Vertical aerial photograph taken during a bombing attack by Italian Air Force on Hal Far airfield, Malta. Bombs are seen exploding on the installations in the northern corner of the airfield and over its eastern perimeter (date unknown, but surely just after the Italy’s declaration of war). The first Italian action against Malta date from the morning 11 June 1940, the day after the Italy’s entry in the war, when, after the Mussolini’s clearance, 35 S.79, with the escort of 18 fighters, raided La Valletta’s naval station, Hal Far airfield and Kalafrana air harbor. In the afternoon of the same day the mission was repeated by five bombers against La Valletta harbor while other 33, escorted by 12 fighters, raided again Hal Far and Kalafrana. In both the actions, morning and afternoon, the Italian crew reported on the interception’s attempt by two British fighters, surely Gloster Gladiator, but without result. The Italian raiders were of the 2nd Squadra Aerea (Air Squad) based in Sicily at this moment the only Italian air force usable against Malta, which on 11 June 1940 deployed a total of 209 combat aircraft full serviceable for operational missions: 137 bombers Savoia-Marchetti S.79 of the Stormi 11th, 30th, 34th, 36th and 41st, 69 fighters (26 Macchi MC.200, 17 Fiat CR.42 and 26 CR.32) of the Gruppi 6th, 17th and 157th, and three search-and-rescue floatplanes Cant-Z-506. This list not include the twin engines SM.85 dive bombers based at Pantelleria and totally unserviceable because their complete failure. Victor Sierra

Malta: the first day

Dire Dawa, Somalia, August 1940: Italian fighters Fiat CR.32 taking off during the operations against the Somaliland started on 3 August when the Italian troops went the borders advancing without strong resistance. At the start of the operations the Italian East Africa’s Air Force deployed for the attack a total of 85 airplanes: 51 bombers (19 S.81 of the Gruppi 4th and 29th, 11 S.79 of the 44th Gruppo and 21 old Ca.133 of the 27th Gruppo), 25 fighters (nine CR.32 and 16 CR.42 of the Squadriglie 410th, 411th and 413rd, afterwards grouped into a single Gruppo) and nine observation planes Ro.37bis of the 110th Squadriglia. The bombers was committed mainly against harbor of Aden and Berbera (this last was conquered by Italians on 19 August) and some airfield as Hargheisa, Burao and La Feruk. The RAF’s forces in this sector were quite weak, the main was deployed for the Aden’s defence, and the reaction wasn’t that envisaged by the Italians. A report wrote by the Air Vice Marshal Air Officer Commanding British Forces Aden attached to General Archibald Wavell’s report, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Middle East Command, posted to Wavell to the Secretary of State for War on 12 September 1941, highlighted the local air superiority of the Italian Air Force. Afterwards the latter was committed on the close air support to land forces until the end of the campaign. In this missions was employed also the CR.32s with bomb racks under the bottom wing with two 50kg bombs. During this brief campaign, the Italian East Africa’s Air Force flew 935 hours in war missions: 376 for bomb missions, 204 for fighters missions and 355 for recce missions with the loss in action of 4 aircraft (two S.81, one CR.32 and one S.79) and of 20 men (KIA and MIA): six officers, two NCO and twelve privates claiming five enemy planes destroyed in aerial combat and nine on the ground. The Italian claims was in part confirmed by the Reid’s report: seven RAF’s aircraft destroyed, ten heavily damaged with the loss of 12 men KIA or MIA from the 5 until 19 August. Victor Sierra



Air war over the Somaliland

This young pilot in front to an Italian Army’s Caudron G.4 during the WW1 is Aldo Finzi, an important figure, but today almost forgotten, of the first Fascist government and destined for a tragic end: Jewish family, but not practising, sportsman, aviator, companion in arms of the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio on the epic flight over Vienna (9 August 1918), after 1920 Fascist, close collaborator of the Duce Benito Mussolini, member of the first cabinet Mussolini, founder of the Regia Aeronautica as independent air force, involved in the “Matteotti affair”, important farmer after his retirement, a Fascism’s objector, one of the 335 martyrs of Fosse Ardeatine massacre. Born on 20 April 1894 at Legnago, near Verona, son of a wealthy patron of mills of a Jewish family, but not practising any religion, sport’s journalist at the beginning, Aldo Finzi knew the aviator’s world at Milan and, on 1912, was copilot of the pioneer Celestino Usuelli, placed second on the Gordon Bennet Contest for balloons and afterwards took part to many motorcycle contest. Just after the WW1 outbreak, at beginning rider soldier of a Mounted Cavalry Regiment, Finzi, in the meantime promoted officer, asked for the his transfer to Italian Army’s air component and, June 1916, was licensed airplane’s pilot. For his gallantry was awarded of two silver medal. Dismissed from the Army, Finzi joined in the Fascism on January 1920 and on 1921 was elected to Kingdom’s Parliament. In this period was hard by Mussolini and on August 1922 prepared the meeting of the same Mussolini with the King Victor Emmanuel III. After the March on Rome, in first Mussolini’s government Aldo Finzi was Deputy Secretary of the Interior, but never abandoned the aeronautical “milieu” whom remaining strictly related. For this reasons on 1923 Mussolini appointed Finzi Deputy Commissioner for Aeronautics (the Commissioner was the same Mussolini). In this role Finzi drafted the text of the Royal Decree Law No 645, 28 March 1923, which established the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force) as independent armed force. The Finzi’s work for the Air Force’s organization was very difficult from the merge of personnel of different provenances and the budget’s narrowness: 250 million Lire for July 1923-June 1924. But despite this and other problems, and also some accusations of malfeasance administrative, Finzi was a good organizer founding the Aeronautic Academy and the Aeronautical Corps of Engineers, inviting tenders to supply of new airplanes and leaving to his successor, the General Bonzani, and air force in state of health. The Finzi’s fall, which were still Deputy Secretary of the Interior, arrived for his involvement, true or spurious, in the “Matteotti affair”, the Socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti abducted and killed by a Fascist squad on 10 June 1924. Finzi paid for everyone and was compelled by Mussolini to resign on 17 June. After his retirement from the political life, Aldo Finzi changed into the agriculture, using some terrains in the Latium for tobacco’s farming, but keeping his contacts with the aviation’s world and his pilot’s license. When the Italian government enacted the racial laws, 1938, Finzi (in Italy Finzi is a classic Jewish family name) declared: not of Jewish race, but of the Catholic religion (and in effect his wise was catholic). In this year Finzi detached oneself from the Fascism and, because some critics to Mussolini’s regime, on 1941 was apprehended and interned on some islands and on 1942 was threw out the National Fascist Party. Returned to home after the Fascism’s fall, 25 July 1943, Finzi committed in the partisan’s unit and moved close again the Roma Jewish community. On 25 February 1944 was apprehended by the SS on his home at Palestrina and transferred on the Rome’s prison Regina Coeli. On 24 March 1944 was executed by the Germans during the Force Ardeatine massacre, the reprisal for an attempt against soldier of a South Tyrol unit. Today Aldo Finzi rest on the Fosse Ardeatine Memorial Cemetery together the other 334 martyrs. Victor Sierra