Italian mechanics, the famous “Specialisti” backbone of maintenance on flight’s conditions of Italian military aircrafts, checking a fighter airplane Macchi MC.202 “Folgore” of 347th Squadriglia, 153rd Gruppo Autonomo Caccia (Autonomous Fighter Group) “Asso di Bastoni”, on a Sicilian airport, 1942. In background a German transport aircraft Junkers Ju-52. The Italian pilots trusting blindly to they “Specialisti” to the point of reduce the least the pre-flight check. Victor Sierra

“Specialisti” 

The commander of 51st Stormo Caccia (Fighter Wing) of Italian Regia Aeronautica Co-Belligerent, Colonel Duilio Fanali, and his doggie Principessa (Princess). And with the name Principessa, the same Col. Fanali has baptized his fighter aircraft, a Macchi MC.202 “Folgore”. Born in 	1911, pilot of attack planes Breda 65 during the Spanish Civil War, during WW2 Fanali was a valiant pilot fighter. After the war, with the rank of General, was Deputy Commander of Allied Air Forces South Europe (NATO Afsouth) from 1961 to 1963 and commander of NATO Defence College from 1965 to 1966. From 28 February 1968 to 1st November 1971, the Lieutenant General Fanali was Chief of Staff Italian Air Force. The Gen. Fanali passed away on 27 August 1987. Victor Sierra

Principessa

Group photo for this RAF crew captured after a mistake landing on Pantelleria. Note in background the Ca 133 and the bunker-hangars. The British officers are doing an odd gesture, like they speak to a cellular phone... Is it a dsappoitment gesture, or has it any sort of meaning? DVX

British crew prisoner

This truck crafty armored of the XXXVI Black Brigade of Lucca &quot;N. Piacentini&quot; was painted of Italian tricolor cockades on the points hit by enemy bullets, probably in a combat against the partisans. It was a custom dating back to WWI to cover with tricolor cockade the enemy hits. DVX

Tricolor cockades on eemy bullets

Macchi MC.200 “Saetta” of 372nd Squadriglia of 153rd Gruppo “Asso di Bastoni” Italian Air Force in servicing under the palms on Castel Benito Airfield, Tripoli, Lybia, July 1941. The fighter is a MC.200 First Series with enclosed cockpit and sliding canopy. Victor Sierra

Under the palms

“Sit! I will return soon”. An Italian fighter pilot give an order to “airport’s dog” before to leave the parking area. The airplane is a Macchi MC.200 First Series of a 81st Squadriglia, 6th Gruppo, 1st Stormo on Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, June 1940. Victor Sierra

Sit!

Trapani, Sicily, August 1940. An Italian fighter pilot boarding on Macchi MC.200 “Saetta” of 1st Stormo “Arciere” (“Archer”). The aircraft is a MC.200 First Series with enclosed cockpit and sliding canopy, a solution not loved by pilots accustomed to open cockpit and which encountered some difficulties to open the canopy in case of emergency. The 1st Stormo was of-fact the first unit of the Regia Aeronautica exploiting the “Saetta” in true war missions of the war after a first series of changes to airframe for resolve many of troubles encountered after the entry into the service of new fighter. Like the adoption of a new airfoil for correct the tendency to entry in autorotation and the difficult for recovery from the spin, cause of many serious accidents. Victor Sierra

First MC.200s in combat service

Another view, frontal this time, of an all silver Fiat BR.20 I series of Malpensa Bomber Flight School (see other news in Italian Forces section). In background the hangar’s line. Victor Sierra

Malpensa Flight School

A recce plane Caproni Ca.310 “Libeccio” , aircraft Number 12 (MAL-12), of Malpensa Bomber Flight School warming up this engines on tarmac in grass of the airport. In background an aircraft of same type. Camouflage and insignias 1939-first half 1940. Victor Sierra

Malpensa’s “Libeccio”

Two Italians Carabinieri standing guard over a Luftwaffe’s Messerschmitt Bf-110 on airfield, perhaps in Sicily, winter 1941. Victor Sierra

Italian guards for Luftwaffe



In the old Italian Regia Aeronautica were normal practice relocate to Speciality’s School (in particular Fighter and Bomber Schools) the planes downgraded from their original mission as replaced by most modern aircrafts. In the photo a Fiat BR.20 first version downgraded to training plane for the Malpensa’s Bomber School (note the acronym MAL for Malpensa in fuselage+the plane’s individual number) with armament completely removed. The aircraft, in all silver livery, taxiing to take off runway of Malpensa Airport, near Milan. Note the Italian tricolor extended from the rudder also to elevators. Such as the majority of Italian airfields at the time, also Malpensa has taxiways and runways in grass. A great difference with the todays Intercontinental Civil Airport of Malpensa, the second large Italian hub. Victor Sierra


Malpensa Bomber School

An Fiat BR.20 First Series of Malpensas’s School in the last months before the entry in the war of Italy. This plane is totally camouflaged with the typical livery of Italian military aircrafts of end of Thirties. At Malpensa was also transferred the Scuola Volo Senza Visibilità (Blind Flying School). Victor Sierra

