Grottaglie, Apulia, Southern Italy, September 1943: despite the Italian mechanics warnings, hydraulic system off, lack of hydraulic fluid, airplane unserviceable, an USAAF’s officer want same to test the Piaggio P.108 during a flight from Grottaglie to Gioia del Colle. The issue is predictable: after twenty minutes of flight from the takeoff, landing at Gioia del Colle, at the moment of the runway touch, the landing gear, likely not locked, collapsed causing serious damages to the aircraft. The plane was declared damaged beyond repair, cancelled from Italian Air Force’s register and scrapped: a sad and inglorious fate for an aircraft he would have deserved a different history. Victor Sierra

Italian strategic bomber: the end

The Piaggio P.108B of 274th Squadriglia seized by Americans just after his arrival in Apulia from Foligno. In the photo the aircraft, at Grottaglie airfield, during the affixing of USAAF’s insignias. In this moment the aircraft isn’t ready for the flight because the troubles with the hydraulic system experienced during the flight from Foligno and the ferry from Foggia to Grottaglie and the loss of the hydraulic fluid. Victor Sierra

Italian strategic bomber: beginning of the end

The Italian bomber Piaggio P.108B military registration MM22005 of Regia Aeronautica’s 274th Squadriglia BGR (Bombardamento Grande Raggio/Long Range Bombardment) landed on Los Alcazares airfield, Murcia, Spain, on 28 June 1942 during the first night mission against Gibraltar. Slightly damaged during the night landing, the plane was interned. After the repair was transferred at San Javier and tested by the Spanish Air Force. Finished the test, the plane was stored at San Javier until the war’s end when was scrapped. In the photo this P.108B is in San Javier with two Spanish servicemen. In the same attack, carried out by five P.108B took off from Decimomannu, Sardinia, other two P.108B landed in Spain, all for engine troubles and excessive fuel consumption during the return. The aircraft MM22001, crashed while attempting a forced landing on a beach in Valencia and was heavily damaged. The other (MM.22007) landed in Majorca and thanks to the Spanish pro-Axis policy was refueled and cleared to took off from Palma de Majorca for Decimomannu. Victor Sierra