During the Spanish CW, I believe there were some Soviet and other nationalities' fighter pilots flying for the Republican airforce in the Polikarpovs which the USSR had sent. Could there have been some sorta combat airgroup formed similar to the Flying Tigers under Claire Chennault in China during the Sino-Japanese War, but at a more internationalised level a la the OTL International Bdes, with more volunteers from both the USSR and Western countries ? What would've been the effect on the war of the Republicans havin at their disposal a similarly skilled air group as the Flying Tigers, in order to take on the German LUFTWAFFE volunteers of the Condor Legion ? Would the lessons learned by Western volunteers in the skies over Spain have made a signficant difference to the air war during the early stages of WWII ? Could Britain, France and the US have been perhaps compelled to take on a more active role, perhaps even supplying planes and other arms to the Republican cause as the Soviets had ?
1 possible POD- Eugene Bullard was the only African-American fighter pilot of WWI, who flew in the ARMEE DE L'AIR, due to his own country's racist bar against black combat pilots, and he later settled in Paris after the war. WI during 1936 Bullard and likeminded WWI flying aces teamed up to form some sorta international anti-fascist fighter group to fight in Spain as an aerial component of the Int'l Bdes ?
1 possible POD- Eugene Bullard was the only African-American fighter pilot of WWI, who flew in the ARMEE DE L'AIR, due to his own country's racist bar against black combat pilots, and he later settled in Paris after the war. WI during 1936 Bullard and likeminded WWI flying aces teamed up to form some sorta international anti-fascist fighter group to fight in Spain as an aerial component of the Int'l Bdes ?