A red flag for the “cleared for taxiing and take-off” to a Savoia-Marchetti S.79 torpedo bomber of an Italian Regia Aeronautica’s unit based at Rhodi Island, Aegean Front, end Summer 1940. The man bare-chested with the flag and the two officers wearing shorts and the comfortable military jacket knew like “Sahariana” (few years ago arised again from ladies and men’s fashion) give and idea of the climate of this side of Mediterranean Theater Operational. Victor Sierra

Cleared for taxiing

The “Spauracchio” (Scarecrow) smoking six red stars in the pipe, emblem of 22nd Gruppo Caccia on the fuselage of one of his Macchi fighters veteran of Russian campaign (the stars smoked in the pipe) like indicted by the yellow band on fuselage. Near the tail plane the hole for introduction of the lifting’s rod of the tail. Victor Sierra

Scarecrow

An Italian torpedo-bomber S.79 waiting for next mission. Note the asymmetrical position of torpedo Whitehead under the fuselage. The S.79 had two strongpoints for the torpedo, but usually only one was carried to avoid the decline of the performance because the weight of weapon (over 870 kg). Unit and location of this photo unknown. Victor Sierra