The birth, after the Armistice between Italy and Allies, of the Italian Co-Belligerent  Air Force, September 1943, concerned also the 5th Stormo and its Re.2002s "Ariete" wich, like other Italians air units, started the operations, now against German targets in Balkans, from airfields and airstrips in Capitanata, an area of Puglia. In this photo a Re.2002 of Italian Co-Belligerent  Air Force in flight over Puglia seen from on high. The rapid obsolescence of this aircrafts, beacuse lack spare parts and continuous problems from the engines wich created many accidents and incidents, forced to remove the Re.2002s "Ariete" from service in the mid-1944. See other pictures of Re.2002 of Italian Co-Belligerent  Air Force are in the section "Italian Forces"  VictorSierra

For the "Ariete" the war isn't ended

July 1943. The battle for the Allied invasion of Italy is started and the Italian Air Force throw in combat also the new Re.2002s "Ariete". In the photo the planes of  the 239th Squadriglia, 102nd Gruppo, 5th Stormo Tuffatori  (Dive-bombers Wing) of Regia Aeronautica starting off from the Tarquinia airfield, North of Rome, for ferry flight to Crotone, in Calabria, new base of Stormo, with technical stop at Capua. The first mission against the Allied ships ahead the Sicilian coast, eight Re.2002s without escort armed with 250kg and 50kg bombs under fuselage and wings, took place in the evening of July 10, 1943 over the Noto's Gulf. Three ships were striked, but the eight "Ariete" were intercepted by a dozen of  Spitfires V of RAF Squadron No. 229: downed  three Re.2002s, first the plane of 5th Stormo's commander, tenente colonnello  pilota Nobili. The Stormo, now under command of maggiore Giuseppe Cenni, sustained other losses in the late days. The 13 July, the airport of Crotone was heavily bombed by B-24 Liberators of USAAF and the majority of aircraft of many types on the ground was destroyed. The few Re.2002's survivors were transferred at Manduria, Puglia. The morning of September 4, 1943, with the Armistice between Italy and Allied already signed the 3 September, but not officially announced (September 8, 1943) and again unkown to belligerents, the last, and again tragic mission: twelve Re.2002s leaded by Cenni took off from Manduria to attack enemies ships on the Messina Straits and armoured vehicles on the ground under direct escort of Macchi 202s of 21st Gruppo Autonomo Caccia and indirect escort of Macchi 202s and 205s of 4th Stormo Caccia. But during the dive the fighters lost the contact with the "Ariete" wich, by now without escort, were intercepted and attacked by the Spitfire of RAF No 111 Squadron. The commander, Giuseppe Cenni, with other two of its pilots, was downed.

Last battles

The Italian seaplane base at the port of Augusta, near Siracusa, taked by Allied Forces, September 1943, after the Italian Armistice. Augusta, today a naval base of Italian Navy, was an important target of landing in Sicily. In the picture a number of Italian seaplanes captured intact when the port was occupied by Allied Forces. Note, after the Allied ship in foreground, a three-engine Cant-Z-506 and two twin-engine Fiat-CMASA RS.14. VictorSierra