The Rise Of Australasia

Although there was no intention to participate in this Spanish Civil War, it still represented a valuable learning opportunity for Australasia.

With the so-called volunteer forces from Germany and Italy joining in, the war offered a chance to understand the Germans' combat style and their thoughts on modern warfare.

Therefore, Australasia decided to send a limited military observation team. Throughout the Spanish Civil War, the team maintained neutrality, focusing mainly on observing the tactical systems, warfare ideas, and the strategic guidelines of the war from both parties.

This rare war would also become one of the few real-life case studies at the Australasia Royal Military Academy, where a small number of top-performing cadets would have the opportunity to join the military observation team.

On this point, the British and Australasians were in agreement.

Though the British were not very active in the Spanish Civil War, the British military also sent its observation team, aiming to watch the combat capabilities of the German and Italian forces.

For the British, the combat capabilities of the German and Italian forces were crucial for their subsequent diplomatic maneuvers.

If the German and Italian forces were very strong, the British would then support France to ensure the balance of power on the European Continent.

But if the combat effectiveness of the German and Italian forces was just so-so, not much stronger than the Frenchmen, the British would continue to remain neutral, letting France and Germany exhaust each other.

This was also why the British did not stand out to oppose the dispatch of so-called volunteer forces by Germany and Italy, after all, it was a good opportunity to assess the combat abilities of the German and Italian forces.

November 15th, 1934, Capital City of the Spanish Republic, Madrid.

It was a beautiful day with clear skies and no clouds in sight. Above the vast blue sky, listening to the roaring engines, Reno Coffey, a member of the observation team, focused intently on the battlefield below.

"My goodness! Reno, this is simply insane! Forgive me, but what's there to watch in such a war? There's no air support, no firepower coverage, just both sides firing continuously from the trenches.

I doubt if their bullets can even hit the enemy. Look at that guy, he's aiming his gun barrel at the sky!" Next to Reno Coffey, his fellow observation team member David Smith Cannon watched his partner in amazement, chattering non-stop.

"Not all countries have our weapons and equipment, David." Reno explained, "Besides, this war is definitely not that simple.

For both parties, the Capital City Madrid is absolutely the most important city, symbolizing the initiative in this war.

If I'm not mistaken, the volunteer forces from Germany and Italy will join this battle soon, and it will get interesting."

"Damn it, didn't the Intelligence Department say that there's fierce fighting in Madrid? Why have we been here for days without seeing a proper battle?" David Smith Cannon understood that Reno was right, but as far as the scale of the battles that had erupted, there really wasn't much to observe.

"Isn't it the same with the others? Just be patient, we're here to conduct military observations, not to sightsee." Reno continued to focus on the battlefield below, never taking his eyes off the telescope.

Rumble! Rumble!

Suddenly, the roar of engines signified the approach of a flight squadron nearby—they could be from the Spanish Air Force, the pilot reported.

"Watch closely, David," said Reno with excitement, "the real war is about to begin."

True enough, after the appearance of the Spanish Air Force, the previously defensive Spanish Republic forces instantly launched a counterattack.

Under the cover of their air force, the Spanish troops switched from defense to offense, quickly gaining an advantage on the battlefield.

But this advantage did not last long. Soon, the airplanes of the Spanish rebels, including those supported by Italy, also arrived at the scene.

Germany, due to earlier restrictions, did not have much of a reserve of military aircraft, let alone enough to support Spain.

"This is a fine show indeed!" As he watched the airplanes from both sides begin their battle in the sky, Reno smiled and remained focused.

Compared to the few airplanes carrying the Australasia military observation team, those from Italy and Spain were more outdated.

Their mode of attack was simple: engage in frantic strafing with the machine guns aboard, though seldom hitting the enemy's aircraft.

The casualty ratio between the two sides' airplanes showed that Italian aircraft were indeed more advanced than the Spanish ones.

This was to be expected, after all, although Italy's strength among the Powers was lower, it was still recognized as a superpower, with a considerable gap from ordinary countries.

The aerial battle lasted for more than an hour, ultimately based on the Spanish Republic Air Force's devastating defeat. In the sky, the performance of the airplanes was very important, also determining the outcome of an air combat.