03/02/20 history Why did the Soviet pilots attacked the battleship Hitler in 1937
In erupted in 1936 civil war in Spain was attended not only Franco and the Republicans. The warring parties had the support of other European powers. Republicans supported the Soviet Union, Franco — Germany and Italy. Its position in Spain defended the United Kingdom and the United States. All these countries have influenced the course of the conflict in different ways — sending military trainers and equipment, humanitarian aid, etc. are Not left behind and Navy.
the German Grand Admiral Raeder E., who headed the German Navy at the time, recalled (E. Raeder Grand Admiral. M., 2004) that sailors of different countries, despite the controversy about the Spanish civil war, worked as aspired to similar goals — to provide security and protect property of their citizens in the Iberian Peninsula and surrounding waters. So Germans, French, Italians, British and Americans worked together. Since 1937, the ships of these countries to supervise the fighting in the Spanish Republicans and Franco, to avoid bloodshed on the sea.
Peacekeeping patrols lasted several months. The first and totally unexpected incident occurred on may 29, 1937 — suddenly, Republican planes (according to Raeder — a plane) bombed the German cruiser “Deutschland” (“Germany”), anchored off the island of Ibiza. The Germans did not notice the aircraft on the approach — the pilots skillfully gone from the evening sun. On their fuselages (at least, according to Raeder), adorned with Franco’s identification marks, so that the Germans would have taken the aircraft over friendly. The pilot of one bomber dropped six bombs on the battleship, two of them hit the target and caused the vehicle damage, though not fatal: was punctured fuel tanks of the ship the planeand, his ammunition exploded and the fire started. But the people suffered one of the bombs pierced the deck and exploded on the bottom, residential. In the result, 31 people were killed and 78 sailors were wounded.
after Learning about the attack, Hitler immediately returned to Berlin from a business trip. It was decided to respond harshly to this attack — bombard the port of almerÃa, governed at that time by Republicans. Battleship “Admiral Scheer” did it on may 31, and remained unpunished, although coastal guns shelled the port, “Admiral Scheer” in response. Wounded Germans were placed in a British military hospital on base in Gibraltar, the bodies were taken to Germany and buried. After the incident the Germans and Italians stopped peacekeeping patrols and just watched the scene and showed their presence in the conflict zone, but also on the need to protect its citizens, but no more.
it is Worth noting that Hitler was so “alarmed” because “Deutschland” was from 1933 (when completed) flagship of the Navy of the Third Reich and its pride. Another interesting detail of this incident, and the aircraft attacked the “Deutschland” was SB-2 (“high Speed bomber”-2 developed by Tupolev). They incorrectly identified a German ship as francoist cruiser “Canarias”, and therefore made the decision about bombing. The Spaniards declared that the pilots were Republicans Jose Arciaga Neera and Leocadio Mendiola, but the plane, the bomb which struck “Deuchland” damage, was ruled by the Russian crew — commander N. By ostrakova, G. Lewinski Navigator and gunner-radio operator by V. Lobotomy. While direct participation of Soviet military specialists in the hostilities are not always publicized in order to avoid unnecessary diplomatic problems. The wags were in Spain as a volunteer. In addition to the cruiser “Deutschland”, his victims were two shot down Franco’s plane. So the Soviet pilot was bombed by the Germans a few years before the great Patriotic war. However, on it he died — the Germans Ostryakova killed by a bomb in April 1942 in Sevastopol when he was on one of the port warehouses.
But did not survive the war and the cruiser “Deutschland”. It was renamed the “Lutzow” and he served on the Atlantic. In April 1945, was shot down by British aircraft and exploded with its crew in order not went to the Soviet Union. The idea has not worked — the Soviet experts, the cruiser lifted in 1946, but the restore did not (expensive and inefficient). “Deutschland” was used as a training target for the sailors of the ships of the Baltic fleet, and the manoeuvres 1949 flooded. This time – finally.
Konstantin Dmitriev
Source:
© Russian Seven
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