on tactics while accepting that the Spanish terrain is very different from the Steppe or North Africa.
The chapters start with the origins and beginnings of the war, through organisation and structure, foreign intervention, etc in a straightforward narrative. Candil examines the use of armour by both sides and tactical deployment both good and bad. He ends with an appraisal of equipment and armament produced and used on a country by country basis, examining the Soviet Union, Italian and German tanks, setting out the advantages and disadvantages of all.
There are a number of things which were new to me, possibly because unlike most writers in English, Candil has examined sources in Spanish that may have been inaccessible to others. Want to know how to disable a Soviet tank using only two blankets? This book will tell you how, though it only works if the tanks don’t have infantry support. Candil also makes the interesting point that despite the Nationalist tanks being markedly inferior to the Soviet supplied Republican ones, they tended to take fewer casualties due to better tactics and the development of anti-tank tactics and weapons. In Candil’s view, these combined arms groups were more the predecessor of WW2 tactics than the tanks themselves.
My one criticism would be that occasionally Candil’s politics seep out; he was after all an officer who joined the army ten years before Franco’s death. The Republic is described as “Red” and he also claims that “there was no real democracy on the Republican side” even though they were the elected government. Despite being a career Spanish army officer, Candil is now a US citizen and lives in the South. That said, this is a very useful book for anyone with an interest in armour in the war as it comprehensively covers the organisation and use of armour by the Republic, the Nationalists, and intervention forces.
This book runs to 240 pages, including 20 pages of endnotes and an extensive bibliography. There are numerous photos and though they tend to be similar and generic, for example “Pz I in a Spanish town”, they are good for both modellers and wargamers. The Spanish Civil War sometimes seems to be approaching saturation point with books, and many cover the same well-trodden ground, but with this book Candil brings fresh insights and new information to the debate. This book is a worthwhile investment for any wargamer with an interest in the period and might cause some to rethink their assumptions on armour and its use.

[Charles Piraneo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tank Combat In Spain provides a detailed, professional analysis of the use of armored vehicles during the Spanish Civil War without the political hype that is associated with this tragic era of Spanish history. Apart from providing meticulous details of tank use throughout the war, the book also debunks several myths generally accepted as a result of the conflict - that the Spanish Civil War was a proving ground for the further development of armored vehicles (heavier armor and more effective weaponry)and the development of doctrine related to the use of tank formations for the upcoming world war. Because of poor armor and weaponry, armored vehicles were no match for the more effective ant-tank weapons. Although the Spanish conflict provided the ideal situation to develop tactical and strategic doctrine for the major combatants (Italy, Germany, the Soviet Union and Spain), none did so either during or immediately after the war. Individual observers made their findings and recommendations known to their respective countries, but they were either ignored or not acted upon by military planners and developers. Many specifically identified the need for additional armor and heavier weaponry as well as the use of tank formations to be used as part of a combined arms force.

Tank Combat In Spain is a well written and documented book. It is a must for all military professionals and historians

[L Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid review of the conventional side of armoured warfare in the Spanish Civil War BUT I found myself rueing the paucity of detail on the homegrown Spanish armoured vehicles such as the Trubia and Landesa tanks, as well as the combat deployments of all of the homemade 'Tiznao's'.

The book concentrated on the relative merits and failures of vehicles that the incoming global conflict would highlight ad nauseum instead of concentrating on the wargear that truly makes the SCW unique in the storied history of conflict.

The one area that was addressed of some interest was the incompetence of the Republicans and their Soviet overlords and the intransigence of the Nationalist side in their approach to armoured doctrine.

Interesting read BUT I was left feeling that it was a convenience to write rather than a truly incisive text on the subject material.

[Eddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough review of armored warfare in the Spanish Civil War, with the author giving great detail on the context of the Spanish Civil War, the battles that involved tanks, and the lessons from the war that was learned/not learned from the nations that observed the events.

The book gives good historical context to the importance of the Spanish Civil War to armored warfare enthusiast. Despite not taking part in the scope of World War II, the Spanish Civil War undeniably affected the thoughts of military planners around the world that must be considered when looking into the decisions made in their military composition prior and during World War II.

[Karlen Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fascinating as it was something I had no idea about prior to reading. It’s the largest tank battles between WWI and WWII.
What was Russia, Germany and Italy doing tank wise before WWII and how were they looking at doctrine and vehicle development.
Great look into the tank and the Spanish Civil War!