Gadouras, Rodhes, Aegean Front, 1942: mechanics begin the tail reassembling, likely as replacement of parts destroyed or heavy damaged, of a torpedo-bomber Savoia-Marchetti S.79 code 279-1 of the Regia Aeronautica’s 279th Squadriglia, 131st Gruppo. The 279th Squadriglia was one of earlier Regia Aeronautica’s torpedo bomber unit and was established at Gorizia, North-East Italy on 24 December 1940. On January 1941 moved to Catania, Fontanarossa Airfield and subsequently, after few weeks, to Aegean theater, at Gadouras (Gadurrà for the Italians). On 25 March 1941 the 279th was incorporated in the newly established 131st Gruppo which on 1942 will transfer to Sicily, Gerbini airfield. Victor Sierra

A “new” tail for the 279-1

Footnote’s translation of this photo released in war time by the Italian Regia Aeronautica: «50th Land Bombardment Group – Ships on the moor on the Suda Bay – Bombardment mission accomplished on 21 April 1941 at an altitude of 6,700 metres (22,000 ft)». The 21 April 1941 mission against Suda Bay, Crete, was accomplished by ten Cant-Z-1007bis bomber of the 50th Gruppo BT (BT for Bombardamento Terrestre/Land Bombardment) took off from Maritsa Airfield, Rhodes. The day before Crete was raided by eight bomber of the same Gruppo, an unit of the Regia Aeronautica’s Comando Aviazione Egeo (Aegean Air Command): three, which claimed a destroyer and a merchant ship damaged, over Suda Bay and five over Heraklion airfield. Another raid against Suda Bay was accomplished by five Cant-Z-1007bis of the 50th Gruppo’s on 24 April 1941. Victor Sierra

Above Suda Bay

The Piaggio P.108 B of the Regia Aeronautica
The Piaggio P.108 B was the only heavy four-engine bomber to see service with the Italian air force (Regia Aeronautica) during World War Two. Due to the lack of production capacity of the Italian aviation industry, too few were built to play a significant role in this conflict. In total Piaggio built only 163 P.108 Bs, but this fact does not make the design less remarkable.

The Piaggio P.108 B (Bombardiere) was an all metal cantilever low-wing monoplane with an retractable undercarriage, driven by four Piaggio P.XII RC 35 18 cylinder radial engines, each producing 1350 hp. The first prototype was finished in October 1939 and had a very advanced defensive armament for its day. Not only had the Piaggio two 7,7 mm machine waist guns, a 12,7 mm machine gun in the lower turret and a similar weapon in the nose turret, but also two remotely-controlled twin gun turrets in outer engine nacelles. The first Allied bomber with a similar armament was the Boeing B 29, which was developed four years later.

The bomb load of the Piaggio comprised of 3.500 kg, all carried internally in the bomb bay. In comparison, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress had a maximum internal bomb load of only 2.200-kg.

The only unit of the Regia Aeronautica ever to fly the Piaggio P.108 B was the 274a Squadrilia Bombardamento a Grande Raggio (B.G.R.), the 274th Long-Range Bombardment Group. This unit was formed in May 1941, around the first machines that came off the assembly lines.

The training of the crews lasted far longer than anticipated. It there took until June 1942 before the 274a B.G.R. became operational. The most spectacular raids with the Piaggio P. 108 B were flown in October 1942, when the Regia Aeronautica launched several night attacks on Gibraltar, from the airfield of Decimomannu on Sardinia.

Several versions were derived from the Piaggio P. 108 B, such as the P.108 A (Artigliere), which had a 102 mm anti-shipping gun in it’s nose, the P.108 C (Civile) airliner and the P.108 T (Trasporto). The latter two versions had a newly designed fuselage of larger diameter, for the transportation of passengers or freight. They were hardly used by the Regia Aeronautica, the main user being the German Luftwaffe. In September 1943, after the Italian armistice, the Luftwaffe had captured all fifteen built P.108 Cs and P.108 Ts. They were used at the Russian front, as part of Luftflotte 2, where they performed sterling duties, among others during the evacuation of the Crimea in 1944.

In 1940 a seaplane version of the P.108 was designed, the P.108 B.I. (Bombardiere Idrovolanti), but this was never developed beyond the stage of a wooden scale model.

Specifications Piaggio P.108 B 

Wing span: 32,00 m
Length: 22,30 m
Height 6,00 m
Max. take-off weight: 29.885 kg
Max. speed: 430 km/h
Ceiling: 8.500 m
Range: 3.500 km
Armament: 8 machine guns
Max. bomb load: 3.500 kg
Crew: 6
