Italian Forces

The plane of a future Chief of Staff

Stato Maggiore Aeronautica

Cyrenaica, Lybia, Summer/Autumn 1941: the East Sector’s commander of Aeronautica della Libia (Aeronautics of Lybia), Ferdinando Raffaelli, ready to take-off with a fighter Macchi MC.200 of the Italian Regia Aeronautica’s 373rd Squadriglia, 150th Gruppo Autonomo Caccia (Autonomous Fighter Group) “Asso di Bastoni” (Ace of Clubs). Under the cockpit the rank’s insignia of Raffaelli: one red star over light blue background, Generale di Brigata Aerea (Brigadier General). Technician of great value, the Gen. Raffaelli (Rome, 29 January 1899, former officer of the Royal Italian Army’s Corps of Engineers, embedded in the Air Force on 1926, military pilot from 1927), from March 1942 until 8 September 1943 (Armistice of the Kingdom of Italy with the Allies) led the Technical-Military Studies of the Italian Air Force Staff. In this office led the project of transformation of some S.79s in unmanned radio-controlled bombers (“Operazione Canarino”/Operation Canary) and the development of the unmanned radio-controlled airplane AR.4. The Gen. Raffaelli was in service with the Air Force also after the end of the war and from 10 November 1954 until 1st February 1958 was Chief of Staff Italian Air Force. Passed away on January 1981. (Considering the clearness of photo, I would be curious to see a colorization of this picture). Victor Sierra