Overview

This figure represents a German tank crewman of Panzergruppe Drohne, the armoured element of the Condor Legion's ground forces sent to Spain in autumn 1936 to instruct Nationalist crews on the newly arrived Panzer I. Shown at rest with a mug of coffee, in the black beret and khaki overalls that marked this unit out from every other force in Spain at the time.

Historical Context

Germany's ground contribution to the Condor Legion was organised as Gruppe Imker ("Beekeeper"), commanded by Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma. Its armoured component was Gruppe Drohne ("Drone/Drones") — fittingly named, as a beekeeper's drones. Raised from volunteers of Panzer Regiment 6, 3rd Panzer Division, the unit sailed for Spain on 28 September 1936 with 41 Panzer I Ausf. A light tanks, 24 3.7cm Pak 36 anti-tank guns, and around 267 men, landing at Sevilla on 7 October before moving inland to Cáceres.

Gruppe Drohne's job was never meant to be front-line combat — its real task was instruction: teaching Spanish Nationalist crews to drive and fight the Panzer I, alongside anti-tank guns, tank transporters and flamethrowers, and keeping damaged vehicles running. By the end of 1936 it had grown to three tank companies. In practice, German crews did end up in combat more than once over the course of the war, but the unit's core purpose throughout remained training up the Spanish crews who would go on to crew these tanks themselves.

Sourced from Wikipedia: Condor Legion and Tank Encyclopedia: Nationalist Spain (1936–1953).

Clothing & Equipment

Schwarzes Barett (black beret): a black Spanish-style beret rather than the German Army's own black Panzer beret, worn by Gruppe Imker's instructors and staff, marked with a skull-and- crossbones (Totenkopf) badge, backed in yellow felt, with a separate swastika beneath it.

Tropenanzug (tropical/khaki overalls): a one-piece khaki coverall with two button-down breast pockets, buttoned front, and a cloth belt — climate-appropriate clothing issued for Spanish conditions rather than the black Panzer wrap worn back in Germany.

Koppel (belt): worn over the overalls, with a metal buckle.

Boots: plain black leather ankle boots.

Feldflasche/mug: the enamel or tin mug shown in this figure's pose is a small, human detail — a tank instructor between shifts rather than a man in action.

Sourced from Wikipedia: Condor Legion Tank Badge, cross-checked against our own approved box art.

Colours Overview

Colour names are generic mixing targets, not brand-specific codes. Swap in your preferred paint range (Vallejo, AK Interactive, Scale75, etc.).

Glossary

Gruppe Imker: "Group Beekeeper" — the overall German ground force contingent of the Condor Legion in Spain, commanded by Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma.

Gruppe Drohne: "Group Drone(s)" — Gruppe Imker's armoured sub-unit, equipped with the Panzer I and tasked chiefly with training Nationalist tank crews.

Condor Legion: the combined German expeditionary force — air and ground — sent to support the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War.

This glossary is shared across the Linden Models Spanish Civil War series. Terms already defined on other guide pages are not repeated here.

Historical References

This figure is a composite type representing a Gruppe Drohne tank instructor rather than a portrait of a named individual. Uniform and insignia details are drawn from published references on the unit and our own approved box art.

Sourced from Wikipedia: Condor Legion and Tank Encyclopedia: Nationalist Spain (1936–1953).

Recommended Reading

• Soldiers of von Thoma: Legion Condor Ground Forces in the Spanish Civil War — Lucas Molina Franco & José Ma Arias Ramos
• The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 — Antony Beevor
• The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge — Paul Preston

Links carry the lindenmodels-20 Amazon Associates tag. The Molina Franco/Arias Ramos title is a dedicated study of von Thoma's Legion Condor ground forces, including Gruppe Drohne.

Downloads

A print-ready PDF of this guide — handy to keep next to your paints while you work.

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