When the rebellion broke out, there weren't any Ni-52 left in the South. The 21st July a patrol took off from Los Alc�zares (Murcia) to the Rompedizo airfield (M�laga). These planes belonged to the former 12th Group and they were led by Lieut. Aurelio Villimar. Their mission was to secure the air cover of the future Southern Front. Two days later one of these planes was intercepted by one of the Nieuports captured in Granada piloted by Lieut Berm�dez de Castro.
The combats between the Nationalist Ni-52s of Armilla and the Republican Breguet XIXs and Vickers 'Vildebeest's of Los Alc�zares and San Javier airfields continued. El Rompedizo base had a patrol of 3 Nieuports under the command of Capt Abelardo Moreno. On the 3rd of August Capt. Aurelio Villimar moved to And�jar airfield in order to intercept the rebel transport planes. These aircraft were the liasion between Granada and Northern Morocco and they carried troops and material to ammunition factories. And�jar patrol was formed by the assistant Benito L�pez Trinidad and Sgt. Manuel Aguirre L�pez, because 2nd Lieut Francisco Solans was shot down two days before near M�laga.
By that time a new patrol was formed in Guadix. They were 3 Nieuports, 3 Breguet XIXs and 3 Dewoitine D-371s, under the command of Capt. Juan Carmona. The 7th of August the Nieuports of And�jar airfield knocked down a lonely Breguet of the Tablada base. On the 12th a formation of 3 Vickers 'Vildebeest's escorted by a Nieuport was attacked by Garc�a Morato's Nieuport Ni-52. He shot down the Republican Nieuport and hit a 'Vildebeest'. The Vickers had to disperse to return to their base. On the 18th of August the same Garc�a Morato shot down a Heinkel He.51and knocked down another Government Nieuport to the North of M�laga. On September 2nd, another Ni-52 was destroyed by Garc�a Morato.
In order to replenish their losses, the Government sent to And�jar other 3 Nieuports and 3 Breguets on the 6th of September. They were under the command of Manuel Aguirre. However, they didn't manage to resist against the new enemy Heinkel He.51s. One Nieuport was shot down in October, and another one in August. With the capture of M�laga on the 7th of February, the Southern Front disappeared and the remaining Nieuport Ni-52s came back to Alc�zares. |
