Italian Forces

Italian Do.217J Night Fighter

A Dornier Do.217J-2 of Italian Regia Aeronautica’s 235th Squadriglia holding for taking off from Lonate Pozzolo, Lombardy, for a night interception mission of Allied intruders in Northern Italy, Summer 1943. On the night of 16-17 July 1943 the leader of 235th Squadriglia, captain Aramis Ammannato, with a Do.217J-1, shot down over Vigevano a RAF’s Lancaster. Between September 1942 and June 1943 the Germany supplied to Regia Aeronautica twelve Do.217 in version Night Fighter of models J-1 and J-2, all assigned to 235th Squadriglia of 60th Gruppo, 41st Stormo, based at Lonate Pozzolo Airfield. After the Italian Armistice of 8 September 1943, the Italian Do.217s were seized by Germans. Victor Sierra