On 10 September 1943, two days after the announcement of Italy’s Armistice, as the German begin the Italy’s occupation not again conquered by Allies and the capture of Italian armed forces, two Regia Aeronautica’s servicemen, an officer pilot and a NCO, escaped in Switzerland with a Saiman 202M, a single engine two-seat light liaison aircraft, of 234th Squadriglia, 60th Gruppo, 41st Stormo Caccia. The two pilots took off from Venegono, near Varese, Norther Italy, and landed near Bellinzona, at Magadino Airport (in the photo the aircraft after the land in Switzerland). Afterwards the plane, military code MM51136, was transferred to Zurich-Kloten and was returned to Italians on January 1947. The two pilots, interned in Switzerland, came back in Italy just after the war’s end. Victor Sierra

Escape in Switzerland

The Macchi MC.205 “Veltro” of Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR) landed perhaps intentionally in Switzerland, at Lausanne. Note the background canceled by Swiss authorities which kept secret the landing’s location. On 4 March 1944 an ANR’s officer pilot received the order of ferry a MC.205 fresh factory, the aircraft military code MM92289, to Lonate Pozzolo Airport, near Varese, to Venaria Airport, near Turin, for delivery to 1st Gruppo Caccia. After the take-off the pilot diverted to Locarno, Magadino Airport, crossing the Alps an altitude of 6,000 meters, but, short of fuel, the aircraft had only the fuel for the brief ferry flight Lonate Pozzolo-Venaria, landed over a wavy ground near Lausanne Airport damaging the right landing gear and the propeller. The MC.205 was transferred by the Swiss from Lausanne to Emmen, where he was repaired in the Swiss Federal Aircraft plant. According Swiss sources the plane was used for test flights and for comparison flights with the P-51B Mustang J-900, an aircraft interned after the land in Switzerland. After the war, on 24 June 1947 the MC.205 was returned to Italy by an Italian pilot (not the same of 1944 flight). Victor Sierra

From Italy to Switzerland 

A parachute for pillow, the wing for sunbed: an Italian Air Force’s serviceman taking advantage of a respite’s moment during the combats on North Africa to sunbathe over the wing of a MC.202 fighter aircraft of 73rd Squadriglia of 4th Stormo. The photo, Libya, 1942, show also many details of rear section of this Italian fighter. Victor Sierra