A disregarded but precious airplane
Close-up of the IMAM Ro.37 “Lince” (Lynx), aircraft number 5 of the Regia Aeronautica’s 39th Squadriglia. On February 1941 the Ro.37s of the 39th and 31st Squadriglia, both of 5th Gruppo, begun its operations in the Greek campaign from the Deboli’s Albanian airfield, often escorted by the Fiat G.50 fighters of the 154th Gruppo, equally based at Devoli, above all for close air support (CAS) missions with use both of the two 7,7mm machine guns on the nose and of the little 36 kg bombs (two under wing) or anti-personnel mine (the same, many times, for the Ro.37bis during the Spanish Civil War). The same CAS missions was managed during the anti-guerrilla operations, after the surrender of the Greece and the Yugoslavia, often supporting to Italian and also German isolated garrisons attacked by the partisans. On April 1941, when the force were 66 Ro 37 full serviceable, the planes declared lost in combat were only five: two down by AA fire and three by fighters. The photo highlight the camouflage and the yellow engine cowling in use by the Italian Air Force’s units deployed on the Albanian-Greek theater and many particular of this disregarded but precious airplane which was an authentic key player of the Regia Aeronautica’s commitment in the Balkans front. Note also the lack of the defensive aft machine gun and the crew’s location. Victor Sierra


A disregarded but precious airplane

An IMAM Ro.37 “Lince” (Lynx) of the Regia Aeronautica’s 39th Squadriglia O.A. (Osservazione Aerea-Aerial Observation) in flight on 1941, likely during the air operations in the Balkans sector (the plane has the yellow engine cowling typical of many Italian aircraft permanently based on the Albanian-Greek front). On 10 June 1940, Italy’s entry in the war, the 39th Squadriglia, based in Piedmont, at Venaria Reale, were one of 31 Squadriglie of the Aviazione Ausiliaria per l'Esercito (Auxiliary Aviation for the Army) embedded in the Regio Esercito (Italian Royal Army) for recce and aerial observation missions in cooperation with the Army’s units. At the outbreak of the war all this Squadriglie were equipped with 283 (207 full-serviceable) Ro.37.The latter was a biplane designed half-Thirties by Giovanni Galasso and mass produced by IMAM-Industrie Meccaniche Aeronautiche Meridionali, factory at Naples, with a 600-HP 12 in-line cylinder Fiat A.30 RA bis, the same of fighter Fiat CR.32 (560 HP radial engine Piaggio P.IX RC.40 for the version Ro.37bis developed for operations in “hot climate” and largely employed during the Spanish Civil War and in the Italian East Africa). In particular during its deployment at Venaria Reale the 39th Squadriglia was employed by the 1st Corpo d'Armata (1st Army Corps) of the 6th Armata (6th Army) and, same for the similar units, usually flew the missions with on board an Air Force’s pilot and Army’s officer as observer. At outbreak of the war against the Greece (28 October 1940) the 39th Squadriglia moved in Apulia, Bari airfield, inside the 5th Gruppo O.A. (Squadriglie 31st and 32nd with a total amount of 28 Ro 37). On 15 February 1941 the 5th Gruppo, with its two Squadriglie, moved to Albania, at Devoli airfield, but on June of the same year, wad deployed at Scutari (Shkodër, Shkodra in Albanian), in Northwestern Albania for counter-insurgency missions on the Albanian sector, an intense and consuming activity for the Regia Aeronautica’s units deployed on the Balkans. In this activities the obsolescent IMAM biplanes was finally replaced by the Caproni two engines aircraft. Victor Sierra

The Italian Army’s “Lynx” 

When, April 1939, the Italy occupied the Albania, the aeronautical infrastructure’s situation of this Balkan country were very rough and the Italians done many efforts for a minimum of adjustment. Moreover the Italy’s will of no worsen the rapports with the Greece and Yugoslavia (the war is still late) delayed the works. Result: when the Mussolini’s decision of the attack against the Greece began to take form, the Albanian airport infrastructures were still far away from the optimum. On half October 1940 (the war against the Greece began on 28 October 1940), the situation of Albanian airfields dispatched to Italian Air Force were the following: Tirana: airfield’s dimensions 1,700x800 metres, landing runway in advanced state of construction, airfield buildings just begun, barracks for personnel’s accommodation and storehouses in assembly’s state, field equipment for night flights. Valona (in Albanian Vlora or Vlorë): airfield’s dimensions 1,100x900 metres, landing runway in advanced state of construction, airfield buildings just begun, field equipment for night flights. Durazzo (in Albanian Durrës): airfield’s dimensions 1,300x600 metres, air terminal existing, no possibilities of accommodation and recovery. Argirocastro (in Albanian Gjirokastër and in Greek Αργυρόκαστρο/Argyrocastro): airfield’s dimensions 1,300x800 metres, air terminal existing, no possibilities of accommodation and recovery. Coritza: airfield’s dimensions 1,000x700 metres, air terminal existing, good possibilities of accommodation and recovery. Berat: airfield’s dimensions 1,000x550 metres, air terminal existing, barracks for personnel’s accommodation and storehouses in assembly’s state. Shjak: began airfield and runway’s construction. Scutari (in Albanian Shkodra or Shkodër): airfield’s dimensions 1,250x950 metres, air terminal existing, no possibilities of accommodation and recovery. Devoli: airfield and runway in arrangement’s state, no possibilities of accommodation and recovery. Drenova: airfield and runway in construction’s state, no possibilities of accommodation and recovery. Argirocastro Bis, Delvina and Pogradec: construction of landing strips for the Italian Army’s requirements. Furthermore were existing two other strip, Kukes and Pescopeja, but not usable for military duties because in high mountains and very little. In the week following the war’s start many works was completed, but the situation were still very difficult and aggravated by the beginning of the heavy rains and, afterwards, of the snow. In brief, many airfields, all with non-prepared runways, became impracticable for days and days, while the lack of proper accommodation made even more difficult the life’s condition of the men. This situation remained unchanged for the entire duration of the war in the Balkans and this photo, S.79 of 46th Stormo, 104th Gruppo, Tirana airfield, Winter 1940-1941, is very emblematic. Victor Sierra