Italian bombers Savoia-Marchetti S.79 in flight over Otranto Channel, Adriatic Sea, 1941. Photo taken from the dorsal turret. Note the diagonal bracing of the fin. Victor Sierra

Portrait of a bomber

An Italian airliner with the livery adopted after the outbreak of WW2, September 1939, but before the entry (10 June 1940) in war of Italy. Accordingly to status of Nation “Nonbelligerent” declared by Italy, the Italian civil aircraft adopted a livery “high visibility” with one large tricolor strip over the fuselage and a large Italian flag over the fin, the latter repeated under the wings. The airliner of this photo, taken at Guidonia Airport, 1940 (note a Fiat BR.20 bomber in the hangar) is the Savoia-Marchetti SM.75C, Serial Number 32013 I-BAYR (former Ala Littoria I-TELA) of LATI-Linee Aeree Transcontinentali Italiane, a State airline, associate company of Ala Littoria, established on 11 September 1939, general manager Bruno Mussolini on of the Duce’s sons, to operate the intercontinental air line from Italy to Brazil and vice versa (Rome-Rio de Janeiro via Seville, Lisbon, Villa Cisneros, Ilha do Sal and Recife), opening flight 24 December 1939. The original weekly frequency was reduced at one flight per month after the entry in war of the Italy and stopped on 19 December 1941 after entry in the war of United States and closing of air space of Brazil. The I-BAYR was lost over Atlantic, with two entire flight crews, nine men, and two passengers, on 15 January 1941 after the take off from Natal, for troubles to central engine. Victor Sierra

Nonbelligerent airliner 

Line up of Italian torpedo bombers Savoia-Marchetti S.79s on Sicilian airfield, perhaps Gerbini, end 1942, with the Whitead torpedos under the of belly of fuselage. The aircraft are the livery dark olive drab with individual number’s aircraft in red and white strip of fuselage “dirted” with charcoal for reduce its excessive whiteness especially during the night missions. Victor Sierra