Inside a workshop on Aegean airport Italian Air Force’s mechanics working at heavy maintenance of Fiat CR.42 biplane fighter. Victor Sierra

Heavy maintenance

A quiet haven of peace not yet reached by the war: the Lake Iseo (or Lake Sebino), in Lombardia, on Summer of 1940. The all whit seaplane is the prototype, military code MM27193, of maritime reconnaissance aircraft Caproni Ca.316 built by Cantieri Aeronautici Bergamaschi, Caproni Group, powered by two Piaggio PVII radial engines (each with 480 HP of power) which flew for first time at Montecollino (Iseo) on 14 August 1940. A dozen of Ca.316s were built for the naval components (Marinavia) of Italian Regia Aeronautica mainly employed at Orbetello by 3rd Squadriglia of Scuola Osservazione Marittima (Maritime Reconnaissance School) for training of the Italian Navy’s air observer. The production of Ca.316 ceased on 15 January 1942. Switched at Portorose, in Istria (today Portorož, Slovenia) on Summer 1943, after the Armistice of Italy the surviging Ca.316s were damaged by the Italian personnel to avoid their seizure by Germans. Victor Sierra

A quiet haven of peace

Two Italian Regia Aeronautica’s airmen and a NCOs standing near a liaison plane Caproni Ca.164 and its pilot, perhaps himself a non-commissioned officer. Note the inelegant forage cap used at the time by Italian airmen Photo taken in Albania, perhaps at Scutari, year 1942. Victor Sierra