Italian Forces

Last version of

The last version of "Alcione": the Cant-Z-1007ter produced for Regia Aeronautica from the end of 1942 with three Piaggio P.XIX RC.45 radial engines each with 1180 hp power at altitude of 4700 meter, new dorsal turret Breda V with machine gun 12,7 mm and others improvements with marked progress in performances. The plane of this photo is a Cant-Z-1007ter of 240th Squadriglia, 98th Gruppo, based at Lecce, of 3rd Stormo Trasporto (3rd Transport Wing) of Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, 1944. The latter inherited some thirty Cant-Z-1007s, bis and ter, employed for missions of supply forces fighting in Balkans against the Germans by means underwing pods delivered in flight. In those missions the units of Cant-Z-1007 suffered heavy losses by the German fighters. The bad day was the 14 May 1944 over the Adriatic Sea: after delivered supplies to Jugoslav partisans, five of twelve Cant-Z-1007 taked off from Lecce-Galatina, were shoot down by about German Messerschmitt 109G. Victor Sierra