John Jenkins Designs - THE CONDOR LEGION: THE WEHRMACHT'S TRAINING GROUND

John Jenkins Designs is starting a series of figures based on the Spanish Civil War, primarily focused around the Condor Legion. The first of these figures will be arriving in September. The first figure John Jenkins Designs will be releasing is The Condor Legion PzKpfw 1A - COND-01, which will retail for $138.00 USD. The scale will be 1:30 and be constructed from Metal, Polystone, and reson. As an added bonus, John Jenkins will randomly ship a Pzkpfw 1 A with the numbers "423" in 15% of the boxes. This is a slight variation from the other PzKpfw, but will not be marked on the outside of the box. Figures will follow in the October release from John Jenkins Designs. The COND-01 will be available for pre-order at www.BgsToySoldiers.com this week.

The Condor Legion was the expeditionary force of soldiers and airmen sent by Hitler to aid Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. The Germans used the war as an opportunity to develop equipment and tactics, and their force included not only instructors, but also combat units of artillery, aircraft, and tanks. These units tested guns, planes and tanks, and perfected

John Jenkins Designs: PzKpfw 1A - COND-01

techniques that were used in the 1940 Blitzkreig. Many of the officers prominent in the early campaigns of WW2 won their first successes in Spain. In October 1936, 2 German ships arrived in Spain loaded with a Panzer 1 Company, and all the services and personnel to establish Franco's army's first armoured unit. The so called PANZER-GRUPPE DROHNE. Oberstleutnant Willhelm Ritter Von Thoma was to command the contingent.
Two versions of the Panzerkampfwagen 1 were shipped to Spain, the A and B. The design was pioneered by Krupp in the early 1930's. The PzKpfw 1 A had a two man crew, and was armed with two 7.92mm MG13s. Battle experience in the SCW indicated that the Pzkpfw had several weaknesses. Its 0.5inch armour offered little protection against even the smallest anti-tank guns possessed by the Republicans. Its weapons were also far to lightweight to take on enemy tanks and the vehicle lacked the endurance to participate in prolonged action, often leaving the 2 man crew working in its cramped condition quickly exhausted. These invaluable practical lessons added impetus to new tank designs, although the Pzkpfw 1 itself continued to see service in Poland and France during 1939 and 1940.