Malpensa’s BR.20i

Savoia-Marchetti S.79s transferred from the operational line to the Scuola Bombardamento di Aviano (Aviano’s Bombardment School). As on the other combat planes transferred to Schools, also on this S.79s the armament was removed. Note the acronym AVI (for Aviano) on fuselage. The aircraft in foreground (AVI-5) has a camouflage different from the other and the Italian tricolor on the rudder replaced by the white cross after the Italy’s declaration of war. In background the Eastern Alps. Aviano is today a large of US Air Force Europe. Victor Sierra

Aviano’s Bombardment School

An young and well dressed Italian military pilot boarding on a fighter aircraft Macchi MC.202 “Folgore”. Note an immaculate flying jacket Marus weared over an uniform well pressed and boat polished: a great difference with the pilots at the front. Victor Sierra

The flying school’s product

A basic trainer two seat, dual control Breda 25 (left) and an advanced trainer IMAM Ro.41 in version single seat of Capua’s Flying School at eve of entry of Italy in the war. Note the Ro.41 with two tone camouflage as the Breda 25 is in silver livery. The Flying School based at Capua Airfield, not far from Naples, was until September 1943 the School of Italian Air Force’s Academy (Accademia Aeronautica) at the time in the Royal Palace of Caserta. The enduring of flying training of Italian Aeronautical Academy at the time was of three years on two phases with a total of 72 flight hours: 42 for pilot license and 30 for military pilot license. 

Pilot’s factory

The light cruiser RM Raimondo Montecuccoli when she visited Austrailia in 1938. A nice clean beautiful ship.

Italian cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli

Italian float plane CRDA Cant-Z-506B “Airone” of 147th Squadriglia Autonoma Ricognizione Marittima (Autonomous Squadron Maritime Reconnaissance) on the slipway of the air harbor of Leros Island, Greece, 1942, during engine overhaul. Note, behind the Italian aircraft, the large crane of slipway and a German flying boat Dornier Do.24T-1 employed mainly in search-and-rescue missions. The 147th Squadriglia was an unit of Comando Militare Marittimo "Grecia" (Military Maritime Command “Greece”) in turn under the authority of Comando Aviazione Ausiliaria Regia Marina (Auxiliary Aviation for Royal Navy Command) with HQ at Rome. Victor Sierra

Italian and German seaplane at Leros

Italian bombers Savoia-Marchetti S.79 flying in close formation in a war mission. The planes, of 195th Squadriglia, 90th Gruppo, 30th Stormo at the time, Spring or Summer 1941, based in Sicily, at Sciacca Airfield, have the defensive weapons already in station. But also this S.79s are without the machine gun over the cockpit already removed. Note an aircraft with camouflage different from others. Victor Sierra

War mission

Undoubtedly this flight of a bomber Savoia-Marchetti S.79 of 258th Squadriglia, 109th Gruppo Bombardamento Terrestre (Land Bombardment) based at Castelvetrano, Trapani, Sicily, 1941, is a not a war’s flight. Indeed nobody is in the station of dorsal machine gun as a crewmember lean out peacefully of the station of fuselage reserved in combat to lateral machine gun. Victor Sierra

A quiet flight

An Italian bomber Fiat BR.20M flying over a mountain range, perhaps in the Balkans, during winter time and in the presence of scattered clouds. The cloud’s shape suggest a weather situation characterized by a cold front and by a strong tail wind with, in this last case, a consequential increase of the ground speed. Victor Sierra

Scattered clouds

View inside of the front gunner’s compartment of the M (M for Modified) of Italian twin engine bomber Fiat BR.20 (BR.20M) with the 7,7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun in turret Fiat H for the defense of forward sector. The BR.20M was also defended by other two Breda-SAFAT machine guns: one 12,7 mm in semi-retractable dorsal turret Fiat MI for defense of upper and rear sectors and one 7,7 mm in retractable turret for defense of lower sector. Victor Sierra

The defense of an Italian bomber

An Italian fighter pilot, in complete flight suit boarding on a Macchi MC.202 “Folgore”. The photo highlight the arrangement of principal armament of this famous Italian fighter: two 12,7mm Breda-Safat synchronized with the propeller, each with 360 rounds over the engine cowling. The airplane is also equipped with the anti-sand filter on the left side of cowling. Victor Sierra

The MC.202’s weapons

The Chief of the Italian Supreme Command (Comando Supremo), General Ugo Cavallero, Maresciallo d'Italia (Italy’s Marshal) from 1st July 1942, in visit to Regia Aeronautica’s Research and Flying Test Center of Guidonia, near Rome. Behind Cavallero, received by leaders of Regia Aeronautica, one of first new fighter aircraft Macchi MC.202s delivered to Italian Air Force. Date of the photo end 1941-beginning 1942. Victor Sierra

Italian Supreme Commander at Guidonia

Two Italian recce and cooperation with army planes IMAM Ro.37 in mission over Balkans, in front of Tomori’s massif, in Albania, April 1941, during the final phase of the Italo-Greek war. The two biplanes of this color picture were of 5th Gruppo Osservazione Aerea (Aerial Observation Group), Squadriglie 31st and 39th, on 15 February 1941 transferred from Bari to Devoli, in Albania. Victor Sierra

In flight over the Albanian mounts

A Cr 42 following a Blenheim already burning. DVX

Italian Forces

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