Zarauza Claver, Manuel Antonio

Zarauza Clavero, Manuel Antonio
     
Příjmení:
Surname:
Zarauza Clavero Zarauza Claver
Jméno:
Given Name:
Manuel Antonio Manuel Antonio
Jméno v originále:
Original Name:
Manuel Antonio Zarauza Clavero
Fotografie či obrázek:
Photograph or Picture:
Hodnost:
Rank:
plukovník Colonel
Akademický či vědecký titul:
Academic or Scientific Title:
- -
Šlechtický titul:
Hereditary Title:
- -
Datum, místo narození:
Date and Place of Birth:
03.11.1917 Santoňa, Španělsko
03.11.1917 Santona, Spain
Datum, místo úmrtí:
Date and Place of Decease:
12.10.1942 Baku, SSSR
12.10.1942 Baku, USSR
Nejvýznamnější funkce:
(maximálně tři)
Most Important Appointments:
(up to three)
Velitel 4. stíhací letky Republikánského letectva
Velitel 21. stíhací skupiny Republikánského letectva
Velitel letky 961. IAP sovětského letectva
Commanding Officer 4th Fighter Squadron Republican Air Force
Commanding Officer 21st Fighter Group Republican Air Force
CO Fighter Squadron 961st Air Regiment in Soviet Air Force
Jiné významné skutečnosti:
(maximálně tři)
Other Notable Facts:
(up to three)
Nejúspěšnější eso republikánského letectva
23 sestřelů během občanské války ve Španělsku a 7 dalších během 2. sv. války
Zahynul při letecké nehodě
Top fighter ace in Republican Air Force
23 aerial victories in Spanish Civil War and another 7 in WW2
Killed in flying accident
Související články:
Related Articles:

Zdroje:
Sources:
Rafael A Permuy Lopez: Spanish Republican Aces, nakl. Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2012, ISBN: 978 1 84908 668 4
adar.es
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Zarauza-Claver-Manuel-Antonio-t139810#454648 Version : 0
Manuel Zarauza Clavero was one of the most successful fighters of the civil war – is considered the leading republican ace with 23 kills. He was born 3. November 1917 in the city of Santoňa, on the northern coast of Spain. At the time of the military uprising he served as a private in Cuatro Vientos. In November 1936 he was promoted to cavalry captain (sargento) and included in the pilot school (Escuela de Pilotos Militares) in La Ribera. In January 1937 he completed basic pilot training, according to the records, he flew on a large number of aircraft - D.H. 60 Moth Major, Hispano E-34, Breguet 19, Miles M.2 Hawk, C.600 Aiglon, Fleet Model 10, Gourdou Lesseure GL-32, Avro 626, Morane-Saulnier MS.341, Koolhoven FK.51 and Ni-D.52 – total strike was 88 hours and 12 minutes.

After completion of the course, fighters 12. February 1937 was Zarauza rated major (comandante) Felix Sampilem, the commander of the school of fighters (Escuela de Caza), as "an exceptionally gifted pilot" - which was considered a high valuation. After completion of training was Zarauza relegated to the 2. flyer, the one completely occupied by the Spanish staff (without the participation of soviet pilots) and armed with machine I-15 Chato. The squadron was commanded by a captain (capitan), Roberto Alonso Santamaría, the unit participated in operations in Guadalajara, at the Cerro de Garabitas and Teruelu. In may 1937 with the Zarauza participated in both attempts to strengthen the fighter pilots on the northern front through France. His first attempt, 8. may, ended up landing in Toulouse in the I-15 Chato no 54, while 17. may it problems with the engine forced to return. Another attempt occurred 11. June, and this time the four pilots the leadership of lieutenant (teniente) Manuel Aguirreem landed at the airport Parme in French Biarritz. The aircraft was interned and the pilots sent back to Spain.

Zarauza was then sent to the conversion rate on the I-16 Mosca in the Pilot school's high-speed flying (Escuela de Alta Velocidad) in El Carmoli, which ended 31. August 1937. Then he was sent to the 21. group (Grupo N° 21) in Caspe and 25. September relegated to 1. flight (l. Escuadrilla). Thanks to his exceptional pilot skills was Zarauza povyšen to lieutenant (teniente) in November and later appointed commanding officer 4. squadron armed with I-16 (4. Escuadrilla de Moscas). The unit was stationed in Alcala de Henares for the defense of Madrid, and during the November of her pilots began to deal with the German Bf 109. After transfer to airport Santa Cruz de la Zarza for operations on the Central front, the squadron participated in the battle of Teruel, and later flying from the airports in Villar and Sarrion. 22. January teniente Zarauza shot down a Bf 109, another machine of the same type destroyed 29. march. Later during the same month he was promoted to the rank of captain.

