Luftwaffe’s mechanics servicing the MC.205’s DB605 engine on a JG77’s aircraft at Lagnasco. For German technical personnel the MC.205’s refueling and rearming are very intricate, so that re-establishing operational readiness is very difficult. Victor Sierra

German mechanics and MC.205

The Oberleutnant Joachim Deicke, Staffelkapitän 6./JG77, on board of its MC.205 “Yellow 1”, October 1943. Note the Balkenkreuz superimposed to original Italian white band on the fuselage. Deicke closed the WW2 with 18 “kills. For the Luftwaffe’s pilots the MC.205 was fast and good to fly except for a tendency to enter a spin easily when losing speed in tight turns. A further disadvantage was the aircraft’s Italian radio because, despite talking over a powerful transmitter, it is barely possibly to communicate with the aircraft. Victor Sierra

MC.205’s German pilot

German servicemen relaxing near a MC.205 of Luftwaffwe’s JG77 under a camouflage net, Bagnasco, October 1943. From Autumn 1943 the JG77 flew many missions with the Italian fighter against the Allied air force in action over Northern Italy. On 1 December 1943, afternoon, sixteen MC.205s of JG77 scrambled to intercept American bombers escorted by 25 P-38 Lightnings: one P-38 shot down, two P-38s and five bombers effectively strafed. The utilization of MC.205 by Luftwaffe was extremely brief. A late December 1943 the MC.205s was transferred to newly established Air Force of Repubblica Sociale Italiana and the JG77 returned to Bf 109. Victor Sierra