In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...

, Italians from the Corpo Truppe Volontarie

Corpo Truppe Volontarie

The Corps of Volunteer Troops was an Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support General Francisco Franco and the Spanish Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War...

 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 Negras Mixed Brigade "Black Arrows" first served in Vizcaya

Biscay

Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...

 from April 1937.

Order of Battle, April 1937

Flechas Negras Brigade - Col. Sandro Piazzoni

• 3rd Regimient
  • 1st Battalion
  • 2nd Battalion
  • 3rd Battalion
  • Battery 65/17
• 4th Regimient
  • 1st Battalion
  • 2nd Battalion
  • 3rd Battalion
  • Battery 65/17
• Assault Battalion
  • 1st Company
  • 2nd Company
• Artillery Group
  • IVº Grupo de 75/27
  • Grupo de 100/17
  • Grupo de 105/28
  • Battery 20mm AA
• Engineer Company
• Intendencia Section
• Sanitation Section

Order of Battle, Battle of Santander

Battle of Santander

The Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the War in the North campaign in the Spanish Civil War. Santander's fall on September 1 assured the Nationalist conquest of the province of Santander and marked the last stand of the Republic's "Army of the North," which was destroyed...

 August 1937

Flechas Negras Brigade - Col. Sandro Piazzoni

• 3rd Regiment
  • 1st Battalion "Monte Jata"
  • 2nd Battalion "Bermeo"
  • 3rd Battalion "Munguia"
  • Battery 65/17
  • Engineer Section
• 4th Regiment
  • 1st Battalion "Peña Amarilla"
  • 2nd Battalion
  • 3rd Battalion "Algorta"
  • Battery 65/17
  • Engineer Section
• Assault Battalion
• Artillery Group
  • Group 75/27
  • Battery 149/12
  • Antitank Battery 37mm
  • Battery 20mm AA
• Engineer Company
• Division Truck Unit

The Flechas Negras Brigade was later expanded to form the Flechas Division

Flechas Division

Flechas Division was created from the Flechas Negras Brigade expanded into a Division sized unit. It served in the Aragon Offensive and the March to the Sea, in 1938, during the Spanish Civil War...

.

Source

• 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