Italian Forces

The Ciano’s airplane

Luce

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