American servicemen surrounding and inspecting one of two Croat Air Force’s Messerschmitt Bf 109G-14 just now landed at Falconara airfield, Ancona, in front to Central Italy Adriatic coast on 16 April 1945. Both the pilots, Sgt Vladimir Sandter and Fw. Josip Cekovic, 2.Lovacko Jato (2nd Fighter Squadron), 1. Zrakoplovna Skupina, had defected with the intent to avoid the capture by Partisan forces in the imminence of the fall of the last Axis forces in the Balkans. The Croatian pilots flew to Ancona-Falconara, few minutes of flight over the Adriatic sea, from their base of Zagreb-Lucko. The aircraft of the photo is the Sandter’s “Black 4”, W.Nr.2104, while the Cekovic’s plane was the “Black 10” W.Nr.2110. Both planes was seized by American forces while I don’t know the final fate of the pilots. Victor Sierra

Escape in Italy

This Fiat CR.32 in South African Air Force colors is the plane of this type seized at Addis Ababa airport after the conquest of Ethiopian capital by the British Forces in May 1941 (notice in background a Vickers Wellesley single engine bomber). Likely an aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica’s 410th Squadriglia, Italian military registration MM1191 (or according other sources MM4191), this CR.32, with a No 41 SAAF Squadron’s pilot at the controls, on 2 August 1941 left Addis Ababa direct to South Africa, Zwartkop Air Station, reached on 9 August after a stop in Kenya, at Nairobi. In South Africa the plane, now SAAF Serial No. 21, was allocated, on September, to No 42 Squadron for use by the “Air Commando” display tour. On April 1942 the CR.32 SAAF No 21 was switched to No 6 Squadron at Durban for anti-aircraft practice and communications and during this activity, on 18 July, was lightly damaged by a forced land on a beach near Durban caused by an engine failure. On November of the same year the aircraft was given to Natal University Air Training Squadron for instruction use. On December 1944 the CR.32 result still with the Natal University ATS, but disappeared during the following months perhaps broken up on 1945. Victor Sierra

The SAAF’s CR.32

A mix of of German and Italian-built aircraft of the Austrian Air Force (Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte) likely at Graz airfield before the Anschluss. The twin engines number 301, 302 and 303 are Focke-Wulf FW.58, the camouflaged three-engines are Junkers Ju 52, the high-wing three engines in all ivory finish are Caproni Ca.133. The Austrian Air Force’s order of battle dated 11 March 1938, one day before the Anschluss (12 March 1938) is: Fliegerregiment Nr. 1, Wien: Jagdgeschwader Nr. 2 (3 Staffeln with the total of 36 Fiat CR.32bis fighter aircrafts); Aufklärungsgeschwader Nr. 1 (2 Staffeln with Romeo Ro.37 and 6 Fucke-Wulf Fw 58 "Weihe" recce planes). Fliegerregiment Nr. 2, Graz: Jagdgeschwader Nr. 1 (3 Staffeln with the total of 36 Fiat CR.32bis fighter aircrafts); Bombengeschwader Nr. 1 (2 Staffeln with 5 Caproni Ca. 133 bomber, 3 Junkers Ju-52/3m and 1 Junkers Ju-86 bomber). Schulgeschwader Nr. 1 (3 Staffels with Fiat CR.20 and CR.30 two-seat and about 20 Focke-Wulf Fw 44 "Stieglitz“). After the Anschluss the former Austrian planes was absorbed by the Luftwaffe and employed for non-active roles. Many of them was transferred to other Axis allied air forces as the Hungarian Air Force which the CR.32. Victor Sierra