Campomarino, Southern Italy, early 1945: a crew member boarding on “Fiorellino” (Little Flower), one of the Martin Baltimore of the Regia Aeronautica’s Stormo Baltimore, 253rd Squadriglia, 132nd Gruppo. On the right, high, an aluminium “patch” which cover a Flak damage. Note also the “bombs” showing the sorties. With the arrival of the former British and American planes, the Regia Aeronautica co-belligerent’s units began to decorate its aircraft with personal emblems and name, habit normal for the Allied air forces, but not approved by the Italian Air Force of the Fascist era. Victor Sierra

“Fiorellino”

Airplanes of the Stormo Baltimore’s 28th Gruppo in flight over the Southern Italy. Now with full structure, after the arrival at Campomarino on December 1944 of the 28th Gruppo, after only three months of operational activity, the Stormo Baltimore, on January 1945, was classified first of the 254th Wing’s units for war results. The missions over Balkans of the Stormo included raids against many targets as the harbor of Arsa (Raša) in Istria, Senj harbor, Busocava station, anti-aircraft batteries, bridges, ground troops, material’s storages. On 21 February 1945, during a mission over the Raša’s coal basin the Baltimore of the 132nd Gruppo’s leader, Maggiore Massimiliano Erasi, was downed by the Flak. Erasi was killed together his three crewmen, awarded of the gold medal, and replaced by the Capt. Giulio Cesare Graziani. With the arrival of the spring, the Italian Baltimores was employed against the German troops retreating from the Balkans. After a series of raids of the Stormo Baltimore the German garrison of the Rab island, around 600 men, was forced to surrender to Jugoslav partisans. The Stormo Baltimore’s last mission was on 5 May 1945 when 24 aircraft, heading to Zagreb station, was called back because the hostilities end. The balance of the Stormo Baltimore’s activity from January 1945 until 5 May 1945 was: 4,886 flight hours in war missions, 425 flight hours for other missions, 1,554 missions/aircraft during 189 sorties in flying formations (average 9-24 airplanes at a time), 1,225 tons of bombs dropped. This results was recorded in the space of only 144 flying days. Losses: three Baltimore downed, 16 KIA, 4 MIA plus few crewmen killed in flight accidents. As the Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s air force had only a torpedo aircraft unit (the proposed bomber unit was dismisses by Mussolini’s order), the Stormo Baltimore was “de facto” the last bomber unit in the Italian Air Force’s history. Victor Sierra

The last Italian Air Force's bomber unit

An Italian fighter Fiat CR.42 loaded, after the disassembly, perhaps after the its salvage, onto a Fiat 632 truck of the Regia Aeronautica’s 634th SRAM (Squadra Riparazioni Aerei e Motori/Repair Aircraft and Engine Team), 1941. The SRAMs, established on Thirties of XX Century and director ancestors of the today Aeronautica Militare’s RMV (Reparto Manutenzione Velivoli/Aircraft Maintenance Unit) each qualified for a particular aircraft, as the 1st RMV, Cameri Air Base, for Tornado and Eurofighter, was the fulcrum of all maintenance, overhaul and repair activities of the Italian Air Force’s aircrafts both fixed workshops on the airports and in the field. Many SRAMs wrought as Gruppi Autonomi Officine Autocarrate (Autonomous Trucker Workshop Groups) revealing itself valuable for the airplane’s salvage many times in very difficult situations close to frontline. Victor Sierra