Close up of the nose of an Italian fighter Caproni-Reggiane Re.2001 be about the takeoff (the pilot boarding aided by his ground crew man). Cleary visible over the cowling the muzzle of his two Breda-SAFAT 12.7 mm machine gun synchronized with the propeller. But the Re.2001 Falco II (Hawk IInd) was armed also with two Breda-SAFAT 7,7mm machine guns on the wing, first Italian fighter in active duty of WW2 with four weapons. The Re.2001’s Night Fighter version (Re.2001CN) replaced the wing mounted 7,7mm with two Mauser 20mm cannons, first Italian plane armed with this German weapon. Victor Sierra

Italian fighter’s weapons

Detail of the two Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm (0.50-inch) machine gun’s mounting of an Italian fighter Macchi MC.202 Folgore (Lightning) with the ammo belt in foreground. Clear visible the ammunitions of this excellent weapon which could fire a high-explosive-incendiary-tracer (HEIT) round with 0.8 grams of PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate). The Italian fighter pilots preferred the armor-piercing and incendiary rounds to the weak destructive capability of a mere 0.8 grams of explosive. The Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm had a rate of fire of 700 rounds/min (575 rounds/min synchronized) and a muzzle velocity of 765 m/s. Victor Sierra



Folgore’s weapons

Reggiane Re.2001 of the Italian Regia Aeronautica 2nd Gruppo after a belly landing likely on a Sicilian airfield 1942. Thanks to engine cowling’s removal the photo give the possibility of see some details of the engine mounting (Daimler-Benz DB601 built in Italy under license) of this little and nimble Italian fighter, less famous of the Macchi MC.202, as the engine cradle and in particular the mounting of the two nose-mounted Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm machine guns. Another interesting detail clearly visible is the hole of the left wing’s leading edge corresponding to the muzzle of one of the wing mounted 7.7mm machine gun. Victor Sierra