Italian biplane Fiat CR.42s in version CR.42b/a (bombe alari) with 50 kg bombs under the wings moved in Sicily, June 1943, for contrasting of expected Allied landing in the Island. The aircraft in foreground has the anti-sand filter under the engine cowling. Victor Sierra

Waiting for the Allied landing

I repost this photo as vanished from the most recent uploaded photos.
Another category of Italian Air Force’s “Specialisti” was the “Armieri” (sing, “Armiere”, Armourer) with the responsibility of armament of aircraft (loading, reloading, maintenance, graduation, fuzes, et cetera). In the photo, taken on a Sicilian landing strip in between a olive grove, a group of “Armieri”, noncommissioned officer and aircraftmen, reloading the couple of 12,7 mm Breda-Safat machine guns of airplane Number 6 (Red Six), a fighter aircraft Macchi MC.200 “Saetta” of the 160th Squadriglia Caccia. Note the large belts for weapons feeding and the aircraft’s tail standing by a fuel drum to line up the plane with the ground during the check of machine guns alignment and graduation. Victor Sierra


"Armieri"

After the fall of Tunis, 1st week of May, 1943.