The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Benito Mussolini's son-in-law Count Galeazzo Ciano just landed with an Ala Littoria’s Savoia-Marchetti S.74 at Rome-Littorio after its first official visit in Germany from 21 to 23 October 1936. During this mission, which included a visit to German Air Ministry where was received by Hermann Göring, Ciano met at Berlin the Third Reich’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Konstantin von Neurath and, at Berchtesgaden Adolf Hitler. The Ciano’s visit in Germany prepared the announcement, by the Duce at Milan on 1st November 1936, the born of the Axis Rome-Berlin. Victor Sierra

Return from Berlin

 Guiseppe on the right North Africa WW II Seen here playing a diatonic button accordion which he used to entertain the troops.


 Guiseppe on the right North Africa WW II

The airplane employed by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Galeazzo Ciano for its official visit in Germany, 21-23 October 1936, at Littorio airfield, Rome, just after the arrival from Berlin (notice the large black limousine in background). The aircraft is the Savoia-Marchetti S.74, c/n 21002, civil registration I-ALPE, second of the three four engines of this type delivered to Italian national airline Ala Littoria on June 1935. As the other two planes, I-URBE c/n 21001 and I-ROMA c/n 21003, also the I-ALPE was militarized after the Italy’s entry in the war (10 June 1940) and was allocated to Regia Aeronautica’s 604th Squadriglia as 604-11. The 604-11 former I-ALPE was lost on morning 23 October 1941 when departed from Castel Benito airfield, Tripoli, towards Gerbini, Sicily, with a crew of four men an 26 passenger, hit a hill, in low visibility conditions, in the Catania plane. No survivors. Victor Sierra