In 1937, during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, Italians from the

Corpo Truppe Volontarie The Corps of Volunteer Troops () was a Fascist Italian expeditionary force of military volunteers, which was sent to Spain to support the Nationalist forces under General Francisco Franco against the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil ...

began to serve in mixed Italo-Spanish Flechas (Arrows) units where the Italians provided the officers and technical personnel, while the Spanish served in the rank-and-file. One, the Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade "Blue Arrows" first served in

Extremadura Extremadura ( ; ; ; ; Fala language, Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is a landlocked autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, Spain, Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central- ...

from April 1937 to the end of the

War in the North The War in the North () was a theatre of the Spanish Civil War that occurred in northern Spain from 31 March to 21 October 1937. The Nationalists launched a number of offensives into parts of the Basque Country, Santander (Cantabria), and ...

Order of Battle, April 1937

Flechas Azules Brigade - Col. Mario Guassardo * 1st Regimient ** 1st Battalion ** 2nd Battalion ** 3rd Battalion * 2nd Regimient ** 1st Battalion ** 2nd Battalion ** 3rd Battalion * Assault Battalion ** 1st Company ** 2nd Company * Artillery Group ** X Group 75/27 ** Battery 20mm AA

Order of Battle, Aragon Front 1938

Flechas Azules Brigade - Col. Mario Guassardo * 3rd Regimient ** 1st Battalion ** 2nd Battalion ** 3rd Battalion ** Battery 65/17 * 4th Regimient ** 1st Battalion ** 2nd Battalion ** 3rd Battalion ** Battery 65/17 * Assault Battalion "As" * Artillery Group ** Xº Group de 75/27 ** Bía de 20mm ** Bía de 37mm * Engineer Company * Military Police Section * Intendencia Section * Sanitation Section * Division Truck Unit The Flechas Azules Brigade was later used to form the

Flechas Verdes Division The Flechas Verdes Division was a division of the Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. The name means "Green Arrows" in Spanish. It was created when the Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade was expanded into two division-sized units: the Fle ...

and

Flechas Azules Division Flechas Azules Division was a division of the Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. The name means "Blue Arrows" in Spanish. It was created when the Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade was expanded into two division-sized units; the Flechas ...

in late 1938.

Sources

*de Mesa, José Luis, El regreso de las legiones: (la ayuda militar italiana a la España nacional, 1936-1939), García Hispán, Granada:España, 1994 {{ISBN, 84-87690-33-5 Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War (National faction) Military units and formations of Italy in the Spanish Civil War

Order of Battle, April 1937

Order of Battle, Aragon Front 1938

See also

Sources