Tarantola in the G55 few moments before the take off.
April 25 1944 8 ANR fighters took off to intercept a big formation of 117 B24s and 45 P47s over Torino. In the combat, Tarantola was downed. He jumped safely, but remained severely burned at the legs. The war for him was over. He was credited of 1 Polikarpov I-15 Chato, 2 Curtiss P-40, 5 Supermarine Spitfire, 3 Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1 Consolidated PBY Catalina plus other 4 aircrafts shared.
Furthermore a destroyer sunk. He has deserved 4 silver medals, 2 bronze medals, and 5 war crosses. DVX

Ready to take off

After Italian armistice, Tarantola continued the fight serving in ANR (RSI air force). Here the last set up to the flying suit before the mission on a Fiat G55. DVX

Continuing the fight

Another famous airplane of the 90 years of the Italian Air Force’s history: the Macchi MC.200 “Saetta” fighter aircraft employed by the Regia Aeronautica during the WW2 in Mainland, North Africa, Balkans, Russia and over Malta, over 1,150 built from 1939 to 1941. The photo show, with a Regia Aeronautica’s Officer with beret not wore as prescribed posed in front to the airplane, a “Saetta” of the 4th Stormo, one of most famous and ancient Italian fighter units during the WW2 and until 1964 shared over two Gruppi (Groups): IX Gruppo, Squadriglie 73rd, 96th and 97th, and X Gruppo, Squadriglie 84th, 90th and 91st. As specified by the black number 96 over the fuselage the aircraft of this photo is a “Saetta” of the IX Gruppo’s 96th Squadriglia as usual at this time and until the end of the WW2 when the Regia Aeronautica’s airplanes were marked by the Squadriglia’s number+aircraft individual number (today with the Stormo’s number, i.e. the Eurofighter Typhoon of the 4th Stormo have the number 4+aircraft individual number). The photo show another peculiarity of the 4th Stormo: the color of the "Prancing Horse", 4th Stormo’s emblem’s, depending on the Gruppo identity: in this case white Prancing Horse over black background for the IX Gruppo (personal emblem of Amedeo di Savoia Duca d’Aosta when lead the 4th Stormo), black Prancing Horse over white background (personal insignia of the Italian WW1 ace Francesco Baracca) for the X Gruppo. The Savoia’s knot with the ducal crown was adopted in honor of the Duke of Aosta, Amedeo di savoia, 4th Stormo’s commander from 1933 to 1934 (The same emblem of the old IX Gruppo is today and from 1964 the modern insignia of the 4th Stormo). The MC.200 of the picture show a continental camouflage with the all yellow engine cowling adopted on Spring 1941 by many Italian aircraft and not only by the those committed in the Balkans and in the Eastern Front (and this date the photo from Spring 1941 onwards). Last note: the same length of the tail cross arms reveal a MC.200 of Breda’s production. Victor Sierra