In the years immediately close to WW2  the Italian Regia Aeronautica fitted out for military purposes a number of airfields in the Plain of Catania, in Sicily, nearby Etna, the major volcano of Europe . During the war, from 1940 until 1943, these airfields were the natural bridge for missions to Libya, Malta and Mediterranean Sea and were also bases for many German air units. The Etna is the background of this photo of most important of those airfield, Catania-Fontanarossa, born in 1924 for use civil and military. Note a fighter aircraft Macchi MC.200 "Saetta" and, behind, a Caproni Ca.133 employed for transport and liason. Victor Sierra

At the foot of Etna

Rome, Italy, March 1944. Italian troops of the X MAS (belonging to the RSI Navy, and fighting as allied of the Germans) standing in viale Carso near piazza Bainsizza (Prati district), inspected by General der Luftwaffe Kurt Mälzer around the time this unit was deployed to counter the Allied beachhead at Anzio - Nettuno, south of Rome. Decima Flottiglia MAS = X MAS
(Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-311-0926-07)

Italian

Runway excursion in Sicily: the SM.79 193-8, an aircraft of 193rd Squadriglia,  87th Gruppo, 30th Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre of Italian Regia Aeronautica landing at Sciacca Airport could not be stopped on the runway and overran into a row of trees beyond threshold running a military ambulance thankfully without driver or persons on board. No serious consequences also for the crew of aircraft. The absence of white strip on fuselage date the photo between the end of 1940 and beginning of 1941. Victor Sierra