Wreck of a Luftwaffe’s Fiat CR.42LW destroyed at Velike Gorica, Croatia, likely photographed at the end of the war in Europe. This plane is one of the CR.42LWs employed by the Nachtschlachtgruppe 7 (NSGr 7) mainly for anti-partisans missions over the Croatia. On 8 February 1945, NSGr.7 lost three CR.42LWs to Allied fighters and a fourth to anti-aircraft fire. On May 1945, end of WW2 in Europe, over 20 CR.42LWs remained with NSGr.7's Gruppenstab and 2. and 3. Staffeln at Zagreb-Gorica while the other Staffel, 1. Staffel remained in Austria, at Graz. Victor Sierra

German CR.42s: the end

Men of the Nachtschlachtgruppe 7 (NSGr 7) in Croatia, 1944, in front to a Fiat CR.42LW. The Gruppe’s Staffeln employed a mix of airplanes, included Heinkel He.46, Henschel Hs.126 and Dornier 17, but most all the CR.42 for anti-partisans missions over the Balkan areas. The first Staffel equipped with the Italian biplanes was the 3. NSGr 7 based at Zagreb from April 1944. By September of the same year, also the 2. Staffel, transferred to Pleso, Croatia, alongside 3. Staffel already deployed there, began operating 26 CR.42LWs. The CR.42LW later equipped 1. Staffel, based at Graz, Austria. Victor Sierra