Zarauza still led 4. Escuadrillu - also known as the "squadron of Popeye the sailor" because of the adoption of the drawings of the Disney characters as a character unit, which was painted on the kýlovkách its aircraft. With these characters to 4. the squadron participated in the campaigns in Aragon and Levante. According to the official biographical sketches, published in the barcelona newspaper El Diluvio 12. June 1938, Zarauza had in the meantime take about 100 dogfights and shoot down 23 enemy aircraft. It's a little complicated, because this information is often published and Zarauza is generally considered to be the republican head of the ace. Other sources of grant him only 10 kills, but unfortunately the only two really known kills, they are two Bf 109 mentioned above. However, this does not mean that you Zarauza wiped up! Rather, it is necessary to take into account the confusion that occurred after the defeat of the Republic, so a lot of official documents have simply not survived.

Yet he was generally Zarauza considered the front of the republican fighters. During the nationalist offensive against Valencia in July 1938, he replaced even Zarauza captain Eduardo Claudina in the position of commander of the whole Grupo N° 21. His appointment was dated 23. July 1938 and Zarauza remained in office until Catalonia four months later there was. High function, however, did not prevent the in an operating flying. As the commander of the 4. Escuadrilly Zarauza usually flew on the I-16 type 5 with the code "CM-125" and later on SuperMosca I-16 type 10 with the code "CM-225", which belonged to the staff swarms the group. Zarauza participated in a number of sorties during the battle on the river Ebro (July-November 1938), and in September he was promoted to major (comandante). Zarauza has remained continuously in service during all the key battles of 1938. Overall his air raid amounted to 500 operating hours, with never was not even shot down, even hurt.

Zarauza was undoubtedly an interesting man. He was not very tall – one of his comrades recalled that the Zarauza earned the nickname "piloto fantasma" (something like "the flying ghost"), because when a small Zarauza shrbil in the pilot's cabin, it wasn't him almost to see and it seemed that the plane flies itself. Zarauza was also one of the youngest republican commanders of squadrons - he was 21 years old when he assumed command of the squadron and in less than twenty-two became a major. He was an excellent marksman, liked to showing off shooting the pieces with his gun. At the same time, however, was also very touchy, so not to irritate him. When he said one lieutenant colonel (teniente coroner) Valentin Gonzalez (commander 46. division) has moved its headquarters into the large estate, where previously housed a crew of 21. Grupo, which Gonzales has ordered the farm to vacate, Zarauza threatened him, he takes off and will be the farmhouse bombing. Another time he threw a smoke bomb into the dining room during dinner in the presence of representatives of the Military air force and soviet officers. His comrades, however, especially emphasizing two things: he was a good leader and a brave pilot.

The fall of Catalonia to nationalist hands, however, forced the Zarauzu, as well as many other pilots, to fly over to France. Here he was interned in the refugee camps of Argeles-sur-Mer and Gurs, and after his release he emigrated to the USSR, because he wanted to continue to fly and the Soviets offered him entry into their air force. Zarauza has adopted and in the rank of captain, participated in the Great patriotic war. He commanded one of the squadrons 961. IAP (fighter regiment). Reached reportedly another seven kills and eventually was promoted to colonel. His soviet colleagues, he was considered one of the best pilots of the I-16 ever flew. Among his favourite pieces belonged to the ground-floor acrobatics with a recess of the flight in the supine position only a few meters above the ground. Most soviet pilots about something similar ever tried. Died 12. October 1942 in a plane collision during a rehearsal of air combat, when you hit your "number" the staff sergeant Alexander Rjapiševem over the airport Kišli in Baku. Here is also buried.

Source:

Rafael Permuy Lopez: Spanish Republican Aces, nakl. Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2012, ISBN: 978 1 84908 668 4
adar.es
.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Zarauza-Claver-Manuel-Antonio-t139810#454649 Version : 0
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