A Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6 of Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (Republican National Air Force) hid under the trees at the limit of an airfield on the Lombard moor, likely Malpensa or Lonate Pozzolo, Winter 1944-1945. Scarcely visible the Italian tricolor added to German Balkenkreuz on fuselage. Victor Sierra

Under the trees

Italian fighters of the Regia Aeronautica’s 21st Gruppo on a frozen Russian airfield, winter 1942-1943. On the left two Macchi 200, on the right one of the twelve Macchi MC.202 deployed on the Eastern Front from August to December 1942. The planes have the yellow cowling and fuselage band plus the white triangle over the wing leading edge adopted by the Italian aircrafts during the Russian campaign. The remains of the Italian Air Corps in Russia was repatriated between March and May 1943. Victor Sierra

Russian winter

Summer 1939: Italian bombers CRDA Cant-Z-1007 of the 212nd Squadriglia, 51st Gruppo, 16th Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre (Land Bomb) in flight over Vicenza, Veneto. The Cant-Z-1007 was the first version of the WW2’s well-known Italian bomber, afterward knew as Cant-Z-1007bis “Alcione”, designed by Filippo Zappata and, after many tests in wind tunnel, built at Monfalcone, Trieste, by Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico (CRDA, the acronym CANT is for Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini, CRDA’s ancient name) acting on an Italian Air Ministry’s requirement for a modern three engines bomber. The prototype of “1007”, a typical Zappata’s design with all wood structure and monocoque fuselage, flew on March 1937 powered by three Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI RC.15 in-line engines (max power 840 HP each) with two-blades propellers and radiators below the propellers spinners. But the performances resulted poor and Zappata review the project opting for annular radiators and three-blades propellers. On 9 January 1936, when the aircraft were still in design’s phase, the Air Ministry signed a first command of 18 Cant-Z-1007 followed an year later, 23 February 1937, by a second command of 16 more aircraft. The deliveries of production Cant-Z-1007 (or Cant-Z-1007 Asso ) started in February 1939 and production ending in October of the same year. The first and only Stormo equipped with the new bomber was the 16th based at Vicenza with nine aircraft endorsed to 50th Gruppo (Squadriglie 210th and 211st) half May 1939. In August the “1007” was endorsed also to 51st Gruppo of the 16th Stormo (Squadriglie 212nd and 213th) and on 1st December the Cant-Z-1007’s entire force of the 16th Stormo were 31 aircraft. But the performances, and above all the speed (max level speed 430 km/h) because the engine’s low power, remain unsatisfactory and the aircraft was quickly phased out and replaced by the new Cant-Z-1007bis “Alcione”, the “1007” completely redesigned by Zappata and powered by the Piaggio P.XI RC.40 radial engines (power 1,000 HP each). None Cant-Z-1007 Asso was employed in the war and, for brief time, few planes was switched to Aviano’s Bomber School. Victor Sierra