Other Forces

The result of a vicar’s sermon

Swedish Air Force’s J 11 fighters of the F9 (Flottilj 9), at this time based at Säve, Gothenburg, date 18 May 1942. J 11 is the name gave from the Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force) to Italian-built Fiat CR.42 purchased on 1940 as “emergency purchase” for balancing the effect of the United States embargo to militaries procurement by Baltic States. But, in reality the CR.42’s purchase affair goes back to Finnish-Soviet Winter War when the Swedish volunteer unit F 19 engaged against the Russians on Northern Finland required a replacement of their Gloster Gladiator. Early February 1940, a nation-wide collection of funds for new fighters for F 19 were started in Sweden thanks to a sermon made by vicar Isaac Been, who declared «What Finland really needs are fighters! And the devil shall be expulsed by fighters!». On 15 February, a first contract for five Fiat CR.42s was signed, followed by a second for seven more on 24 February. The type was selected due to its immediately availability and the ease with which skies could be fitted. The intention was that the CR.42s were to enter service with F 19 in early April 1940. However, with the ending of the Winter War on 13 March 1940, Finland declined delivery of the CR.42s, preferring to receive the equivalent cash instead. The Flygvapnet quickly decided to take over the 12 aircraft, for use with F 3 at Linköping, but the stop to US airplanes deliveries to Sweden decide by the Washington’s Government forced the Swedish to address elsewhere, in this case the Italy. So, besides the 12 planes already purchased, the Swedish Air Force ordered 60 CR.42s additional together 60 Reggiane Re.2000 (see http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/732111-1/RE2000-J20-FORUMBILDER) and some Caproni Ca.313 (see https://www.ww2incolor.com/d/744531-1/CA313-SVEZIA) plus four destroyers former Italian Navy. So the total of the Swedish CR.42 was of 72 airplanes delivered from April 1940 to September 1941 serials 2501-2572. The first dozen machines were flown to Sweden from 29 February 1940 to 15 March 1940 and the other was delivered in crates and assembled from CVM (Centrala Flygverkstäderna Malmslätt) at Malmslätt, Linköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The first batch of J 11 entered in service with the F 9 at Säve, Gothenburg, and by early 1942 the unit were on permanent stand-by against possible intruders. Another unit equipped with CR.42/J 11s, fitted with skies, was the F 1 based in Kiruna in Northern Sweden to defend the ore-carrying railway to Norway. At Säve was based also the F 2 and F 3 and in October 1943, F 9 started to replacement of the Italian-built fighter with the indigenous FFVS J 22. The CR 42/J 11s was declared obsolete on 14 March 1945 and 13 of them (with six additional as spares) were purchased by AB Svensk Flygtjänst, a civil company, for targets towing with civil registration. The last CR.42/J 11 was cancelled by the Swedish civil registration aircraft on 1949. While a Swedish J 11 is in the Flygvapenmuseum a Linköping, the spare parts from a relics was used by the Italian Air Force fore rebuilt a CR.42 for his Museum at Vigna di Valle. Victor Sierra