Italian Forces

A colonial aircraft

Close-up of a Caproni Ca.309 “Ghibli” (note a German transport aircraft Junkers Ju.52) of an Italian Squadriglia of the Aviazione Sahariana e di Presidio Coloniale (Sahara and Colonial Garrison Aviation). Derived from the civil Ca.308 “Borea”, the Ca.309 was built by Caproni Aeronautica Bergamasca (Caproni Group) in some 100 exemplars, first flight August 1936, was a two engine multirole aircraft designed specifically for use in the colonial environment in a large variety of missions: reconnaissance, armed reconnaissance, surveillance, tactical support, light transport, medical evacuation. Near all the Ca.309s built were assigned to colonial aviation of Libya’s Italian Government for missions in the desert and fir support to Italians Oasis. Some Ghiblis were the air assets of Compagnie Auto-Avio Sahariane (Auto-Saharan Companies), from 1938 motorized units of Italian Army with their own aerial support with off-road vehicles and a Sezione Aeroplani (Aircraft section), manned by Regia Aeronautica. Each Sezioni Aeroplani, formed in order to operate together with the Saharan companies, had four planes for reconnaissance and liaison. Victor Sierra