The gunner of fuselage’s right side station of an Italian bomber S.79 traversing its machine gun, a Breda-Safat 7,7 mm. Note the complete suite for flights a winter climate, what is needed because the station is completely open. Victor Sierra

Side gunner

The major Prince Maurizio Ruspoli di Poggio Susa, member of a famous family of the Italian aristocracy, Italian ace with ten victories, and his Macchi MC.202 “Folgore” in Libya, 1942. The two its brothers, Lt.Col. Marescotti Ruspoli di Poggio Susa and Cpt. Costantino Ruspoli di Poggio Susa, both paratroopers in the Folgore division, died in El Alamein battle and both decorated with Gold Medal to the memory. Maurizio fought as pilot in Greece and Russia with 1st Stormo and in North Africa as commander of 91st Squadriglia of 10th Gruppo of 4st Stormo, and was the first Italian pilot to make a gun camera of an enemy shot down with his Macchi MC.200. After this fact Ruspoli become commander of the Aerial Cinematographic Section of the Regia Aeronautica. 
After the Armistice of Italy with Allied, Maurizio Ruspoli remained in Regia Aeronautica and, speaking perfectly English, was the translator in the meeting between Winston Churchill and the chief of Italian Government, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, on board of the HMS Nelson on 29 September 1943. Another famous fact of its pilot’s life was leaflet-launching raid over of Rome occupied by the Germans on October 1943. The leaflet were stored into the cavity between the flaps and the wings in a Macchi MC.205. Victor Sierra


The Prince and his fighter

A gunner showing the maximum elevation of the dorsal 12,7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun of the Italian bomber Savoia-Marchetti S.79. Note the very limited traversing possibility of the weapon on an installation of the sort. Another consequence of the origin of the S.79 (fast civil transport aircraft). Victor Sierra